This happens with such frequency I am almost innured to it. Keyword here is "almost." Most members of any minority group have probably experienced it at one time or another: that certain kind of over- familiarity of speech that makes them feel their personal space has been violated, albeit psychologically. A certain presumption:"You know I'm just messin' with ya...we're cool..."
There is something pathetic and puerile about a Mel Gibson meltdown or Michael Richards' spewing all over a nightclub stage. Don Imus is a bit different. He has his own radio/ talk show in the morning and he attracts about 300,000 listeners/viewers on average, most days.
Don Imus thinks he's funny. A crotchety, unpredictable old eccentric. He flatters himself that his quirky sense of humor permits him license to call Colin Powell "..a sniffling weasel..." or New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson "a fat sissy..." I certainly would not quarrel with the depiction of Powell's weaseling around if it is in the context of him attempting to distance himself from the Bush Administration.
But back to Imus.The Rutgers Women's Basketball team lost the NCAA Women's championship to Tennessee. On his morning show, Imus and his trusty sidekick McGuirk had this exchange:
McGuirk: (describing the Rutgers team): "hardcore 'hos..."
Imus:"That's some nappyheaded 'hos there, I'm going to tell you that!"
Maybe he was straining for a kind of 'racial intimacy' with the 'nappyheaded" comment, that level of overfamiliarity that can be so offensive. Maybe he and McGuirk used the word 'hos' to demonstrate their "street cred", you know, being "down with it..." so to speak. Maybe they listened to too much rap where African American males often refer to women as "'hos." But that's a whole other discussion, and one that's long overdue. I Don't know the working of Don Imus' mind, and I don't much care.
Monday, April 9,2007 we learned that after some deliberation, Imus had been suspended for two weeks from his show, until his minders at CBS and MSNBC can decide what to do with him. The National Organization of Women wants him out, Jesse Jackson was leading a group of pickets outside CBS, Al Sharpton thinks he should be fired, and the governor of New Jersey thinks he's vile. If the protests broaden and it affects advertising revenues, Imus is toast. So this is the time of watchful waiting.
Meanwhile, Imus has been doing the Contrition Dance. In fact, he cannot stop apologizing. He says this is "humiliating." Actually, I find this tiresome. Don Imus is not worth the time and the energy it takes to get exercised about this mess. If it weren't for the fact that he is an insidious presence on our airwaves every weekday, I wouldn't give it a passing glance. He's has been an accident waiting to happen for a long time. But he has a public forum and this is by no means an aberration for him, and so it has to be addressed.
I'll let Julian Bond, chairman of the board of directors of the NAACP, have the last word on this one for me because Julian Bond has an established, well documented history with which I am very familiar; "street cred" if you will:
" it is past time his employers took him off the air...As long as an audience is attracted to his bigotry and politicians and pundits tolerate this racism and chauvinism to promote themselves, Don Imus will continue to be a serial apologist for prejudice."
" it is past time his employers took him off the air...As long as an audience is attracted to his bigotry and politicians and pundits tolerate this racism and chauvinism to promote themselves, Don Imus will continue to be a serial apologist for prejudice."
Copyright, 2007
1 comment:
All the vitriol and ridicule focused Imus' way right now is exactly what he and his handlers wanted. Most folks probably thought Don Imus had died already. And god love 'em, but does anyone watch MSNBC? (well, they did this week) And I'm sure Imus is real sorry for offending in such a way that some actual media attention is being directed his way again - after years on the has-been roster. And I thought his whole deal was to make shocking, offensive comments. Maybe the fact that people took notice and got offended this time around exposes just how stale and un-noteworthy his "shock-jocking" had become. Anyway, this is going to end up being the most lucrative and career-advancing suspension of all time. Just the fact that the suspension starts next week shows that the folks at MSNBC and his radio handlers are not completely dumb. Leave him on the air until the story cools. Then it's off to a forced vacation and some sensitivity-rehab. He'll be on Oprah for the redemption tour next. If this is public censure, then America has more than a race problem - we have a stupid problem. To use a racially offensive simile, Imus is like Br'er Rabbit begging not be thrown into the briar patch. Apparently, Al Sharpton and Jesse didn't see Song of the South - it was, after all, pretty offensive. I can excuse Imus' insensitivity. He was never a serious commentator in any sense to begin with, and as a media play - his tactics have been brilliant. It is difficult to understand, however, how Sharpton and Jackson aren't seeing how their protests will end up benefitting the very object of their scorn. Moreover, their histrionics are feeding into a potential political backlash that may end up helping conservatives. (though they may be beyond help in any case, thanks Dubya) Though their adherents seem to ignore the fact, most Americans don't like Sharpton and Jackson. We can go back and forth all day about why and whether the dislike is justified, but fair or unfair, there is little doubt about the fact. What a shame it would be if Americans (dumb as many of my fellow citizens tend to be) conflate their dislike of Sharpton and Jackson with support of Imus - or worse yet, Republicans in general. In short, as experienced political operatives, there is no excuse for the tactical mistakes being made by Sharpton and Jackson. Their overall cause(s) would benefit much more if they found a quiet hole to rest in until after the 2008 election. Their ramblings can only upset the applecart of an almost-guaranteed Democratic victory. How liberals continue to miss golden opportunities for genuine outrage - like when the Swift Boat folks attacked a bona fide war hero while Bush served in the country club reserve and hardly showed up for that gig - but never miss an opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot...well, it almost makes me want to reconsider my political affiliation. And don't get me started on how Democrats don't seem to notice that while Hillary and Barrack Obama would be wonderful leaders, they have the lowest chances of winning in a national election. Why? Because of exactly the latent racist and sexist attitudes that remain prevalent in this country AND ARE ILLUSTRATED BY IMUS' COMMENTS! Instead of proving how far America has come in the 2008 election, is it too much to ask for Dems to focus our efforts a simple victory (even with a regular, old WASP candidate) so we can begin to fix the trainwreck of the last 6-7 years? And please, Revs. Sharpton and Jackson, stop ranting just long enough to put your thinking caps on. It's called choosing your battles. In December of 2008, go crazy, scream all you want, keep these race issues on America's front burner (I agree with you). But for now, please chill. See, Barb, I have street cred, too. And I would like to apologize in advance if my use of the term "chill" has offended anyone. And Oprah, I'm ready to apologize publicly - but can it be during sweeps week?
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