I've listened to Don Imus on & off since I lived in New York back in 1996-1998. I think that he came into my consciousness because I was in New York and he broadcast his show from that town. I don't think his radio show is carried in Cincinnati. In any case, I don't listen to him on the radio. However, I do watch his MSNBC simulcast on a semi-regular basis in the morning. I watch the show more regularly during political campaign season as he brings some good gues
ts ... including political candidates ... on his show. I enjoyed his overt campaigning on behalf of Harold Ford in his run for the U.S. Senate.On the April 4 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team, which is comprised of eight African American and two white players, as "nappy-headed hos" immediately after the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, called the team "hard-core hos." Later, former Imus sports announcer Sid Rosenberg, who was filling in for sportscaster Chris Carlin, said: "The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the [National Basketball Association's] Toronto Raptors."
McGuirk referred to the NCAA women's basketball championship game between Rutgers and Tennessee as a "Spike Lee thing," adding, "The Jigaboos vs. The Wannabees -- that movie that he had." McGuirk was presumably referring to Lee's 1988 film, School Daze (Sony Pictures), though co-host Charles McCord misidentified it as "Do the Right Thing" (Criterion, June 1989)."
Personally, I feel that anytime white folks try to pit us against ourselves it is in line with the message from the Willie Lynch letter many moons ago. Imus and his cronies try to pit us against each other. It won't work this time.
This isn't the first time Imus has pulled this kind of nonsense.
NBC had to apologize for Imus in 2004, after he called Palestinians "stinking animals" and referred to an Iraqi executed by a U.S. soldier as a "bobby-trapped, raghead cadaver." Imus' awful racial remarks, included calling the highly-regarded black journalist Gwen Ifill a "cleaning lady" when she was sent to cover the White House for the New York Times. Imus admitted to 60 Minutes that producer Bernard McGurk was brought on "to do nigger jokes," called Patrick Ewing "the missing link," Shaquille O'Neal "a car-jacker in shorts," and the Knicks "chest-bumping pimps."
NABJ called for us to boycott his show. But, in my view, Imus should either resign or be fired from his radio show. There is no place in the media for a bigoted jerk.
I see that MSNBC and CBS Radio suspended him for two weeks from the simulcast television show. In my view, a two-week suspension isn't enough for the repeated pattern of racist comments that come from Imus and his colleages. Methinks that Imus' career in radio and television is over. Any good that he does with causes such as autism, cancer or care for our veterans is overshadowed by his continued degradation of African Americans. Period.
- Trash Talk Radio - Gwen Ifill
- Misogyny in the Morning - Eugene Robinson
- Don Imus and Barack Obama - Joseph Palermo
- What the Media WON'T TELL YOU - Post on Highbrid Nation blog
Imus should be fired. That's my view. Apparently, Bigelow Tea, Procter & Gamble and Staples agree with me. They pulled their advertising from the show!
What are your comments on this situation?
13 comments:
I think the producer should get the boot too. Get to steppin'!
If you go to Francis L. Holland blogspot you will get lots of information on Afrosphere.
He is old enough to know better, he knew exactly what the reaction would be, and his producer accepts his behavior. He should have been fired a long time ago. He must have something over someone, for them to keep his drunk azz this long. I can hardly understand his inarticulate ramblings. He is an embarrassment to journalism.
credo - i agree. btw, thank you for the Holland blogspot referral. i never read his blog until this morning.
grown azzed woman - he was able to keep his show because he brought in advertising dollars. Period. That is his only hope now. However, I think we will next see him on the same airwaves as Howard Stern. He won't survive with any of the mainstream media outlets any longer.
so degrading. he definitely needs to feel the sting and two weeks suspension is ridiculous!
since he has a history of behaving in this manner I don't understand why they haven't fired him a long time ago but my guess is they love the controversy :(
Tisha - Controversy pays. They love the almighty dollar. Most times I wouldn't mind ... but this time the controversy/dollar ambition was at the expense of our sisters on the Rutgers team. Time for Imus to pay the piper.
peace, Villager
It is just time to stop letting people like Imus say what the say and then we are suppose to get over it because he said he is sorry. It's doesnt work like and it's time we let them know, if MSNBC won't do anything we should pressure the sponsors also
He should be fired right along with his producer. His "commentary" serves what purpose. There is no room for hateful racist remarks in any medium. I can't help to think of his followers praising him for this kind of HATE. I have never listened to him and glad that my ears have been blessed with his silence, and that's what America needs for him to be forever silenced. Those remarks only feed racism and I cannot fathom how a 2 week suspension is going to rid him of it. Is he going to make some sappy apology that no one will believe? Take out the garbage and leave him at the curb.
"Get to steppin'"
Martin Lawrence couldn't have said it better, Credo. Imus was way out of line, and in my opinion is only as apologetic as the thinks will be necessary to weasel of this situation.
I don't buy the "it's a part of the act" defense. Michael Richards used the same tactic, and quite frankly, I feel it's lame. The words were totally disrespectful to the young women and hopefully CBS will consider taking further punitive action.
Latimer, Danielle, dockwatts - I agree with each of you. It struck me today that part of my fervor over the issue comes from who Imus and his cronies attacked. They didn't attack a gangsta rapper. They didn't attack a Cincinnati Bengals football player. They didn't attack some inmate or fugitive from the law. They attacked some young women ... many of whom were freshman ... who had just reached a remarkable milestone by getting to the NCAA championship game.
Instead of uplifting this 13 women and their coach ... Imus defamed and degraded them.
Phuque Imus and the boat he rode in on. Let him wither away on his ranch or on the Intrepid. He no longer deserves a place at a publically traded company like MSNBC (microsoft, nbc) or W-FAN Radio (cbs).
Just my thoughts for the day...
Villager
While I think he should be fired, it's a good chance he won't. In our capitalistic society, a lot of the time money trumps morals and this guy is MSNBC's cash cow. Even if he was fired, some other station would probably pick him up. Or he could go to satellite radio.
What's in your heart will eventually come out. I hope the young women aren't affected in a negative way about this. It just goes to show racism and sexism are still a major issue, despite what people say.
Imus is an OLD shock jock that's been asked to push the envelope. What he said went too far for broadcasting. It's time to lead him to the pasture and bring up another shock jock. Black women, all women and people of color need to maintain composure to see the situation clearly.
Al Sharpton milked this incident when he gave 2 hours. That was far too much attention on negativity. What are Sharpton's motives for so much air time to Imus?
Akosua Albritton
Spot on Villager!
There are certain principles we cannot and WILL NOT compromise on!
Theo - I hope that you're wrong. I hope that he either resigns or gets fired. Hopefully, the money will drain away from his radio show & television simulcast. I noticed that two sponsors dropped out already. Others should follow.
Akosua - Welcome to da Village! You asked about the motives of Al Sharpton. I suspect that he seeks self-promotion and ratings. However, that doesn't erase the fact that he's correct on this Imus issue.
Tisha - There must be principles and standards ... especially on our public airwaves. One thing that I came to realize after the Rutgers team press conference ... this issue is probably more about sexism than racism.
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