Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Imus=Idiot...but should he lose his job and are we overreacting?

Ok, let's just get this out of the way right away. I do not like Don Imus and I most definitely do not approve of what he said in regards to the University of Rutgers Ladies Basketball team. Nobody deserves to be spoke of in such a horrendously sexist and racist light. I believe that there is no room on syndicated airways in this country for stupidly insensitive things like that to be said.....Now that that is out of the way let's address what I really want to get to here.


I feel like people are making a little too big of a deal with the Imus comment. Stupid things are said every single day. Now, granted this was one of the stupidest and most insensitive but still. Do we really need to continue to carry this on? In my opinion something like this is worth about 30 minutes of one's time, and that's all I'm giving it...when 30 is up I quit writing. Because anything beyond that is just a waste of time and is probably just feeding the monster.

What is the monster? Well, the monster is really a lot of things. All over the airwaves, TV, and even blogosphere stupid and insensitive comments are made every day. This is just one part of it. Another is the media. The sad thing is, is that the more people blow this up the more publicity comes Imus' way. Whether it's good or bad pub, in his line it really makes no difference because its going to bring more listeners to his show (once he gets it back).

There is something in this country that goes on every single day in the media and goes almost always unnoticed. There is a double standard in regard to racism directed towards blacks in the media. Treat yourself to the black comedians, like Chris Rock or Dave Chapelle, for an hour and count the vulgar names directed at black women. Although they may dispute it as much as they want, for blacks to even use the Nword towards each other really has the same degrading effect that it did back when the whites enslaved the blacks and the word took full meaning and as when whites use the word to this day. And even if someone who is black wants to defend their right to use the Nword and not have it be, in reality, just as degrading then look at it this way: It is still feeding the problem.

Imus is a product of the problem right now. Those women did not deserve Imus' comment. It was sexist. It was wrong. But hip hop songs say worse things towards blacks, women, and specifically black women multiple times a day. Sharpton and the others never want to acknowledge this. The point is, if they're going to punish Imus, take a strong look at the true offenders of sexism and racism that our in their own community and culture. The problem needs to be cut down at the root if things are truly ever going to change.

If you turn your attention to MTV, Vh1, or BET and you will hear "ho" more times than you can count. If that's not enough here is another slightly different example. Think of Anderson Cooper on "The Daily show" imitating a Middle Easterner by going "Derka Derka" (like team america)... little to no fuss or complaints. Now is it because they're black? - Maybe. Is it because they are women? -Probably and possibly rightfully so.

Now, I listened to the coach speak and she struck me as a very intelligent and articulate woman but I think they may have stretched this a bit in the press conference. Thing were said such as: they had been "scarred for life" and that his comment "ruined their moment". This is basically what got me. I think to say these things is an overreaction (keeping in mind the first paragraph of this article). He is a crabby, old, white guy with a crappy radio show who sometimes decides to wear a cowboy hat and look like a really ugly idiot. You just took 2nd place in the national title game after a great season and a great tourney run. Now you must not be too proud to let one comment by one crabby, old white guy on the radio "ruin your moment". Also the scarred for life thing...ok, people will remember this for a while and Imus will probably never shake this one but please. A lot of these girls will go on to have a great college career and maybe even be great pro players. I watched the press conference and some of those girls were good speakers and I have no doubts in my mind that most, if not all of those girls, have bright futures ahead of them even outside of basketball. "Scarred for life" is a major stretch.

That being said should he lose his job? Ok he very well may, it all depends on sponsorship.
Stefan Ming (ming01) says,
"Don't they pay him to do stuff like this, to be controversial? Imus was just doing his job."

I think this is pretty true. If he does lose his job it probably won't be because of the actual comment it will be due to financial reasons. Too many supporters pulled the plug on his show and MSNBC had to drop him...Sharpton is pulling for more and I think he needs to mind his own business and cool it right now. He's being punished, he has said he was sorry, he's been doing crap like this for like what, 5 centuries or something? People are blowing this up and because of this I think it is probably likely that he will lose his job.

16 comments:

Stefan Ming said...

I am prolly more upset with Sharpton than Imus. One thing about it is I dont know why the hell Al Sharpton sticks his noise in everything... especially if race is being involved... all I have to say is just go away Al Sharpton and worry about things going on at your congregaton.

Anonymous said...

Did you hear? The I-man has a new job. In ministry! Read the latest on my blog - "Necessary Therapy".

Anonymous said...

i wouldn't consider his radio show "crappy". he makes (or used to make) millions of dollars.

bpl said...

Your Anderson Cooper reference doesn't really apply. He said it on the Daily Show, a humorous television program, and in an obviously joking and funny manner. Imus said his remarks in a joking manner about a serious topic on a serious show. That's why there was nothing done with Cooper.

But yes, I agree. This Imus thing is getting WAAAAAY too much pub. He's like the fucking T.O. of radio. Ugh.

bpl said...

And ming, there's a difference between being paid to be controversial and collecting pay while saying dumb ass remarks. What he said wasn't controversial; in today's world, they were just flat ignorant, insensative, and wrong.

And Sharpton is an idiot. Always has been, always will be. He's the reason black people continue to get stereotyped. Basically, he's hurting his cause more than helping it. Idiot.

Stefan Ming said...

MSNBC and CBS payed him to be controversial... thats what his show was pretty much all about... but yeah i'll admit now, it doesn't excuse his remarks...

grittysquirrels said...

Yea I just don't really like the fact that he lost his job yesterday (for obvious reasons stated in the post)...

Apparently it's been reported that a radio host out East in Philly lost his job just for repeating what Imus said, when reporting the story. Seriously, that is rediculous!

Anonymous said...

to Bryan: I don't know who you are, but how can you say Imus's comments were not controversial? Perhaps you don't know what he said I guess.

Anonymous said...

They arent controversial because they are not uncommon. The difference is Imus is white and Sharpton and Jackson saw this as an opportunity to make an example out of someone they didnt like. Plain and simple.

grittysquirrels said...

Sharpton and Co. bring more problems onto themselves and "their people" with their antics.

Look obviously he shouldn't have said it but if you are going to punish 1 punish them all....the double standard in these cases is just rediculous. Until all are punished, no matter if you're black or not, nothing will change.

bpl said...

Apperently whoever anonymous was, you don't know how to comprehend messages. If you had half the brain Imus does (and I honestly hope you do, because that's not that hard to have) you'd get that I was making the point that controversial is too nice of a term for what he said.

Do only idiots, me, and jon reed read the sports flow?

bpl said...

and everyone, it's spelled R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.

You're not talking about JJ Redick, and there is no E in ridiculous.

Do only idiots WRITE for the sports flow?

grittysquirrels said...

.....yes

grittysquirrels said...

to Bryan: I don't know who you are, but how can you say that about merely a simple typing error in a comment of a post? Doesn't it seem rather harsh?

Stefan Ming said...

I would like to thank everybody for their contributions to The Sports Flow. The Sports Flow greatly appreciates everyones insight/comments. Thank you.

bpl said...

No grittysquirrels, it isn't too harsh. Learn to be literate. Ming01 is the Gus Johnson to your Dennis Miller. That's right, I said it.