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