Imus Still in Hot Water
 

NEW YORK - Unimpressed by his on-air apology or corporate promises of a tighter leash, angry critics of nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus called Saturday for his dismissal over his racially charged comments about the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team.

"I accept his apology, just as I want his bosses to accept his resignation," said the Rev. Al Sharpton. He promised to picket Imus' New York radio home, WFAN-AM, unless the veteran of nearly 40 years of anything-goes broadcasting is gone within a week.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070407/...t/imus_apology


I really liked Imus until this incident. Imus In the Morning is great and always had controversial aspects to it ("Lord hear our prayer") but I found him funny. People always go too far with the jokes, though.

I too thought that Imus was funny. I actually heard him say this last week and my mouth was on the floor. I mean totally out of line and uncalled for. I went on to MSNBC's website and found their e-mail and sent of an e-mail letting them know how disgusted I was. I think he should be fired. I thought his apology(which came 2 days later) was just a half assed attempt to smooth things over, but it didn't work me. Imus was on Al Sharpton's show this morning but I haven't been able to hear it yet.

so are mcguirk or the other commentator (who made the gay remarks later in the segment) getting any reprimands?

Imus wasn't having a conversation with himself.

I found both conversations by both comentators offensive-I couldn't believe it references to women as not being women and racist stereotypes on the air! Whatever happened to America as a melting pot and tolerance for diversity. Why such disparaging remarks agains people of color and women?

they should be fired.....at least

i just can't believe some of the things people are ALLOWED to say on the radio anymore. not just this incident, but people can basically cuss or use off-color language (in conversation, advertising, and of course the music) and it's o.k.

I hope he keeps his show, I enjoy it.

Amazing Imus speaks his mind and is chastised.

Being PC is getting so over board that one cannot say any thing with out getting in TROUBLE?

It may have been His beliefs as He saw it, but how many others say things that are accepted without a word?:(

Oh, I am not a big Imus Fan or anyother talk radio nut!

Is he a deity or something?

:confused:

Fine, if he should be kicked off for this, Imus should be fired retroactively for making comments about executing President Bush. Or, we could let the apology stand, stop wasting time being so outraged about petty things, and be productive members of society. Hell, maybe with all that productivity we gain, somebody will invent a magic switch which allows us to turn off something we don't want to listen to or view.

Do you even think racism exists in this country? Or is something that us colored folks have been dreaming up in our heads all these years?

If firing is the least, what else should happen?

Who in the hell are you to tell someone what's petty??

Every time something like this happens you can always count on the same MF's to pipe in telling people what they should shouldn't be offended about.

Right.

There should be consequences
 

To the moronic defenders:
Making a comment about a specific person based on his actions is ENTIRELY different from making racist comments about a group of people. Just because those comments were directed at the basketball players doesn't keep it from offending all black women. duh:mad:

Anyway,
I honestly think the whole thing is a publicity stunt. I never heard of this guy before this. He knew exactly what he was saying and that it would offend black people. He just figured it was worth the risk. Even if he gets fired, someone else will snap him up and give him a bigger audience with more money.

Black people are an easy target. We have hip-hop artists who sell us out everyday. They get rich calling us N's, B's, and ho's. They show black women degrading themselves. Kids grow up seeing this and think that this is how they need to act in order to be sucessful or respected:rolleyes:. Basically, we don't support each other (on a large scale) and we constantly and publicly degrade each other. What's stopping anyone else from doing the same?

Do you really think anything detrimental will happen to him (or the guy he was talking with)? I don't, not in the long-run.

I knew it
 

I just heard on the news that he's getting suspended for two weeks.

Clearly, not enough!

Oh that was nice.lol
Heck, I want shinerbock to tell me where the line is drawn between petty and offensive so that I can respond accordingly the next time this happens.:rolleyes:

I think racism exists, I don't think you should lose your job over being a racist (even though very little indicates that Imus is a racist). I have the absolute right to say what you should and shouldn't be offended about, just as you have the right to bitch and moan about what you think should happen to someone who made an improper comment.

Where can I get some of this protected status? Its good stuff.

So, you can have an opinion that the situation is OUTRAGEOUS but I can't say its petty. Awesome. I should get fired for my lack of concern over this.

I hope he keeps his show, too.

This comment wasn't as extreme as some people are trying to make it. I see more sexist overtones than racial undertones. I find it interesting that most of the "boycotters" are only picking up on the assumed racial thing. Imus and his colleagues make a ton of controversial statements that have nothing to do with race. Offended people should voice their opinions but understand that there are different levels of offense.

I was about to comment on the sexist theme too. What seemed like praise for the UT team (which I assume has several black players) indicated more of an assumption for how women should look than a statement about race, at least to me.

My personal belief is that there isn't much reason for black people to be outraged. Of course, this is my personal belief and I'm not black so I have no idea what sparks true emotion and what doesn't. My problem is not with people being upset, its with these demands that he be fired. I don't like that the media has to cater to such strong lobbies, either meeting their demands or facing their wrath. I know this happens in other contexts too (Disney boycott, for example), but race is such a volatile issue that there is leverage in situations like this that extends beyond simple financial motivations. People can speak with their wallets or their patronage, and that doesn't bother me. I get concerned more so when people threaten to blanketly ruin an entity's reputation and goodwill if demands aren't met, whether they're reasonable or not.

Yes, when a situation like this happens, I do think its outrageous that people like to tell others how they should feel, or that it's petty.

I have major issues when someone who was not the target of the sexist or racist remark tells the targets how they should feel, or to get over it because it's petty.

I said it was petty. Others said it was outrageous. Now you're telling me I can't say its petty.

I'm outraged at your outrage over my thinking its petty. Now, I've satisfied the "be outraged" requirement.

Yep.

I don't listen to Imus or watch him or whatever, but it's my understanding that he's an equal opportunity offender sort of like Southpark, isn't he? (Not that he's like Southpark, just the all inclusive offender part.)

Hasn't he already said offensive things many times before?

I don't know the answer to this question: but is the standard for employment in talk radio that you never say anything racist or sexist? Is the standard for stations that they don't allow people who have ever said anything racist or sexist on the air? If so, is this going to apply to everybody or just white guys?

If we want to set the bar for civilized on air communication higher, I'm all for it, but I don't like the idea of only some comments by only some people to get this intense a reaction.

co-sign 100%....sad but true....

Was it the nappy or the ho's part that was racist?

-Rudey

True.

Again,I have major issues when someone who was not the target of the sexist or racist remark tells the targets how they should feel, or to get over it because it's petty.

So you play basketball for Rutgers?

It's called the "good ole boy" system. You're automatically protected.

Haha, I wish. I don't think many people would picket for me if I was made fun of on the radio. Then again, I wouldn't demand anything, either.

Yes, with your mama:).

Were you the target? I'm pretty sure those Rutgers ladies were the target. I'm certainly not telling them how to feel. I'm actually not telling anyone how to feel, I'm expressing my opinion that getting worked up over this is stupid.

In which case, Mac, I'd be pissed that Imus called your mom a ho.

You know what. That's a really good question.

You don't have to be black to know what sparks true emotion or to be compassionate over racial issues. Blacks are people (:)) so we have individual opinions on what's offensive. The only time I dismiss my individual opinion for a racial group-centered one is when I see the incident as indicative of a larger climate. I don't see that here at all.

No one call tell people what to be outraged about. So I won't tell black people, women, or whomever that they shouldn't offended as long as they don't tell me I SHOULD be offended.

I find Imus' comment unnecessarily stupid but I don't believe he or his comment are racist. He feels humiliated and has apologized. A lesson has been learned. People need a metric of offense so that everything that raises an eyebrow doesn't get the treatment of more serious things. Voicing a complaint about something like this should result in an on aire apology for the first offense (since folks aren't counting all the controversial comments he's made for years).