Her name is Alek Wek (pronounced uh-LECK Weck) and she’s from the Sudan. Bahr al Ghazal, to be exact.
I told myself I’d wait for three posts talking about it to say something, so here it is. You don’t look white in that picture. (You do look finer than seven Sundays, but I’m hardly the first to say such here.) I didn’t understand where the poster who said you did thought so, that confused me. But maybe my perspective is too weird to count.
God, she is beautiful.
Was that the appropriate response? Too lenient? Too harsh? Or is the response entirely decided by how advertisers respond?
(Fashion corner aside … the “looking Black” discussion is a significant aside, both from how complexion and hair is viewed within segments of the Black community and why, and to questions of how we determine our identity and how it is determined for us. But I doubt that this is the right thread to discuss those issues.)
I watched MSNBC last night, and almost all the commentators discussed this in terms of “Ooh, look at what MSNBC did. They’re taking a STAND!” Abrams took this up to another level of annoying: “They’re taking a STAND! And how dare anyone demand anything more of them? Any other network would have let this slide! Not that I’m defending Imus, mind you.” Their punditry had less to do with Imus and more to do with showing that MSNBC was taking action. But I wasn’t all that impressed. It’s a PR move! If MSNBC was serious it would just let him go. That would send the message that his kind of talk is not what the station wants to sell. A suspension smacks of do-nothing appeasement.
As it stands, Imus will still be allowed to milk ratings out of this. He plans on inviting the Rutgers team to the show so that he can apologize to them. And that’s lovely, really, but the beauty of an apology is diluted when it comes across as self-serving.
Apparently, even apologizing profusely to the King of the Blacks doesn’t seem to be helping.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264946,00.html
(he told my dad he was!)
And see, I got made fun of ALL THE TIME for having kinktacular hair. I was Medusa, I was Buckwheat, I was nappy, I was Bush. (Oh, how I hate that one.)
I’m using the term “half-black” because that’s what the hairdresser suggested, what that nice security guard over at the B&N said, what the man who accosted my mother when I was three said. Black is a phenomenally useless term when it comes to race considering that the same characteristics shared by, say, descendents of Bantu sold as slaves are shared by individuals of various other origins. I recall hearing about a man who had been brought up his whole life believing he was black and discovering that he had, in fact, not a drop of African blood in him. I try not to use it as a descriptive – “the guy with the yellow windbreaker” or “the woman with her hair all in braids” works better for me.
As for me, I’d never let anyone get close to my hair with an iron let alone relaxing agents. Kinky or nappy or curly though it may be, that person would lose their fingers.
I would never use a term for a person that I think they might consider offensive. If I unintentionally offended someone, I would apologize immediately. I don’t think there’s anything halfway about calling someone a nappy-headed ho, either. I think that’s the main issue here, isn’t it?
Been there, done that. :smack:
I find wooden brushes/combs to do well. I finally took to smearing a ton of conditioner in it and combing it out before rinsing. Does well for me, but it’s not good for split ends. 
You know I just can’t muster up any vitrol on this one. It was said on a riff, and while I understand it is offensive, I just dont see the big deal.
At least not enough to fire the guy, call in death threats, or judge a mans entire life and career by it.
Actually, if it was a vote, I would vote to give him a raise. due to the simple fact that a racisit pig like Al Sharpton wants him fired. Al Sharpton should never been given a platform to speak, much less pretend to represent an entire culture! How he has the balls to judge anyone is beyond me… but I digress…
Are you “riffing” here?
Look, unless you identify as a Rutgers women’s basketball team member, I doubt it will be a big deal to you. Personally to me it isn’t a big deal. He didn’t call me a nappy-headed ho. However, because I have a great deal of respect for the accomplishments of high achieving African-American women, I’m pissed that the majority of Americans are getting to know the Rutgers team as a result of Imus’ insult, rather than the work they put in getting to the championship game. It was hateful and cruel to do so.
Now, if you know the sting and stigma of having those words aimed at you, feel free to opine. If you haven’t, maybe you should investigate the meaning of “empathy.” I would hope all people who are decent and respectful would condemn Imus’ idiocy. Whether you think it’s the worst thing in the world or not is somewhat irrelevant.
He could have said nothing, or said congratulations, but he chose instead to insult them. These aren’t idiot pop stars or famewhores, but hardworking student athletes. If you have a sister or a daughter who had accomplished something notable, when so many depictions of women their age are negative, and some jackass called her names on national TV and radio, I guess you’d be a-okay with it, right?
Tell you what. Let’s have someone publicly insult someone you care about, and see if you don’t feel the urge to fire them or judge them harshly. Especially when it isn’t the first time he’s been called on that shit (he called Gwen Ifill a “cleaning lady” when she was named a White House correspondent). BTW, you got a cite about death threats?
Your hatred for Sharpton is such that you want someone who behaved reprehensibly rewarded? I hope that’s a poor attempt at a joke, because it belies logic. (It’s not funny either.) I assume Sharpton is employed by a radio company. They don’t have the right to hire him? And when has Sharpton ever claimed to speak for an entire culture?
On the other hand, I don’t know why I’m attempting to employ logic responding to this cack of a post. :rolleyes:
If any Rutgers, hell any black woman, needs Imus to condone or condeme their actions then we have another issue. How does one idiot, by voice alone, null any accomplishment by these ladies? Give me a break with your self-indignant tone. I think better of them then you do it seems.
Is this a question? Are you asking this for real? Do you even know who Al Sharpton is?
I’m familiar with this line of argument. Sticks and stones, right? Here’s the thing: some people live life with far more name-calling than others do. This isn’t occurring in a vacuum. There is a long, ugly history in this country attacking the sexuality and feminity of Black women. If you would like to ignore this, or simply tell Black women, or women that’s it’s not a big deal, then go right ahead.
I know it makes better copy, and it excuses the behavior of racists to depict any group that has experienced oppression, to simply say “hey, we’re tougher than that!” But the words hurt, and again, I’m furious that the world learned of the Rutgers women’s basketball team as the butt of Imus’ joke.
If you’ve lived a life where your competence is questioned because of your race, socioeconomic status, gender, or ethnicity on a daily basis, I think you might feel differently. I actually have a great deal of respect for how these women conducted themselves on the court and at the presser, which is why I empathize with their situation. You know, it is possible to experience hurt but still continue to achieve at a high level. It isn’t an either-or situation.
Oh, I’m quite familiar with who he is. Again, I ask, when has he stated that he is a spokesperson for Black people?
So one vote for firing him. Any others?
Again, racist and sexist bile. Offensive. But the bread and butter of a shock jock is to say, well, things that shock and offend. The market exists for this. Howard Stern is getting how many billion?
Was this hate speech? Or just offfensive?
Personally I can endorse the labelling it as racist and offensive. Yet I shy from calling it hate speech worthy of censorship and worthy of the level of play it has received.
What will determine whether Imus gets booted from the air is the reaction of his show’s sponsors. Staples and Bigelow Tea have already jumped ship. This sort of image is NOT what any sane PR department wants associated with its company’s image. If enough sponsors pull out, the profit leaves with them, and he’s gone.
But then, using “sane” to describe “PR department” is rather naive, eh?
I was listening to Whoopie Goldberg on Anderson Cooper’s show this morning, and he mentioned the pervasiveness of these derrogatory terms in today’s modern vernacular is largely due to the fact that rap artists have effectively given them the “green light.” Whoopie’s response was something along the lines of, “We know that they’re using them. The question would be, ‘why would YOU use them?’”
I don’t think he should be fired, though I’m not convinced he won’t be. The fact that someone of his stature in broadcasting said it is bringing the issue to the forefront. It’s not just gang-banger rappers who use these terms so casually. Sure, people have been speaking out against it for years, but never against a source that regularly hob-nobs with such influential people.
Yeah, I’m tiring of this line of argument that if someone uses derogatory language, it muddies the waters and confuses well-meaning grown-ass veteran radio broadcasters. I buy the argument for little kids, not for grown men.
I know there’s a lot of will to destroy hip hop and make it responsible for all of the ills of society, but we’ve seen this film before. Little Richard dropping sexual innuendo in his ditties. Elvis and his gyrating hips. The Beatles advocating drug use. The Stones encouraging kids to jump in the sack before they got married. Judas Priest making kids blow their heads off. Ice-T encouraging thugs to shoot cops, etc. I don’t think the profligate use of racist or misogynistic words in any music is something we shouldn’t discuss and analyze, but a) it isn’t new, and b) the effect on society is somewhat overblown. Artists tend to reflect trends in the social milieu rather than create them, IMO.
Glad to see Whoopi adding some much-needed common sense to the discussion.
And this is the reason why I think he should be fired (but he won’t be). Anything less means that there is no disincentive for people to say crap like this. The more offensive shock jocks are, the more money they make, so why would we expect them to self-regulate if they’re only rewarded for the bile they release?
There is an audience that feeds off remarks like this. Don’t know why that matters, though. If I had a show featuring depictions of kitten torture, I could probably attract a sizable audience, too. That has nothing to do with whether I should be allowed to stay on the air. Or does it?
And to answer your question: This was not hate speech, just offensive. But Imus does have a history of saying things that might be considered hate speech.
If I were any more melanin-deficient I’d be an albino, but Imus’s little “riff” offended me deeply.
I’ve heard elsewhere about his philanthropic activities. Perhaps he ought to get his “Made for Radio” face off TV, retire from radio & devote himself to all those Good Causes. Before his dementia gets even worse.
This is offensive to those of us who are unattractive.
Well I have lived like that, and I still dont feel any different.
Their situation? You see, thats what I dont get. Their situation is that they are are the second best womans b-ball team in the country. they attend a reputable college (some on scholarship im sure) and I assume most will graduate with a good degree that will allow them to go wherever they want in life. And Imus will affect that how exactly?
I just hate seeing a dumbass like Imus get air play, when his opinions on anything should barely register! I wouldn’t take his advice on a movie for Pete’s sake! All this; “I’m so offended” crap is just that, crap. His words only hurt if you let them, personally, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
But obviously we dont see eye to eye on this. And while i dont share your views, dont think my opinions is a reflection of what I think of you… if that makes sense!