Over the years, I have happened upon Imus’s show occasionally. Whenever I’ve done so, out of curiosity about his stature as a media figure, I’ve listened or watched for a few minutes. Which is the most I’ve ever been able to stand. Every time I’ve sampled him, he’s said something to disgust me into turnin him off with a few minutes of turning him on. Misogynist, racist, homophobic, or just plain small minded. I agree with the “enough is enough” crowd on this jerk.
The really sad part of the entire equation is people being upset at what comes from the mouths of these idiots: Imus, Sharpton, et. al. It’s the equivalent of lifting the lid of a septic tank, and complaining because it smells like shit.
Don’t like what you hear? Change the station, or shut it off.
I’ll neither defend or denounce either man, as they’re both panderers, equally willing to sell to their respective audiences.
The best thing to do is ignore them.
(1). It also sounds like crappy and sappy; is it still a cool word.
(2). someone already said this but I repeat, “Some of my best [girl]friends are nappy-headed hos.” Is that it? And if you’re still not convinced there’s something way wrong with this, try going up to your former girlfriend, and saying “You’re my favorite nappy-headed ho.” Get back to us on that, please.*
(3). This “dude” is clearly putting us on, almost like trolling.
- I thought you said you were female.
He’s going through dutchman’s “research” right now; he’ll get back to you.
How the hell many people are going to repeat this retardation? How did it get to the point where so many people act as though it’s ridiculous to hold people responsible for what they say? Don Imus is responsible for what Don Imus says. Funny how people will go around complaining about our society not expecting “personal responsibility” out of people and then do their best to ensure that no one is actually held responsible for the things they say.
It was clear late last week that the Duke boys were being exonerated. I guess the choices were pretty clear for the Sharpton, Jackson offensability machine.
Once the Duke boys got out of the barrel there was going to be a backlash unless they found somebody else to put in there.
Jackson sang “Hymietown” on Saturday Night Live for a joke. He said on an interview that he’s got nothing to be sorry for for his attacks on the Duke boys because they were wrong anyway for watching a naked girl dance since that’s “the first step to domestic violence.” Meanwhile he’s a notorious mysoginistic womanizer with a love child on the side he paid from his tax-free charity’s funds. Sharpton’s still paying off the NYPD for the slander he pulled against them. Slander’s just about the hardest thing to prove, but they proved he knew Tawana was lying.
Neither of these cynical hypocrtitical vampiric thugs will rest until they get to tell everybody what they can and cannot say, and they’ve cemented their places as the self-apointed guardians of decency.
The Rutger’s basketball team which was previously crying about how they hated all the publicity and just wanted it to go away have held about 100 press conferences and today went on Oprah.
I’m feeling a little cynical about this whole thing. I don’t know Imus from a hole in the whole but he didn’t say anything Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, or a rap album can’t say, and if they can say it and he can’t that’s discrimination.
Anyway, if he’s on the opposite side of Sharpton and Jackson, I’m on his side. Apparently he was fired right in the middle of his charity radiothon and has raised more than $40,000,000 for sick kids over his career and runs the Imus ranch for terminally children.
Who the hell are Sharpton and Jackson to judge him. I don’t think they’ve done anything comparable.
I’m disgusted.
Please cite where I’ve advocated avoidance of responsibility for what one says.
Yes, Don Imus or ‘insert name here’ is a jerk. When a sufficient number of people ignore him, he goes away, as his devotees are lacking. That Don Imus and others continue to find a willing audience is sad.
What I have said is that censure of another person’s speech, simply because you find it reprehensible, is wrong.
The people that have a problem with Imus’ speech have the right to complain about it. Don’t like? Turn the channel.
Censuring their speech, simply because you find it reprehensible, is wrong.
If I went into work and said the stuff Chris Rock or Eddie Murphy say, I’d get fired from my job too. Am I being discriminated against?
Criticism of Sharpton and Jackson doesn’t vindicate Imus. It’s possible for multiple people to act badly.
How is he being censored? He still has the same free speech rights as anyone else in this country.
I’m not sure if this is an intentional Dukes of Hazzard reference, but if it is, nice job- it’s funny.
You’re the second person to say this today. That was Eddie Murphy impersonating Jackson as a joke, making fun of the earlier “hymietown” remark.
Chris Rock declares any woman who wears clear heels is a ho. Old standby “dead nigger storage” gets a pass to this very day.
Meanwhile “hymietown” rototilled kosher salt into Jesse’s Common Ground. Does that common ground include me, or was it just a sound, a sound that shakes oh Jesse you must watch the sounds you make.
Upshot: you gotta watch your mouth. Unless you’re funny. Or something.
How come Lou Reed never came up in our conversation?
I’m not sure what your point is, Cid. I’ll cut comedians some slack; comedy is, inherently, hurtful to someone, somewhere. Imus is not known as a comedian; he’s a commentator. There’s a line there somewhere that I can’t quite define, but it’s there none the less.
Jackson and Sharpton deserve the same respect as Imus - none.
Are you for real? This is the best you got? That Sharpton is trying to divert attention from the Duke case? You’re pathetic.
So, as long as someone is opposed by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, you support them? That’s especially impressive. Makes you a supporter of some rather interesting folks.
So fucking what?
If he deserves to be fired, he deserves to be fired. No-one’s taking his ranch away from him. He has suffered no fines or legal penalties as a result of this incident. He’s perfectly welcome to continue raising money for whomever he likes. I guess, for you, anything is excusable as long as you do some charity work for children.
One might ask, in a similar vein, who you are to judge them.
Fixed your typo.
Do you mean censor, or censure? Because those two words have rather different meanings.
If the former, then you are right. But no-one has censored Imus. He’s perfectly free to continue spewing his bile as frequently and as vehemently as he likes. That’s what free speech is all about.
If you meant “censure,” then you’re dead wrong, and have no understanding of what free speech actually means. To censure, according to Merriam-Webster, means “to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy.” There is absolutely no contradiction between supporting freedom of speech, on the one hand, and censuring speech that you don’t like, on the other. In fact, freedom of speech affors every one of us the right to “find fault with” speech that we don’t like, and to “criticize as blameworthy” someone who utters such speech.
Scylla how would you feel if your daughter was in some sort of competition that she worked really hard for and some blowhard went on TV and Radio and called her a whore and made fun of her looks?
Would you get pissed at the person who called him on it?
I don’t know if Imus was on the “opposite side.” He agreed with just about every criticism Sharpton made of him- he just said he didn’t think he shouuld be fired.
So New Jersey Gov. Corzine was going to officiate this meeting between Imus and the basketball players… but his car crashed and he’s in critical condition in a hospital. He suffered a broken leg and fractured ribs, among other injuries. This belongs in the Pit, but I don’t know who exactly to be mad at. If Imus had a brain, there wouldn’t have been an apology. If our media and society weren’t so fixated on public apologies, the governor of the state wouldn’t have been wasting his time with this.
Anyway I hope he’s alright.
I guess I never got around to the “I’m sick of you” fiancée story. Maybe next time.
What kind of furor is this? A useless rusted douchebag sailing off into retirement pays for his great-great-grandkids’ three summer homes on Nantucket by using “ho” as bait. It’s silly and we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
Still, it’s unsettling that Lou Reed said it best oh so many years ago about Waldheim, Giuliani and yo momma. It’s quivering, fickle, intoxicating hype. Ain’t it cool?
Respectfully, I really think this “what if it was YOUR child?” rhetorical device is severely overused on this board, and not particularly useful. Of course someone would mind if their own child, or spouse, or loved one were joked about. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t hear people publicly making remarks about others that would ruffle me if they were made about me or someone close to me. Political figures and celebrities are mocked relentlessly every night of the week for our entertainment— isn’t every one of them someone’s child?
I’ve never in my life listened to Imus, and frankly don’t give a shit whether he’s fired or not; it was a stupid comment, and hardly his first, apparently. But I’m more concerned about the impact of this “scandal” on public discourse in general, and what seems to me a severely overwrought response, analogous to the “Janet’s halftime nipple” hysteria. We’ve just substituted “what if she were YOUR DAUGHTER?” for “what about the CHILDREN?”
No, you violated a direct board rule that prohibits distorting text of other posters inside the quote tags.
Do not do this again.
[ /Moderating ]