Don Imus Back in Hot Water
Don Imus Back in Hot Water
While I'm not a big fan of shock jocks like Don Imus, I found the whole controversy last year over the offensive comments he made about the Rutgers University women's basketball team a bit ridiculous. Was what he said on air stupid? Of course. Do I think he's a racist? Not really. It's in the job description of such radio personalities to make shocking and edgy remarks. I certainly don't believe it was right for the station to cave into the political pressure and ax the man. In my opinion, it should be left up to his listeners to decide such issues. I'm a firm believer in free speech, and regardless of whether or not I find his remarks insensitive or offensive, I wouldn't call for his removal from the air waves. If everyone were like me, he wouldn't have a job, since I don't listen to such garbage.
Earlier today, Imus stuck his foot in his mouth yet again. The latest incident occurred during a report about professional football player Adam "Pacman" Jones, who has recently been reinstated by the NFL after a few run-ins with the law. Imus asked, "What color is he?" When informed the man was African American, Imus responded with, "Well there you go. Now we know."
It seems a bit strange that a radio personality, who should be up on most goings-on in the press, wouldn't know more about such a highly publicized individual, but that's a bit beside the point. Of course now, another sh*t storm is brewing around the shock jock. Imus has defended his comments as not being racist, but merely implying that Jones was being signaled out because of his color.
Either way, I could care less. If this whole episode spirals into the same press frenzy that happened the last time he made a stupid comment, I just have to wonder: Don't we have more important issues with which to whip the public into a frenzy, and provide sound bites for religious and political figures like Al Sharpton? Racism and bigotry exist, and no amount of social engineering is likely to change that reality. I detest prejudice, small minded idiots as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous.
When there is no longer a market for bigoted commentators, then they will cease to exist. Until then, people should be free to stick their foot in their mouth if they feel a desire to do so, and I should be free to ignore them -- or call them what the are. Let the market decide if they have a platform for their bigotry -- not political pressure.
Submitted by don imus | don imus radio show | National and Local News | politics | shock jock | social commentary | talk radio
Don Imus seems to have a bad case of foot in mouth disease. I guarantee you, the PC police will be all over this. While I find bigotry and racism deplorable, it has gotten to the point where one can hardly open their mouth for fear of the damnation that may result. He has said yet another stupid thing, does that mean I have to be forced to hear of it time and time again?
Political correctness has gotten way out of hand. Rest assured, this latest Imus incident will be played up as much as possible.
Business and politics are one and the same. There's no line between the two. Imus is paid handsomely to sell advertising space between his vitriolic rants by whatever company owns or syndicates his program.
I guess whenever people stop tuning in or advertisers no longer want to be associated with him, then he will go the way of the dodo. It's almost comical, though. The guys a joke. I think he sees that his halcyon days are over and he's a bitter man who just wants some attention. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.
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In last year's incident, tens of thousands of people (if not more) flooded the networks with protests against Imus's comments. A couple of points:
You say the listeners should decide, and many of them did. But so did many other people, which is totally appropriate: Imus's show is not a private satellite broadcast going to a relatively small number of people: it's a mass broadcast that's aired over the public airwaves, so it's not just listeners of the show who have a right to weigh in. Public officials were also offended by his remarks, as were many employees of the networks on which the remarks were broadcast.
Yes, insulting people is the bread and butter of people like Imus, but what offended a lot of people in the Rutgers case was that the target was not a politician or misbehaving pro athlete but a group of college student athletes who had done nothing wrong. More than half of the team had been in high school a year or two before. What did these young women do to deserve being called names in a public broadcast?
Imus is allowed to make his remarks for one reason only: because it makes money for the network in the form of listeners, which means advertisers. When Imus does something that starts costing his employers listeners and money, then it's not a smart business decision to keep him.
of his guests, and, once in a while Don does bring some to task. And I like and support Don's work at the Imus Ranch, in New Mexico. Through the ranch, and its supporting products, Don, has been a STRONG supporter of those children affected with Autism and Cancer, just to name a couple, and working to find a cure.
The ranch offers a place for kids to get out and enjoy the outdoors and just be kids. It is a very rewarding experience.
And, Don raises money for the ranch through his radio show.
On, a, different note, he has had a wide-range of guests. My friend Thomas, who passed away recently, told me how grateful he was to have been able to get up at 3am (PST) and spend 1 1/2 hours listening live to Jerry Lee Lewis (2007) on Don's show. He mentioned it many times before his passing.
Don Imus is much more than a shock-jock.
If you'd like to learn more about the real Don Imus go to this site:
http://www.donimus.org/
__________________________
It does matter what you believe, but, what you believe does not matter if you do not act upon your beliefs.
you can not vote on the truth
--Pope John Paul II, 1995
I'm not as familiar with Imus as you are, since I have rarely listened to him.
It's good to know that he has some redeeming qualities. :)
I have to wonder just how many of the people who flooded the station with calls were regular listeners, and how many were prompted by the media frenzy being spurred on by people like Al Sharpton.
I think Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are every bit as racist as people like Imus and Rush Limbaugh, the latter being one of the most despicable personalities on the airwaves.
Al Sharpton is a sh*t disturber. He's more the shock-jock than Imus. I often wonder what the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would think about Rev. Al Sharpton?
______________________
It does matter what you believe, but, what you believe does not matter if you do not act upon your beliefs.
you can not vote on the truth
--Pope John Paul II, 1995
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