Imus

[Momo]

Devil's Advocate time!!!!

How many of those, that have commented, that this isn't that deserving of an issue, are white? or have never had their daughters referred to as "hos" over the air waves? huh?
What's wrong w/ examining what civil and responsible speech and attitudes should be? By saying "let's move on" or "just get over it" we are enabling a deep seeded societal illness to continue...are there a lot of other issues out there? "yes"... but Why NOT focus on this one ?? Why? Tell me why it's not important to insist that women in general stop being demeaned ? And tell me how wanting the continual slurring of minority groups to stop is a bad thing? I know you'll say "free speech" or "get a thicker skin"...but c'mon folks you all know or should know this is only a symptom of a bigger problem...examining ourselves and striving to correct wrong attitudes & judgments takes courage and sometimes prompting.
Maybe it's easier for me to understand the need for the attention ,because I & my loved ones(DH & kids) have been on the receiving end of bigotry. Yes, I understand it's ad nauseam, but let's face it unfortunately some of our fellow Americans can be sooo "thick" that it takes a lot for things to sink into the "old noggin"/conscience/heart! Change is difficult, change for the better shouldn't be this hard...but it is and maybe now we will start giving more credence to some of these issues. Why not make ourselves, better people?...lead by example, then our kids , friends, family members, acquaintances,co-workers, etc may hopefully be positively influenced by us!

[SuzySunshine]

If you're going to get rid of everyone that has ever said anything negative about another group, culture, etc. you should get rid of every rap group that cuses in their songs and calls people names, you should get rid of all shock jocks, and I'm sure there are more.

I get that what he said was wrong, the Rutgers women should have been celebrating their championship run rather then dealing with this. Suspend him or fire him but don't drag this out on every national news station for two weeks - move one people!

[Rapunzel]

Pinkpickles - I get to listen to things on television that are quite often either insulting to my religion and cultural background and/or are just flat out ignorant regarding that subject. I have been on the receiving end of much bigotry in my lifetime - and still am - because of my background. So, skin color in no way makes one "safe" from this type of ridiculous language from someone with a talk show aimed at the public.

While I can't say I'm upset that this guy is getting publicly flogged (which, he should be it would appear), at the same time I just don't care about this man. I think that the best way to deal with people who are just out to shock others is....to just ignore them. Being ignored is a bad thing because your ratings fall like a big rock.

Byfar the best thing I can personally do in such a situation is to communicate my disdain for such behavior by not giving it the time of day. The best thing I have learned to do in confronting bigotry against my own "minority" group (LDS) is by educating those around me, living my religion so others can see it for what it is, and viewing purposefully hateful comments towards me or my religion and religious culture as largely beneath me.

[Momo]

I am saying let's examine ourselves as individuals let's start w/ us...and make things better...I am advocating that we all need to honestly ask ourselves "do we contribute (by our complacency, attitudes and speech) whether in public or private, to racism, sexism etc ...I'm not too worried about the particulars of this guy's employment ...let's just honestly take inventory of/ examine ourselves?

[Rapunzel]

I am saying let's examine ourselves as individuals let's start w/ us...and make things better...I am advocating that we all need to honestly ask ourselves "do we contribute (by our complacency, attitudes and speech) whether in public or private, to racism, sexism etc ...I'm not too worried about the particulars of this guy's employment ...let's just honestly take inventory of/ examine ourselves?

I don't think you'll find that particular problem with any of the members of this site.

I think it is acceptable to examine oneself and determine that there is a general lack of bigotry towards others. And, if we particularly treat others in the manner we would like to be treated I don't think there would be much problem.

And, really, having a ridiculous man say absolutely ridiculous things does not cause me to feel guilty.

[DCJenn]

Here's the crux of it for me-

Whether you listen to Imus or not, the bottom line is that MOST of the our politicians will stop by his show to have a little chat. The advertisers pick him because of his ratings.

Regardless of whether we personally listen to him, his reach is long.

I think it IS our responsibility to let people who do listen to him or appear on his show or advertise on his show that it was unacceptable. I have no problem sending an email to CBS to that effect, either.

The only way to make a difference (albeit small) is to DO, not to ignore.

Jenn

[mommax3]

I find it hard to believe that Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and the rest of the "shock jock" crowd haven't said things that are just as morally repugnant.

I agree with this. I have never listened to talk radio except if I am caught in a place where it is on and I can't leave. It makes me want to scream, and it doesn't matter to me who is talking. The few times that I saw Howard Stern on tv, I became truly convinced that our country is going to h*&% in a handbasket. He is a vile man. What Don Imus said is appalling. All of this stupid publicity about it will end up making him much more of a celebrity after he is "rehabilitated" and thus he will end up having an even larger audience, I'm afraid.

I don't think we should "move on", I think we should get ALL of them off of the air. Anyone see that happening?

Sally

[DCJenn]

We could only hope. and then get the 'news magazines' off the air, too.

Jenn

That's the issue for me ...

I think what he said is awful (and truly stupid), and I guarantee I could find at least 10 things Howard Stern said just this morning that are awful (stupid isn't even a challenge). I'm certainly not a "it won't go away, let's just ignore it" kind of girl -- but if we value free speech in this country, we cannot require that Imus or Stern or any other moron with a microphone be silenced. I hate what he says, but I'll defend his right to say it. The more press and attention it gets, the more of an audience of like-minded morons he'll get. If he loses THIS show and his CURRENT advertisers (who, BTW, have only pulled out for 2 weeks as of now ... the same 2 weeks he's off the air ... they're re-evaluating their decision at the end of his suspension. Big - empty - no-risk gesture if you ask me.) he'll just get ANOTHER show with DIFFERENT advertisers. There is sadly an audience out there for this kind of crap, and the more we try to silence one of their spokespeople, the more riled up they'll get.

Fixing the situation as a whole can only be done one person at a time. We teach our children to be color-blind, we demonstrate that in the life we live. We'll never fix it by trying to silence one of the detractors. That will only make them stronger.

[pstone]

MSNBC dropping him is funny, even if he gets fired all around someone will pick him back up because it will be a boon to someone. Some smaller outfit, XM or something like that.

I do have to say I am so tired of it all, can't make anyone be PC, sensative, or whever else offends each and everyone of us. I am also very tired of hearing about what people did hundreds of years ago, or even before I was born. I give everyone I meet a fair shot, I have met jerks of all kinds and of all races, and have met wonderful people of the same.

Find the off switch and lets move on to something that really matters, can you imagine the amount of money spend on the programs that talk about this stuff non-stop? Think of what that money could do to help the poor, or the sick.

[MissCrabette]

I get that what he said was racist, sexist, and completly awful. But what I don't get is the double standard. Why is it that when a rapper says something just as awful the effect is that he sells a ton more records? Why is it that when it's said in a stupid movie it's seen as hilarious and inspired? And you knew I had to get there, but why is it OK for people to insult their own race? Is that not racist? Speaking of the sexism I mentioned above, women insult each other all the time and it passes off as entertainment or healthy self deprecation. As soon as a guy says similar things, he's an insensitive asshole. We can all dish it, but we can't take it. :huh:

Oh and I don't have any opinion on this guy other than he was wrong to say what he said, but the hoopla around this is ridiculous. There's a war out there, and murders, rapes, assaults happen every single day without any mention on the news.

[PrincessFiona]

I just want to clarify that my attitude wasn't one of "get over it"... I agree that he should have been reprimanded...I'm just sick to death of the 24/7 coverage.

Here's the deal...Howard Stern makes me want to puke...his show is nothing but degrading to women. Can I insist that cable get rid of him? Cable itself should not protect this kind of predatorial behavior.

Limbaugh is a douchebag drug addict who offends me personally as a non-conservative. I have no problem arguing with Tabula Rasa or Tara, but this guy is a complete jerkoff in how he expresses his opinions about homosexuality, *liberalism* etc.

Then there is Ann Coulter. Can someone please insist that the men in white coats come and take her away? In essence, because I am not a conservative republican, she has called me crazy, stupid, too dumb to live.....I'm offended. She might as well have called me a ho. She has said everything else.

This is going to suck as an opinion...I care about the racial issue of discrimination, but I care about treating all people decently and it bothers me that the only airtime goes to anything that is considered racism. It's ok to beat up on liberals, conservatives, or women as a whole though.

I disagree with Imus, but I have to support his right to be an ueber douchebag.

kris

[rainbabies]

"It's a completely different scenario. (Rappers) are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about hoes that's in the 'hood that ain't doing shit, that's trying to get a nigga for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them muthafu*kas say we are in the same league as him. Kick him off the air forever."

- Snoop Dogg dismissing comparisons between sexist hip hop lyrics and the recent sexist/racially charged remarks made by Don Imus

[Rapunzel]

I knew it was only a matter of time before someone brought up the whole "Get over what happened hundreds of years ago." Guess what Peter, the repurcussions of the events of slavery still have an impact on many in this country. How dare you tell someone to get over it, when you have do idea of how those experiences have impacted their families! I am done debating with people who have not taken a deep look at the history of this country.

And guess what, Al Sharpton and several others have also demonstrated against rap artists such as 2Pac. The media however chose not to cover it. I am so done with this now.

I haven't read through the rest of the thread. I've only just now read this very last post only so this is what I am responding to....

My husband is just about 1/2 Native American. We are both 100% Mormon. Both groups, during the course of the last couple of centuries, have 1)had their land openly stolen by others - with the approval of the government, 2)been subject to being LEGALLY murdered, raped, you name it, 3)borne the brunt of rather terrible misconceptions, assumptions, and just all-out hatred.

Guess what? You have to get over it. You have to move on with your life. You have to prove the past hatefulness wrong. After mobs forced thousands of Mormons to flee across the United States in the longest, largest single human migration in modern history to a desert with a salt-water lake for water by virtue of mass murder, targeted assissination, rape, and other despicable actions - we haven't all started demanding the land back, the necessary monetary reparations, etc.

And, why not?

Because the people - the evil, hateful people - who did these things are dead. Their legacy lives on in a few ways that I see even today (and, as was mentioned another thread, until the year after my birth in the 1970's it was still technically legal to kill a Mormon in the state of Missouri). But, as I stated in a previous post the true way to deal with this is by living your life in such a way that your success and happiness is the best revenge on those long in the grave who would have thought of you as less than an animal.

The repurcussions of how my husband's Native American ancestors and our Mormon forbears were treated are still felt today. But, yes, we do "get over it" in that we build our lives with what we have and make the future a better place for our children. And, make no mistake - no one group has a "lock" on being victims. There are lots of groups who have suffered over the centuries (heck, even Protestants were subject to torture, death, etc. only a few hundred years ago). In a sense everyone has to move on from the past - learn from it - but move on.

My opinion of Imus and any other talk radio personality is that he is a professional a**hole. I don't listen to them. I did hear a clip on NPR about this and other offensive things Imus has said. This isn't really anything new or dare I say a new low for him. For that reason, I'm not sure why *this* comment is the one that has him losing his job. There have been plenty of opportunities prior.

It seems within reason for him to lose his show over this. I'm sure he will find someone else to pick him up as there seems to be an audience for it. To that end, if he doesn't get picked up by someone else, I'm sure another crass windbag will fill the void. I will defend his right to say these things, however repugnant, but if he has difficulty finding an audience that is fine by me.