Blogger Spurs US Radio Host's Firing 505
jas_public writes "The Wall Street Journal reports on the controversial events which ultimately led to the firing of radio shock jock Don Imus. 'At 6:14 a.m. on Wednesday, April 4, relatively few people were tuned into the "Imus in the Morning Show" ... Ryan Chiachiere was. A 26-year-old researcher in Washington, D.C., for liberal watchdog organization Media Matters for America, he was assigned to monitor Mr. Imus's program. Mr. Chiachiere clipped the video, alerted his bosses and started working on a blog post for the organization's Web site.' The article breaks down how that viral video clip and word of mouth outrage reached the ears of the presidents of CBS and MSNBC, ultimately leading to Imus' dismissal."
Radio vs TV (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Bill O'Rielly and Coulter both make far more outrageous remarks but they get a pass because the establishment does not take them seriously. Same goes for rappers.
What sunk Imus was not just the one comment, it was the history. In particular the long tirade against Gwen ifell.
OK so David Brock is no longer a right wing hit man, b
Re: (Score:2)
Is David Brock a left-wing hitman?
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
When has O'Reilly called a black person a nappy-headed ho? I actually dig O'Reilly because he doesn't let politicians dodge a question like all the other talking heads do.
What I find really funny is that Democrats and other liberals were forced to speak out against Imus, who is normally a welcome venue for them. But I noticed that nobody called out Jesse Jackson for hi
Re:Radio vs TV (Score:4, Informative)
It is not racist, for example, to say "that hassidic jew is wealthy", "that black man robbed me", or "that white guy ignored me." Racism is "he's jewish, he's got money", "he's black, he'll rob me", or "he's white, he can't understand da hood."
Re:Radio vs TV (Score:4, Insightful)
Calling me a moron is an ad-hominem attack.
Prejudice is one of the ways racism is manifested. Prejudicial thoughts are not all necessarily based on "hate" but can be based on ignorance as well.
Racism is another matter. The people going after your father hated him for a reason. If you father has more tact than you do, I would assume by your argument that race was the reason:
Hating someone just because of the color of their skin is a way of expressing racism.
"Mexicans carry knives" is a stereotype
"Watch that Mexican, I bet he's carrying a knife" is a prejudicial statement
"Mexicans are dumber than whites" is a racist statement
Still, people can be racist and not be violent. Not all racists wear sheets. Violence is just one of the many ways racism is expressed.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Would "Mexicans are less intelligent than whites" be racist? What if it were demonstrated to be true?
I'm not saying that it is true, or even that I think it might be true. It's just that I'm a little uncomfortable ruling out a whole family of statements because they may be unpleasant, even if correct.
this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
Meanwhile, rapper DMX [wikipedia.org] uses lyrics such as "what these bitches want from a nigga", and "I fuck with these hoes from a distance", and we hear cash registers.
Just as racist, just as misogynistic, just as insensitive.
And this was a liberal watchdog group? Gimme a break. I thought the left at least gave lip service to freedom of speech.
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:4, Insightful)
"Attacked" them? You sure? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:"Attacked" them? You sure? (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly... as opposed to Sharpton and Jackson, who actually ruined the lives of a couple of "rich white guy" lacrosse players (also college sports players) accused of rape, who not only got away with destroying their lives (as opposed to just hurting their feelings with a few badly chosen words), but Jackson is giving the accuser a free college education!
The moral of the story? You can say whatever you want and get away with it... if you're black. Otherwise watch out for the "hit squads" listening to your radio show at every hour, even when nobody else is.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Actually... (Score:3, Interesting)
However Al Sharpton and others deserve public outrage against them as well for being bigots of a different flavor. It's pretty obvious that in situations involving Blacks and Whites Sharpton always takes the side of the Blacks, facts be damned. So as much as he would like to claim the high road he's just another bigot and part of the problem not the solution.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So, how does money buy you DNA evidence, turn the prosecutor in an overactive publicity seeker, and make your accuser keep changing her story? Please cite some specifics.
In this case, it looks like money kept innocent people out of jail -- If they were poor, they would be innocent people going to jail. That's the only difference. The lesson is that we should let the courts decide the truth rather than the media. It sounded like they were guilty, because it was a plausible story, and I figured they were
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Most women basketball players are hideous. (Score:2)
Business decission
Re: (Score:2)
Don Imus is/was offensive, and that is what CBS/NBC paid him to do, it just so happens that outside forces "convinced" his employers that his services were no longer needed.
Re:Most women basketball players are hideous. (Score:4, Interesting)
You're also overlooking the fairly public campaign (led by blacks) to get rappers and other public figures to stop using the "n word". I'm pretty sure Jesse and Al have come out in support of that effort, but that doesn't make me a fan of their politics. I just don't bother trying to make them the focus of racial problems in America. They wouldn't be as effective in what they do if racism were not a problem. Yes, they exploit that fact. But you just exploited the fact that they exploit the situation, to make your own inane point that there's a reverse racist in your work place, without whom everyone would be singing Kum Bay Yah.
Re:Most women basketball players are hideous. (Score:5, Insightful)
Uhmm. What I said was "We only have one person (out of about 120 at my building) that immediately springs to mind as "black"". I said nothing about them being the only "race-concious" person. We've got several people who spring to mind as "redneck", they flaunt their southern roots from their drawls, pickups and union jacks to their belt-buckles. If you had asked me if I worked with any rednecks, I'd be able to count them easily. We have 2 people who spring to mind as "Polish" (they're great people and I consider one of them my friend, but her polish accent is so thick you could cut it with a knife). If you had asked if I work with any Poles, I'd think of them. We have a *very* Puerto-Rican guy that who is iconic for playing the "Hey, I'm just a dumb Puerto-Rican..." and "What do joo know, white-boy...?" routine. That's what he's known for. It's his "shtick" (No offense intended to any Jews out there). If you had asked if I work with any Puerto-Ricans, I'd have said yes - but in this case if you asked how many, only one springs easily to mind, I'd have to really think about the others.
These are the people who draw obvious attention to their race, gender, orientation, or "subgroup". This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a fact. It's like that scene in City Slickers where the black dentists are talking to the other tourists and the younger dentist says "Yes, we're black AND we're dentists - don't make a issue out of it." and his father turns to him as says "Son, they're not making an issue of it. The only one making an issue of it here, is you."
I've been working for my company for more than 10 years and I swear, every time I have to go through the same, tired, "Race and Healing" seminar it drives me nuts. It seems we have an entire department who's only job is to point out how "different" we all are and how we (white people) can never fully understand just how oppressed everyone else is. Fuck! I never kept slaves. None of my ancestors did either. I dated a "person of color" when I was in college, english is my second language, I grew up in a non-American country and culture, and I'm married to a Polack. This doesn't make me a better person than anyone else. It just makes me who I am.
I'm tired of the insinuation by you ("...anyone who thinks that racism problem is a problem with blacks is ... well, pretty obviously white") that I must be racist because I'm white (or even that I am "white", as if my Dutch ancestry has no validity except to make me "white"). I'm tired of my employer making me sit through the same stupid seminar every year. Why do we have to go out of our way to point out how different we all are. And by different, they mean how "white people" are different from specific non-whites. Somehow they don't seem to include the Asians, Mexicans or Puerto-Ricans. I must be a total racist asshole, because I lose more and more respect for "minorities" every time I have to sit though that. The guy in the next office over does the same job I do, has the same education and certifications I do, gets paid the same amount I do, brings his dishes to the same office potlucks I do. How am I supposed to treat him? We get along great until that fucking class every year and then shit gets all uncomfortable for a while before we settle back to just being "friends, coworkers and competent professional who were hired to do a job". I know he hates it, even more so since he's not required to go.
It would almost make everything much easier to just fucking BE a racist. It seems to be what they want and expect from me.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Its only mind boggling if you ignore the fact that not very long ago an apartheid system operated in the racist South.
The principle supporters of segregation were Democrats. When LBJ signed the civil rights act the segregationists quit the Democratic party and were welcomed with open arms by the Re
All a business decision (Score:5, Interesting)
They can't be making money off his show or they wouldn't have fired him. Plain and simple. Now that he has been 'fired for cause', there has to be some clause in his multi-million dollar contract that allows the radio corporation to get out of paying him. In America, you can usually find out what is happening in the background by following the money.
I'm quite sure that after a month or two, Imus will be back on the air. Most likely through a satellite radio service like Howard Stern is. He'll be paid somewhat less than what he was on broadcast and a lot less than Mr. Stern (whose contract is choking the satellite radio company that signed him). But he'll be back.
The other poster was right, Imus was fired because Euro-Americans are not allowed to say anything non-reverential about anyone who isn't Euro-American. African Americans can say anything about anyone, no matter how violent, libelous, or insane, just as long as they have a synthetic electronic drum beat in the background, use a loud angry voice, and frame their speech inside childish inane rhymes.
Don't take these people seriously. Remember, we control the technology, and therefore we ultimately control the people who depend upon technology.
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
What he said was idiotic, but the reaction was ridiculous. I mean, holy shit. He called them "nappy headed hos." The only part of that phrase that is an insult is "hos." Kind of by definition most of the girls on the team have worn their hair nappy [wikipedia.org] before -- "nappy" describes the natural state of the hair of people of African descent.
Hell, the producer of the show fucking called them jigaboos, and nothing happened to him! Some people have wanted to get Imus fired for a while, and they used this time as the way to do it. Of course CBS has every right to fire him; I don't have much of a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the hypocrisy coming from the liberals here. To speak in incredibly general terms, I've been gradually becoming a liberal the past few years, and this is one of those things that I really hate about many liberals in the US -- it's OK to speak your mind as long as you don't insult a minority. If Imus had called the golf team a bunch of bitches (80% of the team is white), nothing would have happened to him.
In summary, Imus called a bunch of black basketball players "hos." Some people raised a stink, and he got fired. So many people get away with so much worse every single day, and nothing happens to them. In my opinion, that's how it should be. The more you clamp down on racist speech, the more people will rebel. How many people do you think are talking today about "those fucking niggers who got Don fired"?
Re: (Score:2)
Say it ain't so!
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So did I. He may be obnoxious but setting some attack dog on him to pick up and publicise his misdeeds does rather stink. If someone feels personally insulted and takes offence, fine. But that is not what happened here.
The difference with rapper DMX is that he is not employed by someone who will sack him for perceived outrage. His performance is measured in how many CDs he sells, not h
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
Imus' performance is measured in ad dollars. Nothing more. Some majors pulled out, he got sacked.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I mean, really, a radio announcer who has terrible diction. What a concept!
It should be obvious (Score:2)
Re:It should be obvious (Score:5, Insightful)
This is the land where the media went berzerk over a nipple...
Re: (Score:2)
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Interesting)
No. Mock indignation, so everyone can try to look "less racist" than everyone else.
Even his worst detractors don't seriously consider him a racist - Just another shock-jock using racially-charged language to make a buck.
Just as racist, just as misogynistic, just as insensitive.
C'mon, hasn't Chris Rock taught you anything? We show racial insensitivity. They (and it doesn't matter which "they" you refer to), as a repressed minority, subvert our vitriol to sardonically weaken our merciless blows.
Gimme a break. I thought the left at least gave lip service to freedom of speech
Nah, the right pretends to care about the bill of rights. The left pretends to care about "the children". Neither really does, of course, but let's get our pack-delusions straight here.
And FTR, I don't listen to his show (though I have left it perhaps three or four times while scanning channels, to listen to one of his guests)
Rehab (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Interesting)
This is manufactured outrage pure and simple. No one really thinks Imus had an intent to cause anyone grief. Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson need their names to be in the headlines at all times because they're media whores; that's their job. And of course the white PC left had to be just as outraged to prove to everyone that they aren't racists.
Imus was was just making an observation that the Rutgers team was mostly black and looked like gang members due to their tattoos. He phrased it in a politically incorrect manner, which is what got him canned. I believe it was George Carlin who said that language is neutral. It is intent that makes something offensive or not. Imus's intent was to make the point that the Rutgers team was more butch than the Tennessee players in a humorous way.
Of course, as you say if black people use those words in a derogatory manner, society gives them a pass (in fact, popular black culture seems to encourage their use). Either words are ok for everyone to use or they are ok for no one to use. Double standards are bullshit, plain and simple.
I'm white. I'm liberal. I'm not a racist. I thought it was funny. Anyone who was seriously offended by his remarks needs to grow up.
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:4, Insightful)
To paraphrase Chris rock - If you call your kid an f'ing moron it's acceptable, if someone else calls your kid that you're going to be upset.
I'm hispanic, moderate. I didn't think it was funny, I also didn't think it was offensive. Kinda a throw away remark if you listen to it in context. Taken out of context it could be seen as offensive, I guess. What's sad is how media has become so huge and competitive, they will disect every single word to try and create a story.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
What he said was not an FCC violation in any shape or form. He could have said "nappy headed niggers" and it still would be legal.
Frankly the FCC's regulation of certain words is a fucking criminal act in my opinion. The FCC violates our civil liberties by doing this... But here's the wierd part.. The FCC allows the use o
Re: (Score:2)
You only say that because you aren't and never have been on the receiving end of these things. Case in point: I'm gay, myself. When a gay friend of mine walks up to me and says "hey, what's up, you fag", I won't mind;
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe, but you're not the one who's been discriminated against, verbally abused, beaten up and sometimes even murdered in cold blood, so who are you to talk?
Oh? As a white guy, I can safely walk through a black gang neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles?
Oh wait, I actually WAS beaten up and ripped off in my supposedly safe neighborhood and it wasn't even South Central! I thought that since I'm white and heterosexual, I'm immune from all that!
Sheesh, grow up and quit being a whiny victim. EVERYONE is hated by some group for some irrational reason.
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:4, Interesting)
As soon as I heard about the comments made by Imus, I told my friends he would be suspended or shitcanned and that his defenders would compare his remarks to hip-hop lyrics and blame the liberals for his troubles. As a 65 year old white guy, you don't get to appropriate the language of hip-hop. Throwing some hip-hop slang into your sentences does not make you sound hip and edgy, it just makes you sound like a jackass.
Bizarrely, Imus seems to have been expressing admiration for the Rugers team. Listen to a recording of what he said - it doesn't sound like he's trying to insult or show contempt.
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
So from the *very* beginning, this was not a case of listeners being morally outraged; it was a matter of a leftish organization waiting for a conservative radio talk show host to say something that they could use politically. Granted, everyone knows that both sides do this and on a purely tactical level, it was idiotic of Mr. Imus to GIVE them material to work with. But does anyone else object to this? Who *wouldn't* run afoul of the the Thought Police if they had people "assigned" to monitor their speech?
Ironic and probably surprising to some that it was the Left (generally positioned as the side most concerned with Free Speech issues) who issued this particular politi-fatwa.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I haven't been following the whole thing too closely, so maybe someone did - and I agree that that, assuming it happened, was/would have been bad. But outside of that, I just can't see the problem.
Radio shows like that are meant to be listened to, so the fact that these folks listened to this one can't be the pr
Re:this whle Imus thing is insane (Score:5, Insightful)
Just look at the controversy you're talking about. Minority groups and traditionally "liberal" organizations were asking for this guy's head on a pole, while conservatives like Michelle Malkin were defending him. And Don Imus is a liberal!! This isn't a case of partisan politics, but it should be a clear indication of which political ideology is more supportive of free speech.
Abuse of power (Score:2, Insightful)
OF COURSE IT MATTERS WHO YOU ARE!
Can you imagine language like this from President Bush? The Pope? How about a teacher? At the other extreme, we expect rappers to come out with hurtful foul language, and just look at the result: some people seem to think that that makes it ok for Imus. The law applies equally, at least in principle, but sta
Re: (Score:2)
"LIBERAL" = "Leftist". We don't have any more classical Liberals and Conservatives.
Also, anything done within African-American culture is beyond criticism or comment or observation outside its membership. The proper way for non-Africans to discuss such things is offline and out-of-range.
Re: (Score:2)
And thanks to Jesse and Al there are now potentially 2.5 million more people discussing these issues "out-of-range". The KKK and others of like thinking, must love every time Jesse and Al get involved, because they are those groups best "recruiters".
Re: (Score:2)
Imus was talking about someone's teenage daughter.
Re: (Score:2)
Liberal does not mean that you stand silent when a public figure uses racist, misogynist speech.
"Freedom of Speech" refers to
This is not a good thing (Score:4, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Telling companies that you choose not to purchase their product because of their sponsorship of speech you disagree with != telling someone to shutup.
The "crazy guy" preaching all day on campus isn't having his freedom of speech violated just because nobody chooses to listen or associate with him.
Lesson from this debacle (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Lesson from this debacle (Score:4, Funny)
You used the syllable "nig". You are a racist. We are coming for you.
Ask David Howard if you think I'm exaggerating.
"Blogging" is the most overrated thing ever (Score:5, Insightful)
It reminds me of the early days of Slashdot, when *anything* having to do with Linux was featured in big bold headlines like it was a miracle. This has toned down a little bit over the years but even today the hype factor for Linux on this site is a bit annoying (and I am a huge fan of Linux, it's the reason I started reading Slashdot back in '97 - despite the hyping of everything Linux, it was a good place to get news when such news sources were scarce).
I can't shake the feeling that people who don't really understand "them Internets" hear a word that has no meaning - "blog" - and assume that it just must be something really cool and important. Because really, it isn't. I nearly hurled at the idiocy of it all the first time I heard the word "blogosphere".
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There was homepage, for instance, but that's a bit different and takes longer to pronounce.
Credit where credit is due (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Credit where credit is due (Score:5, Insightful)
No, here's what led him to getting fired...
1) He makes an inappropriate, racist comment.
2) Someone senses opportunity to make political hay and gets the mainstream media involved.
3) Sharpton and Jackson get indignant and get more media involved.
4) ** Major advertisers start pulling out of Imus' show **
5) Imus is fired.
Imus does *not* get fired unless #4 happens. To WFAN and MSNBC, this is strictly about money, nothing else. When the controversy started, they mostly just poo-pooed the critism of Imus. When the firestorm started in earnest, they suspended him for two weeks (hoping that this action would quell the controversy, and Imus could go back to being host of their top show). But when it didn't stop and the networks started seeing real dollar losses as a result of sponsers pulling out, it was over. No major sponsers were ever going to be associated with Imus ever again, and he instantly became an albatros to the networks' bottom line. Whoever replaces him permanently will probably not get the same ratings as Imus would have. Hell, his ratings now would be *huge*. But ratings aren't the issue: it's revenue, and if no one wants their name attached to Imus, he's toast.
All the racist comments in the world would not have gotten Imus fired. All the indignation in the world would not have gotten Imus fired. Money got him fired.
Not Slashdot too???? (Score:2)
FUCK off (Score:3, Insightful)
see, im a humanist. many of you morons in those watchdog groups do not know about danton, erasmus, rousseau, french revolution and what brought human civilization to this point in the scale of civility, but i do.
im also kinda a hippie. i dont condone divisions, labelings, agression and such.
i am also liberal. i want any group to live as they please as long as they dont become harmful.
so with all these qualifications, to the watchdog that caused this shit and the other watchdog groups who are supposedly maintain a vigile for civility, i tell this on that matter :
FUCK YOU.
morons. this is the point where your or any minorities' sensitivities and rights end.
you like any other group of the society are NOT allowed to discriminate. If some black person CAN use the a slang, a white man or an indian can ALSO use that slang. Carve these words into your heads.
from now on, i also will be using that slang, not because i particularly need to, but only for idiots like you, in your grand stupidity and ignorance, have offended ME and my freedoms as a human being, and i dont condone any group, black or white, to have more freedoms than me. if you dont like what you see below, you will have to stop black people saying those before ever having a chance of stopping me.
so, fuck of bitches, stop being a hoe and straighten up your black/white ass before some other guyz in the hood sorts those out with da' baskets.
"ebonics" is related to this issue, and also wrong (Score:3, Insightful)
"ebonics" is rooted in racist practices (forced submission to white schemas of "black inferiority", denial of education, the list goes on and on).
it is at the same time promoted by and derided in mainstream america, with the obvious ulterior motive of promoting separatism.
weather it either supplants "normal" dialect, or is killed off, it should be eliminated as a separate dialect.
Re:"ebonics" is related to this issue, and also wr (Score:2)
I'm of the opinion that the separate dialect exists because of poor schooling facilities for blacks until just recently, especially in the South. I think its still in use and will continue to be in use as a way of distinguishing themselves among the masses. Indeed, as I think you're trying to say, some
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
as long as they dont become harmful
This is the root of all evil. It is *by definition* impossibile to grant freedom to people and restrict it at the same time. As soon as you put some restriction on people's freedom you have betrayed your ideals, according to what you say. PC idiots simply believe that speaking ill of someone is harmful. Apparently you don't, but this is just a matter of "how much freedom" rather than "freedom/slavery". In fact I'd argue that taxing my income is very harmful to me. But I don't expect you to let me live as I
missing the point, its about double standards. (Score:2)
if they attempted to make taxation only for white people, because black people were previously disenfranchised for hundreds of years, you'd have a fit, and rightfully so.
he's not complaining about the right to use racist language, he's complaining about the double standard in which black people are allowed to use such derogatory language, but as soon as a white person uses it the room stops, and people pick up their torches and pitchforks to burn the witch.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Is it okay for these pop icons, and their fans, to be using such language? I would imagine that man
Re: (Score:2)
The world sure is a simple place when you're young, huh?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
In addition, just becaus
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Given that, even though this was a so-called white-on-black thing, I do not think the issue is particularly racial. And I do not think, in the end, Imus was fired for racist remarks, or that the indignation was primarily a result of the racist nature of those remarks. I believe what got Imus fired, and what was shown
Re:FUCK off (Score:4, Insightful)
That's ridiculous. Of course Imus is free to say whatever he wants; but of course, people are just as free to disapprove of it, and - and this is important - the station he worked for is just as free to fire him for it.
Utter rubbish. Of course I'm allowed to discriminate, and so's Imus. The ones who are NOT allowed to discrimate are the government - no matter whether it's the federal, the states', or whatever.
The only exception to this is discrimination by private parties in public places - see e.g. Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States [wikipedia.org]. But to attempt to construe from that that a radio station can't fire a talk show host because the language he used is similar to the language some random other people who happen to be black use... that's ridiculous.
Blacks have opposed degrading lyrics for years (Score:5, Insightful)
"Black people"? I'm black. My family and friends are black. We will not tolerate the use of those words in out presence. I think you meant to say "some black people."
Rappers? Yep, many do use those words. And believe it or not, both Al and Jesse, as well as many other influential blacks like Oprah, Rosa Parks, Bill Cosby and Chuck D have been been going after [freerepublic.com] misogynistic [fradical.com] and violent [daveyd.com] lyrics for some time [nobodysmiling.com]
So why is this stuff so pervasive in rap music? This movie [pbs.org] address the question, and the answer is simple: because it sells. Kirk Franklin [wikipedia.org] and Yolanda Adams [wikipedia.org] can produce all kinds of uplifting music, but as long as Eminem and 50 Cent sell 10 million albums, people are going to make music in that vein - and by the way, once a rap album crosses the 750,000 sales mark, it's not just black people buying it.
Just like in the Imus case: follow the money. The same people who are suing grandmothers are also the ones facilitating the production, marketing and distribution.
I don't like Imus, but I HATE the PC movement (Score:2, Insightful)
So some girls at Rutger
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder if those young ladies are thinking about the fact that Imus used his shows as a platform to raise millions of dollars for
Disturbing (Score:3, Interesting)
Free speech or hate speech? (Score:3, Insightful)
The man makes a racist comment on a syndicated talk show and someone heard it. No shock there. This person was recording the show and passed on portions that were of interest to other people. Like Slashdot, Digg, and other information aggregators and disseminators. People took particular offense to the issue which, given a long history of slavery, segregation, and discrimination didn't sit too well. Then the invisible hand of the free market came down upon the companies that were making millions from this talk show and said that it was completely unacceptable. Rather than lose more money, the companies cut their losses.
A few casually racist words on the air may not seem like much but it does imply that racism is okay. It reinforces the idea in the minds of the public and it tacitly condones actions like this: http://www.texasnaacp.org/jasper.htm [texasnaacp.org].
"I said personally, 'You're not going to drag this man like you did that mailbox?'" Brewer said. "And he said, 'I know where we're taking him.'"
Berry backed up over Byrd's body, then drove along the dark roads.
"I told Shawn again, 'Pull over and take the man off ' the chain, Brewer testified. "He said, 'We're almost there. Don't worry.'"
They stopped in front of a predominantly black church, where the remainders of Byrd's body were left.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The Youtube (Score:2)
See what you think. As always, context is everything.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Once again, we the people have allowed Sharpton, Jackson, et. al. to ruin someone for mere words.
Remember "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me"?
Oh (Score:2)
> "Imus in the Morning Show"
> Washington, D.C., for liberal watchdog organization Media Matters for America,
> he was assigned to monitor Mr. Imus's program. Mr. Chiachiere clipped the video,
> alerted his bosses and started working on a blog post for the organization's Web
> site.' The article breaks down how that viral video clip and word of mouth outrage
>
So, how does your own medicine taste? (Score:5, Interesting)
Color you blue.
Yes, mob rage obliterating free speech *is* a bad thing. Good point. We'll remind you of that when the wholesale slaughter of the free media which you happen not to agree with continues tomorrow.
There's a framing alignment issue here (Score:4, Insightful)
IMHO, the actual cause of the outrage is that Imus made an unprovoked derogatory slur on national media against a -specific- group of women, simply because they were female and black. This was basically a public sucker punch against an innocent group of actual, real life young women with parents, relatives and friends.
Can anyone here reasonably say that if a popular, well known personality, on national TV and radio, called your wife or daughter or good friend a (insert race specific stereotype) (insert culture specific derogatory slang for whore), you wouldn't want to defend them at least by complaining to their employer? What if this crap was directed against your team, business, or place of worship?
Somehow this is getting played into making folks look like they're supporting censorship, and it appears to be some sort of insidious dividing tactic that splits folks into the false dichotomy of "if you don't support commercialized hate speech, you support big brother censorship". Man, we are so getting played here.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.
The really scary aspect of this. (Score:4, Insightful)
Someone posted comments earlier about the alleged irony that a "liberal watchdog group" pulled the trigger on the Imus fiasco. But the real scary thing is the working of one sentence in the story:
A 26-year-old researcher in Washington, D.C., for liberal watchdog organization Media Matters for America, he was assigned to monitor Mr. Imus's program.
Wow. "...assigned to monitor Mr. Imus..."
Now, since my liberal friends and foes are always screaming about the alleged erosion of their constitutional rights, and some believe it's necessary to make specious claims, such as comparing George Bush and Hitler, doesn't it concern anyone that this "liberal media group" is "assigning" their staff to "monitor" radio personalities? Do you not have a picture of a room full of people, hunched over their desks with headsets on, pen in hand, jotting down any comments they perceive to be offensive to someone? Then reporting to some self-proclaimed arbiter of political and social correctness for action?
I have to wonder what else they plan to "monitor" if their like-minded compatriots ever regain full political power.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Nope.
How do you not get this? What's the problem with a private media watchdog group watching and listening to the media? There is no conflict with anyone's constituti
Doesn't make sense (Score:2)
The irony is... (Score:4, Interesting)
Barring something really important, I will not watch MSNBC or CBS for six months. Lesser punishments have been dealt to P&G, Sprint, GM, and Staples. I am sure there were more but those are the ones I saw somewhere.
Sure, Imus is a loud-mouth idiot who says all sorts of ridiculous things. He offends just about everybody at some point. I am so sick of certain communities screaming bloody murder when THEY are offended that I now WANT them to be offended as often and thoroughly as possible. They need to learn to get over it.
This article is baloney (Score:5, Informative)
For starters, there is nothing approaching blogging involved. Media Matters has hired a number of prominent bloggers to work with them, but an organization with offices on K Street [wikipedia.org] in Washington DC, with a staff of about 50, is a far stretch from what folks think of when they think of a blogger. The researchers write their articles to a very precise formula, and then the editorial staff "correct" them and the process goes back and forth quite a number of times before anything is published. Not exactly what the image of the term blogger conjures up, but Media Matters sure likes when people make that mistake.
What's happening here is not Media Matters discovering this horrible outrage and then alerting the rest of the world to it - what's happening is Media Matters trying to take credit for Imus's firing because they monitored his show. They monitor dozens of shows per day, and pick up every off color comment like this and document it over and over again [mediamatters.org].
Now, if you buy the stereotyped liberal "whiner" point of view, this is indicative of the whole media being a bunch of foul-mouthed bigots [mediamatters.org]. And said bigots having a whole lot of staying power for not getting shit-canned more often. But if you think about it for a second, it's really just Media Matters shooting a spray of bullets, pointing out every time anyone says anything off color, and then taking credit when people get outraged about it because they documented it "first".
The unfortunate thing is that lots of well meaning and powerful leftist funders give Media Matters money because they fail to see this subterfuge, or maybe because they are "whining liberals" themselves.
It's really more indicative of a more general problem in Washington DC - folks there think that everything that happens in our democracy can be traced back to some pressure group inside the beltway. They don't believe in this thing called "grassroots". I wish I could say they are fools, but reluctantly I must admit that they are frighteningly close to correct in many cases - but not this one.
This is NOT a First Amendment issue (Score:3, Insightful)
Imus is perfectly free to say all of this in his living room, on a soap box in the park, and just about anywhere else. That's the first amendment. He's not free to broadcast it on the air. That's regulating the air waves.
It's time for you all to worry less about (heavens to betsy!) Political Correctness and start lobbying to take back the air waves. They go to a very limited set of very rich corporations who reap enormous profits, especially when they push the FCC's regulations as far as they will go. These airwaves are a lot more valuable than that.
Use them for Internet access, which IS a true free speech zone. Connect it to landlines and you can reach the whole world with your offensive crap. Everybody, not just some overpaid asshole.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It was "racist" because Imus is white and he called black people hoes.
Re:Please Explain (Score:5, Interesting)
Uh, yep. That's about the size of it. If a black man walked up to me and said "Yo, honkey, what up?" No one would think anything of it. Remember: Only white people can be racist. Only men can be sexist. Only straight people can be narrow-minded ("homophobic"). Did you not get the memo?
As a straight, white, male I'm fucked. All my beliefs, feeling and motives are suspect and to be derided. I'm guilty of all of these offenses before I even open my mouth. I have to come up with lame justifications every day that "my best friends are crippled, black lesbians", just to "defend" myself.
The saddest part is, simply by posting this sarcastic rant, I've already convinced everyone that I'm all of these things, and worse. Add to that the fact that I'm a Christian that believes in evolution and I've pretty much hated by everyone.
On the plus side, I don't use Windows.Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
additionally, the charges were not baseless regarding katrina.
politicians actually DID neglect the levee system, the safety protocols, and dragged their feet in responding after the fact.
the only major difference that can be gleaned between the areas worst hit by katrina and those worst hit by other major hurricanes in places like south florida is the skin color of the majority of the resid
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
P.S. Nice touch firing him on the day of his annual fund raiser for sick children. If you want to donate despite the cancellation of the radiothon, you can call 877-877-6464, or donate online here [blackbaud.com]. This information was prov
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe "most of us" was not supposed to include you, but I doubt that's what you intended, so I'll go ahead and say you just outed yourself as not just a hate-spewer, but also a bigot.
I think there's nothing I can add to that.