OPINION & EDITORIAL
Imus’ punishment well-deserved, just
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Also by Gerald Cox:
- I'll take a female president, just not her (December 3, 2007)
- Religion aside, faith perseveres (November 26, 2007)
- Want Big Ten sports? Get a dish (November 19, 2007)
- Civil rights movement needs 'Black-In' (November 12, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Kaplan's remarks not racist (February 26, 2007)
- Imus' fate should depend on market, not critics (April 12, 2007)
- Misunderstood? (February 27, 2007)
- Racism has consequences at UW (February 27, 2007)
- Kaplan's remarks need clarification (March 5, 2007)
by Gerald Cox
Monday, April 16, 2007
I've defended ostensibly racist diatribes in the past. I defended the University of Wisconsin's very own law professor Leonard Kaplan, now best known for his allegedly racist comments made in class. So it may come as a bit of a surprise that I am none too upset that Don Imus, best known for his "nappy-headed hos" comment, is now without work. I saw the Rutgers press conference, and as a black man with a burgeoning and sensational afro, allow me to inform you that not one of those young ladies had nappy hair. Mr. Imus's salacious, racist and sexist comment was out of place, out of time and out of order. And I'm none too worried that he is now out of a job.
His outburst is not unprecedented, and no one who is familiar with the popular shock jock has expressed surprise at his ridiculous portrayal. There's been an indifferent spirit of "Oh, that's just Imus" from those who seem to know him best. Listeners of Mr. Imus' show, which, according to The New York Times, reaches about two million listeners, are familiar with Mr. Imus' edge. His show has reportedly been full of speech that would make Dick Cheney blush. And Dick Cheney doesn't even have blood.
Why Mr. Imus' employers chose to look the other way when he was making his previous allegedly homophobic/racist/anti-Semitic/sexist comments is anyone's guess. Perhaps it was because the outcry wasn't loud enough. Perhaps advertisers didn't pull their ads.
And why shouldn't he say these things? He does, after all, have a right. It's a card that his apologists have been playing rather frequently. And in the case of his firing, it just isn't enough.
So he gaffed. He screwed up, messed up, and then fessed up. His sincere apologies and earnest attempts at redemption were much appreciated by the women at the center of the controversy. They never called for him to be fired, like self-appointed leader of the black community Al Sharpton. And to Mr. Imus' credit, he didn't pull a Michael Richards and convolute his reaction with awkward pseudo-apologies and confused utterances of "I'm not racist." No, he responded with heartfelt regret. He pointed to his charitable work with underprivileged blacks and Latinos in New Mexico. He met with the grandstanding Mr. Sharpton and with the offended team. Yet, he was fired.
Surely, there are hidden hands at work here. Hands that hate America and its precious freedom of speech.
Hardly.
But have no fear, Mr. Imus will still walk freely among us; he won't serve any jail time for his words. Unfortunately for Mr. Imus, though, the freedom to say whatever you want does not guarantee the retention of a nationally syndicated radio show.
Make no mistake. This was no Mr. Kaplan speaking in the subjunctive. The quotes we have of Mr. Imus are not misquoted out-of-context amalgamations from a source who did not hear the comments. This was sincere, unadulterated, no-big-surprise-he-said-something-like-that Mr. Imus. And he said it to a listening audience estimated to be about two million people. But with rap seemingly a mainstay of African-American culture, did Mr. Imus really say something all that isn't being said already?
To be honest, Mr. Imus's comment would be rather unspectacular lyrics in your average rap single. The fact that the black community can swallow our own usage of the sexist and racist epithets that permeate the genre is a well-established and much-pondered absurdity. I don't get it. You don't get it. Al Sharpton doesn't get it.
But Snoop Dogg does.
Snoop Dogg, according to MTV News, insisted that rappers like him are nothing like Mr. Imus, but are instead "talking about hos 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." While I abhor Snoop's syntax, grammar and degrading language, and may be even a bit confused at what he said, he may have a point. Mr. Imus referred specifically to a group of 10 women who had not asked for his attention or deserved his ridiculous characterization. And in an age of unfettered access and replication of information, in a time when perusing the hallowed depths of YouTube for the most mundane or salacious of information is simple, you must choose your targets wisely. Mr. Imus did not.
So don't cry for Mr. Imus. He's no poor free-speech pioneer who hasn't been allowed to have his say. He's been saying things he oughtn't for 40 years now. He finally overstepped that line of indecency that most Americans find excusable.
While most of America felt no need to ascribe more credibility and importance to Mr. Imus' words than was necessary, unlike the aforementioned Sharpton, most were fairly disgusted by his comments. Most people seem fed up with that sort of talk. So it stands to reason that NBC would get rid of him.
Afterall, what America wants, America gets. And to be honest, America has had enough of guys like Mr. Imus.
Gerald Cox (gcox@badgerherald.com) is a junior majoring in economics and Middle Eastern studies.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 1:22am):
Look dude, don't you think all that talk Sharpton and company have done about this could have been better spent on PRESSING issues affecting communities of color?
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 2:34am):
gerald, an excellent column. you do indeed have a, "burgeoning and sensational afro," and should be very proud of it.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 7:31am):
In context, Imus was using hyperbole to describe the looks between the prettier Tennessee team and the more ethnic, rugged Rutgers team. If anything, Imus's comments were rude, not racist. I do not believe there was malice behind his statement, and I feel he was only using "their words" to describe their looks.
Really, this episode has shown the "community" that white people will try to use their words to sound cool. Ebonics is embarrassing to everyone.
Back to my bling-bling, bee-yotch!
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 8:06am):
I have a great idea for a social experiment. Take one black and one white comedian, say Chris Rock and Adam Sandler (only examples) and have them switch routines. I can guarantee the white comedian will be ripped to shreds for making the same comments Chris Rock makes in his act.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 8:33am):
The was perhaps one of the best pieces written about the incident. Right on point. Keep this one in your reference file.
And to 1:22 am: Although I am not a fan of Rev. Sharpton, I will give him credit for his steadfast commitment to the Black community. Al Sharpton talks about very important issues in the black community; listen to his show. He brings national attention to local situations that would not be talked about otherwise. In this situation the news Media was a driving force in how much attention this particular story received.
Like him or not, he gives an extra push to a community that has been historically ignored. Ask yourself, who else would have stepped up? Where was the feminist community in all of this? Did they not care?
I often find when it comes to issues facing Black women neither "black community" or "women's community (majority white)" leaders fully get it.
As a black woman, it gets pretty tiring wondering if I will be defended as a black person or as a woman. It is not as if I can check one identity at the door.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 8:38am):
It was a comedy show! Imus' remarks were no different than black comedians taking the stage to pantomime dopey white guy impersonations, lambasting white girls' flat backsides, etc., ad nauseum. Jokes are jokes. It's absolutely pathetic that some folks can't understand this and that the media let people like Al Sharpton control the stage to drool the poison of racial "group think" into our ears.
These politically correct race hucksters-- and their upstart toadies in academia-- need to quit focusing on some washed up radio jock and look to their own houses.
Show some academic integrity and explain the lynching of the Duke lacrosse players. I question the timing of this manufactured racial outrage over Imus and the convenient cover it provided all the racial demogogues who screamed for white heads on a speartip at Duke.
Other than Black Panther Malik Shabazz calling Michelle Malkin a "political prostitute", thus far, the silence from the black community has been deafening.
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/04/12/open-thread-fireworks-on-the-factor-with-michelle-hosting/
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 9:01am):
I am happy Don Imus was fired, but I am also choking my chicken right now.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 9:37am):
Now if we could just get rid of all the non-white, non-male and non-heterosexual a-holes who have said their share of offensive crap...
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 9:48am):
Here we go spliting hairs again (no pun
intended). Here we have the same debate we
get everytime these things occur. One side
points out "They're at fault", but when it's
mentioned that there is a legitmate level of
hypocrisy in what they say, they split hairs.
Imus's regret is viewed as geniune, but "The
Crowd" says "He must go!". When it's pointed
out that the "The Crowd" could be as much as,
if not more of the problem - then we see
"The Crowd" split hairs until they get to
a some kind of a true statement. Snoop Dogg
says "we're not talking about specific
women" when his "art" talks about 'bitches'
and 'ho's'. True enough, but so what?
Just as Sharpton and Jackson know what Imus
is thinking when he said what he said, I
know what Snoop Dogg and the rest of his ilk
are thinking when he says what he says.
It's wrong for both, and both should go.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 10:13am):
First off, Chris Rock should then be out of a job because he says much worse, and while Imus isn't in the rap business, he certainly is in comedy business. I don't buy the "I can say it because I'm black and you can't because your white" mentality, either something is wrong for everyone, or right for everyone. If we want racial equality, we first must accept it ourselves and we all must play by the same rules. Second, he makes fun of all groups equally and while this comment was certainly wrong, the guy made a mistake, get over it. This wasn't an angry mike richards where there was hate behind his words, the guy just fucked up and he apologized, many times. He still met with the Rutgers team AFTER he had been fired, which has to show something. Next, the only reason he got fired from MSNBC and CBS is because the people their have no balls, only firing him after advertisers pulled out, this was about money, not morals. Which brings us to al sharpton and jesse jackson, who last I checked still haven't apologized for rushing to accuse all to soon the Duke lax players. Or for giving the stripper (who was clearly lying the whole time just to avoid going to jail because she was passed out in the other strippers car and wouldn't leave) a scholarship. These two had yet another chance to bring the country together over an incident, and yet again they failed, only seeking to up their own reputations, taking everyone down they can and the process. Since this incident was apparently so bad because he singled out the Rutgers team, why not mention that they forgave him, and they didn't think he should be fired? They wanted this to turn into a dialog, and props to them for that, but instead it was turned into the Jesse and Al show where the only thing that matters is they get a little blood on their hands, and stay in the front page for a few more days. And finally, because Imus was fired, his charity ranch for kids with cancer is probably going to have to close because he now wont have the funds to pay the 2.5 million dollar a year bill. The guy may be a jackass on the air, but the guy has done a hell of alot of good. And don't argue he just throws money at some problem to feel good about himself, because him and his wife take care of the kids at the ranch, he broadcasts his show from there in the summer, he goes to the kids funerals when they die, hardly a monster.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 10:28am):
Nappy tales from the Clinton-era;
N.Y. Teacher Runs Into a Racial Divide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/frompost/dec98/hair3.htm
...Sherman's troubles began right away in September with "Nappy Hair," a book written by an author born in the District. Sherman chose the story because she thought it would change her students' lives. She regaled her class with the story of a little black girl with "the nappiest, fuzziest, the most screwed up, squeezed up, knotted hair." She said they loved it so much that "they clamored for copies to carry with them." An eager new teacher, she made some.
Two months later, just before Thanksgiving break, a parent found a pack of pages from "Nappy Hair" in her daughter's folder. The title did not make her happy, according to Board of Education spokesman J.D. LaRock, who explained that she and some other parents at the predominantly black and Hispanic school interpreted "nappy hair" as a racial slur.
--
After a day of review, the school backed Sherman and "Nappy Hair," which has been critically praised as a positive lesson for children.
Carolivia Herron, the author of "Nappy Hair," said Sherman's students were exactly the audience for whom she intended the book. "I wrote it delighting in nappy hair," said Herron, who is black. "I love my own nappy hair and the stories my uncle used to tell me about it. It was a celebration, and I had no idea it would be political. I am a '60s person and thought we had already dealt with this problem of being ashamed of our hair."
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 12:08pm):
I'm impressed you were able to type this out with such distracting surroundings. A talented wordsmith indeed.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 12:32pm):
For the record, Don Ho was a stringy haired Ho.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 1:36pm):
All of the writings on the topic. All of the media coverage. All of the ANGER. Couldn't it be better placed? Maybe toward changing our racist drug war, failed schools, and horribly stratisfied society? Imus was a lamer, no doubt. But if only Mr. Cox, Mr. Sharpton, and the rest of America had their priorities straight. Good column, but I think this entire storm could be better focused on BIGGER and more PRESSING issues.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 1:40pm):
Snoop Dogg and Dick Cheney in the same article. I don't know how to express my wonder.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 2:24pm):
I am so tired of everything being about race when I think it really just comes down to badly behaved people. The girl who accused the Duke lacrosse players isn't a racist she's a liar. An example of someone who has done poorly in life making it other people's problem. Don Imus isn't a racist he's someone with no tact and a poor sense of humor. He simply forgot that these women worked harder than their male and white counterparts to get where they are, to better themselves, to rise above the sterotypes that exist within their own peer groups and social strata as well as the rest of the populace. That's hard to remember when you have been white and male all your life. Not that it's always helpful to be male and white, just ask the Duke lacrosse players.
While I believe we all suffer when people call names instead of figuring out their problems like adults, I also believe that if J.R. Knight (from the Grey's Anatomy "scandal") had just called Isaiah Washington the word he most likely hates (as a black man) in retaliation for that little gay slur each would see how silly the other is being, and how very childish. I can't imagine what's wrong with Isaiah's life that he still feels like he needs to derive power from picking on one of his cast-mates that way. Why he still feels small in a life that seems so privileged is a mystery. I don't think he should be fired though I think "we" should make fun of him. That tactic always worked on bullies in school. The basketball players should challenge the old man to a game and WHEN he loses he has to shave his head, everyone gets to point and laugh. It shouldn't be a surprise to the accuser of the Duke team that people think she's a slut and human petri dish of DNA. Thank goodnessfor her, she's afforded the anonymity that the Duke players were not.
Humiliation is the great equalizer.
Maybe that's just me though.
No matter how much we seem to evolve there's always someone to hate, someone to pick on to make "us" feel better. Blacks, gays, Jews, this is not news, so why is it news?
It saddens me as a human that "we" still act this way but it apalls me more that we collectively rally to metaphorically behead the dope who put their foot in their mouth.
Let's feel sorry for grown up people who still point up their insecurities by calling other grown up people names.
It's sad and pathetic not incendiary. I wish the cop that had to withstand Mel Gibson's Jew tirade had just called him a drunken midget and arrested him like he would have if he was not famous. Watch "Cops" sometime they have to put up with a lot more than being accused of starting all the wars.
I don't mean to imply that racisim isn't horrible, it is, it just isn't the worst thing in the world anymore. Less than twenty years ago there wasn't even a black or girl's basketball team to make fun of so we have actually come a long way. Pointing at Imus distracts us from the true atrocities in the world, like the war, but we are not allowed to print the names and whereabouts of sex offenders in the paper in deference to their civil rights.
We need to get our priorities straight as people and as a nation but that would mean we have to take responsibility for ourselves and where's the fun in that?
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 2:36pm):
How many minority groups are in America? How many have problems? Oh, just one... interesting.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 4:31pm):
2:36 apparently thinks African-Americans, Hispanics, and Arabs all count as 1 group?
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 4:44pm):
"Snoop Dogg, according to MTV News, insisted that rappers like him are nothing like Mr. Imus,"
Absolutely right! The rappers and gangsters are FAR worse and do much more harm.
Now THIS is a good article:
Imus isn't the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.
http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html
or this one:
Imus 'fight' is over money, fame
http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/71084.html
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 5:26pm):
SAVE DARFUR!
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 7:02pm):
"2:36 apparently thinks African-Americans, Hispanics, and Arabs all count as 1 group?"
Who is the hispanic Al Sharpton? Who is the Arab Jesse Jackson? Outside of occasional media sensationalism regarding other "minorities", blacks are whiny without peer.
Anonymous (April 16, 2007 @ 9:54pm):
"SAVE DARFUR!"
OK, what did that SOB Imus do to Darfur?
connor gyles (April 23, 2007 @ 2:46pm):
If you punish Imus for saying what he said, then drop all gangsta rappers from their labels, fire black comedians, in fact lets make so that in order to talk we to send in a final draft of what we want to say hand it to a censor, so he can revise it then tell us yes or no. One thing we need to realize is a very small, tiny detail that he' s a SHOCK JOCK he is paid to say SHOCKING things on air, thank you for your time.
Anonymous (May 6, 2007 @ 9:25pm):
Imus now suing CBS for $120 million.
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