Imus in the morning

[eflynn 0]

While I understand the point you're making and agree with it to an extent, a comedian making jokes, black or white, is different from a nationally syidicated radio personality making the comments that he made. I won't debate Al Sharpton's and Jesse Jackson's transgressions and I do feel that they're about remaining in the public eye just as much as they're about "helping." Especially Jesse Jackson. But please don't confuse those two as the voice of black people everywhere. If Jesse Jackson walked in the front door of most buildings, a fair amount of black people would walk out the back.

What Rosie said was awful and it sholdn't have been excused.

[eflynn 0]

That doesn't make it any less hurtful.

It's beyond frustrating for me to try to explain how the phrase "nappy headed ho" from my playground days, to high school, through college and my adult life still has the same sting to women. Having gone to school with mostly white people until college I don't think there's an equivalent statement that would make those who don't, understand.

[billvon 2,435]

>but he's on a station that's dedicated to news and current events.

His show is more oriented primarily towards funny news of the day, his take on scandalous hollywood news, interviews with interesting/popular people. Not the sort of thing you'd listen to to get news.

But in any case, most people in the US now knows he tells offensive jokes about women's basketball teams, and can now choose to listen to him (or not) accordingly.

[misskriss 0]

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I'm seriously thinking about this. It seems as though calling them "nappy headed" was the bad thing. Calling them "hos" was all right, though

Actually it is the "hos" part that bothers me.

[eflynn 0]

If you're goint to blame "hip hop culture," whatever that means, you're going to have to blame the entire music industry. From the artists, to the fans, AND the people at the labels who determine who gets the budgets to say what they say. They're all responsible and play a part in what gets said and what doesn't. It wasn't always like this.

[lawrocket 3]

But the focus is on the "nappy headed" part.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[misskriss 0]

Yes. I understand. In the media and in this thread the focus is on the nappy. I was offended by the ho.

[JohnnyD 0]

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But the focus is on the "nappy headed" part.

This is what confuses me. He said something far worse after that.

[rehmwa 2]

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What is perceived to be "racist" by those in the know may be mere "ignorance" by the speaker, who doesn't know the term's implications to others.

My daughter used to sleep with a cloth diaper (it was soft and just held onto for security). We called it a "nappy" as it was for napping. Now, imagine the horrible liberal guilt that is crashing through my soul calling this powerless piece of cotton cloth something so abhorrent. If only I'd known.

But, the anger and humiliation I feel everytime someone calls a lemon sour is still a cross I bear. Because, 'sour' reminds me of sauerkraut and that brings me to my german ancestry and the pain I feel thinking about the historical context that someone or the other may or may not have done to my people in the era of the Roman empire.

It's hard, but if we would all just refrain from speech completely and just smile and nod at each other.....

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Duckwater 0]

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Post: Yes. I understand. In the media and in this thread the focus is on the nappy. I was offended by the ho.

I was offended by the J-Word. (Not really but isn't the J word close to the N word in offensiveness?)

I wonder if the teach the constitution at Rutgers? If you dont like Don Imus, don't listen to him. But, if you don't like him, DO NOT try to get him fired so I can't listen to him. That is free speech and it is protected by the constitution.

And, I have heard women referred to as "Ho's" many many times. This is the first time by a white guy. (Except Santa) White guys call them 'sluts'.

[Channman 2]

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Black people DO have nappy hair.

What about the "hos" part? I've always loved Imus but this crossed the line. I think the two week suspension is just. I don't want to see him fired at all but people need to start taking responsibility for what they spout off.

I was thinking, when was the last time Rappers had to appear before Al Sharpton, or that fella who runs that Rainbow thingy, appologizing for the content of some of their music that degrades blacks and especially black women?

Who gave the right to Al Sharpton to demand that a liberal talk show host, who works for a liberal media group that he should be put out on the street. "eating their own, comes to mind".

[dorbie 0]

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That doesn't make it any less hurtful.

It's beyond frustrating for me to try to explain how the phrase "nappy headed ho" from my playground days, to high school, through college and my adult life still has the same sting to women. Having gone to school with mostly white people until college I don't think there's an equivalent statement that would make those who don't, understand.

If it's only hurtful when a cracker says it then you're the racist, not Imus.

[dorbie 0]

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If you're goint to blame "hip hop culture," whatever that means, you're going to have to blame the entire music industry. From the artists, to the fans, AND the people at the labels who determine who gets the budgets to say what they say. They're all responsible and play a part in what gets said and what doesn't. It wasn't always like this.

Not the entire industry, just a big part of it including all the culprits you mentioned. Of course my point is that there's plenty of shoulders to lay the blame on besides Imus'.

It wasn't always like this, but you can't tollerate one then come out and slam some radio host when he uses the same words.

[Duckwater 0]

Imus wasn't being a racist, he was being a GUY!

When my married friends get a hall pass and we go to a bar, the wives always ask "What the hell do you guys talk about?"

Nobody has the balls to tell them that we visually disect every woman we see like a fetal pig, from ass to boobs. It usually starts with a volley of "I'd hit that" which starts a debate that usually ends with the "# of Beers" it would take.

Guys, NEVER talk about women with a fucking microphone near you. Imus should know better. I guarantee Sharpton does it too, but is smart enough to do it off air.

(I'd hit 6 of the 10 Rutgers babes, the others are anywhere from 3 beers to a 12 pack)

[misskriss 0]

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If you dont like Don Imus, don't listen to him. But, if you don't like him, DO NOT try to get him fired so I can't listen to him. That is free speech and it is protected by the constitution

If you read my very first post in this thread I said that I did not want to see him fired over this. That doesn't mean I can't express my opinion over it. By thinking he made a mistake does not make me a Sharpton supporter either.

[kallend 1,649]

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Imus wasn't being a racist, he was being a GUY!

And Imus should go back to just being a GUY and not a nationally broadcast radio personality.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Zipp0 1]

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I was offended by the J-Word. (Not really but isn't the J word close to the N word in offensiveness?)

The jigaboo line was taken directly from a Spike Lee movie, which is why nobody is complaining about it. They'd have to criticize Spike Lee, so forget about it....

What a monumental waste of time this all is. The Bush admin is probably behind this - they must be using this national distraction to plan a really BIG fuck up.

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Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[Duckwater 0]

If you stick a microphone in front of anyone for 4 hours a day while they talk about unscripted stuff, someone will eventually get offended.

I think a little leeway should be given an apologies accepted if they go to far.

Was Jesse Jackson fired when he said "heimeytown?"

[dorbie 0]

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Imus wasn't being a racist, he was being a GUY!

And Imus should go back to just being a GUY and not a nationally broadcast radio personality.

About as much as you should go back to being a guy and not a professor and prolific political web poster.

[dorbie 0]

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Was Jesse Jackson fired when he said "heimeytown?"

Jesse had a job?

[Royd 0]

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He also referred to them as "hoes" and I hope I don't have to explain how that's an insult as well.

Blacks should be proud that some old white guy has finally included Ebonics in his speech patterns.

[Royd 0]

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It's a big deal when people feel their standard is the only one that should apply.

Touche.

[Royd 0]

Let's see. Any number of black comedians can make the same or worse comments about those same people and get a pass, but a white guy says it and he's racist. Clowns like Sharpton and Jackson aren't about truth and honesty, they're about punishment of someone whom they see as their enemy.

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Umm... I never referenced Sharpton or Jackson or black comedians. The issue is what Imus said.

The issue should be about the words alone, not who said them. They are either off limits for everyone or no one. BTW, what happened to free speech?

[billvon 2,435]

>The issue should be about the words alone, not who said them. They
>are either off limits for everyone or no one.

That's not a very defensible position IMO. I'd say "HEY ASSHOLE!" to a plane full of skydivers, but I'd never say it in an airliner. Sarah Silverman makes fun of jews quite a lot, which she gets away with because she is one. Knowing who you're talking to (and who you are) is pretty important.

[SuperKat 0]

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For you to say "Black people DO have nappy hair" show you obviously don't fully understand what the term means.

I'm not sticking up for him but it's possible he might have been ignorant and didn't know the term "nappy" was an insult.

I have lived in NY all my life, and not the suburbs either. I've taken subway rides and bus rides or even walked down the street where female blacks would joke on each other by saying "Girl, your hair lookin' all nappy". Even in a lot of Black comedies and movies you'd have those lines too. Even regarding the term "Ho". I've heard them say "Girl, you just ho'ing yourself around with that man!" That has been in movies as well.

My point is when non-blacks hear this and hear these lines in comedies or movies, they're probably under the impression that it's okay to joke around about it too. Like I said, I'm not sticking up for them, I'm just saying they're probably under the impression that it's okay to joke around about it too.

As for me, I know better. I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood. 90% of the people at my church that has 3,000 members are all black. I know how to act and I know how to not disrespect.

Not everyone out there understands that or realizes that it would be a negative connotation. We both know what would happen if a non-black person went up to a black person and said that their hair was nappy. I know that around my way, they'd get a NY style beat down.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?