I watch Imus In The Morning nearly every day on MSNBC. The show is funny and he has great guests from politics, media and music (though he leans heavily toward country). When I heard him call the Rutgers Womens basketball team a bunch of "nappy-headed hos," I knew he'd stepped over the line. He not only slimed African-Americans, but women and college athletes.
It is not like this is the first time he's been caught. Media Matters For America has a file on his outrageous statements. Many do not bother me. Senator Clinton is Satan, according to Don. Well, she's a tough woman and in a fight with Imus, I'm betting on her every time. They regularly slime Mayor Nagin of New Orleans, and most of it seems well deserved. He makes a point that he insults everyone. I have heard Triumph The Insult Dog say much worse. Triumph once asked a Hawaiian girl if she was Don Ho's sister, Skanky Ho. However, there is a difference between a live human being and a hand puppet.
Imus has apologized and I believe he's sincere. Does he deserve a suspension? Yup. Firing? Maybe, maybe not. Does he do great charity and public works? You bet. That's a mitigating factor, but doesn't cover all the sins.
Here is the suggestion I would make: don't broadcast the guy live. Tape the show and let an editor watch it before it is broadcast. That way, the crew can run with a funny skit without being inhibited, and, if they go way past reasonable, it can be edited out. Hopefully, the editor will have some comedy background.
Several points have come up in the discussions: 1. Is what Imus did worse than what Trent Lott or George Allen did? No, because Imus isn't a public servant. Allen was thinking about running for President. I hope we hold him to a higher standard than we hold a shock jock. 2. Imus did it before with making bj jokes at a roast of Bill Clinton, with Hillary in the audience. First, there really was a Monica Lewinsky, so Imus was not making it up out of thin air. Everyone knows what Imus is like and you don't invite him to a roast after you've been caught lying about getting bjs, unless you want to hear about them. 3. Jesse Jackson calls for firing Imus. Isn't this the goof who called NYC "Hymie Town?" Who cares what he has to say about decent discourse?
I do think that Imus's misstep was on a par with Michael Savage telling a gay caller to get Aids and die. And Savage was fired by MSNBC.
BTW, they rejected my suggestion that they change the name of the show to "Imus and Andy." VBG |
