The best analysis on Imus

OP-ED: "Why Imus Had to Go," by Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 13 April 2007, p. A17.

First off, excluding Dionne's confusing piece, I've now cited 4 of the WAPO's 5 op-eds from today. Very solid.

I like Robinson a lot and have for a while. He is very incisive in this piece:

For young black hip-hop artists to use such language to demean black women is similarly deplorable--and, I would argue, even more damaging. But come on, people, don't deceive yourselves that it's precisely the same thing. Don't pretend that 388 years of history--since the first shackled African slaves arrived at Jamestown--never happened. The First Amendment notwithstanding, it has always been the case that some speech has been off-limits to some people. I remember a time when black people couldn't say, "I'd like to vote, please." Now, white people can't say "nappy-headed hos." You'll survive.

If Robinson was trying to stab me right in my logic center, all I can say is, "Bullseye!"

I never got Imus' appeal myself. He averaged about 60 words an hour, after all the commercials and music and side-kick banter and his slow drawl were added in, and those words always struck me as pretty boring.

But I know a ton of people who totally grooved on him, and now we'll all just move on--just like history did on Imus a while ago, thank God.

Comments

[michael]

This kind of racial hypersensitivity is not serving us well. As a society, we're struggling to have the frank conversations neccessary to creating real solutions to issues like poor educational outcomes for blacks, islamic fundamentalism, etc.

I couldn't give a hoot for Imus one way or the other, but his sacking is a just another step towards santizing public dialogue. It's not healthy.

[Jimmy J]

IMO Imus is a jerk. He loved to put people down and make nasty remarks. He was for the most part an equal opportunity put down artist. He totally insulted the Clintons at the annual Washington correspondent's dinner when Bill was President. But, as you say, some people like that brand of entertainment.

I believe the best way to have handled it was to let the market decide. In a way that is what happened as enough advertisers dropped their support to make him a liability. The advertisers got cold feet from all the uproar from the race baiters.

However, why is it that only Bill Cosby can call a spade a spade when it comes to black culture? I'm offended by the trash that comes on those black rap CDs. How come the African American community lets these jerks get away with that kind of disrespect to members of their community? I'm sorry, I just don't get it.

[Amit M]

Factually, you must have not listened to the Imus program often because his 20-minute discourse with politicians and the media got to the root of issues better than just about any other televised interview program outside of C-Span and Charlie Rose. They certainly featured more than 60 words! A lot of people I’m sure watched the program for this high-level political discourse and viewed the other, non-interview half of the show (which is when Imus made his offensive remark) as filler that was often offensive and crude.

This is my take: Imus clearly made a hurtful comment and targeted a team of upstanding college students who absolutely didn't deserve to be the target of his comment. The team isn't made up of politicians, celebrities, or journalists who seek publicity and thus open themselves up to some level of crude comments. He made fun of admirable student-athletes who were just playing a game they loved. Imus acknowledged how inappropriate his comment was. The real question is what punishment was appropriate.

The Rutgers team never asked for his job and he apologized to them in person even after losing his job (an apology they accepted), so the targets of the joke didn’t want his job. Also, he has a record of making fun of everybody from mocking Catholic cardinals and mocking the Attorney General's hispanic background to calling white women fat and calling white men nitwits and war criminals. That doesn't make those jokes okay, but it indicates that what he says doesn't automatically reflect his belief system or some hate he feels in his heart. It’s how he generates laughs: that doesn’t make the crude humor right but it does indicate an utter lack of malice.

Further, we should judge a man not only by his words but by his deeds. Imus supported Harold Ford and decried the racism Ford face in many parts of the country. He helps kids of all races through his numerous charity work. He pushed for a higher death benefit for soldiers and raised money and awareness about the treatment of veterans; those soldiers are of all colors. He pressed for more autiism research for all kids. His ranch has helped Asian kids, Hispanic kids, black kids. He pushed for better facilities in the area of New Mexico where his ranch is located and a lot of those people are poor and Hispanic. Imus generated laughs through name-calling and maybe that type of show is outmoded, but those comments don’t make him a bigot.

Since this awful joke was directed at a college team that absolutely didn't deserve it, I agreed with the two-week suspension and the statement that his program would be monitored going forward. But in the light of his body of work and his apology to the Rutgers team, I don't agree with his firing. What is undeniable in my view is that it was gutless of CBS to fire the man before he could talk to the Rutgers team and finish the radiothon that raised money for kids with cancer. They caved and then lamely acted outraged a full week after the comments were made.

Unfortunately, the media culture today, typified by cable news, is focused on pounding us into submission hour-after-hour for about a week with feigned indignation and then making ritual sacrifices by the end of the week. Once the person has been chewed up and spit out, the media is done with the story (so much for the meaningful discussion on race they always say these stories will generate) and then they go overkill again on the next story.

I personally hope Imus gets another show but realistically many guests he previously had won't appear, so the sacrifice is complete. The original Imus is forever lost and now the media culture will move onto the next exciting story (Laci Peterson redux, Obama-has-a-Muslim past redux, Anna Nicole? What will it be? Stay tuned!). Meanwhile, morning interviews will be with the likes of Matt Laurer and we’ll learn a lot less about current events as a result.

[hof]

The African-American community "lets" major corporations sell violent and woman-hating rap mainly to suburban white teen males? Just like they "let" themselves go to crappy schools, choose to live in America's Gap and are voluntarily color coded to attract police attention.

Drop the concern about Sharpton and Jackson and focus on the money. This blog is all about economic determinism after all.

[Anonymous]

Amit, this comment is way too long, but the content is good, so i'm going to let it stand. please don't make it a habit.