April 9, 2007
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Racial Statements
As I mentioned in my photoblog, Don Imus has been in hot water for racial statements he made about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team.
He referred to the mostly black team as “nappy-headed hos.” Imus apologized but some leaders are calling on him to be fired. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is planning a protest demanding that he be fired. Rev. Al Sharpton has also demanded that Imus be fired. Here is the link: Link Here is the link with the video of his actual statement: Link
Should Don Imus be fired for calling the women “nappy-headed hos?”
Comments (161)
1st?
Funny but unfortunate.
I don’t know if he should be fired, but that comment is very mean-spirited and he should get some type of punishment for it.
meh, apologize?
haha yay. but to answer your question…i dont see why they have to go so far as to fire him. free speech, right?
I don’t know. It was a nasty, racist thing to say. But then his show is all about pushing the envelope and saying offensive things (I think he was Howard Stern’s forbear). He deserves censure and was right to apologize (although I question the veracity of his apology). Should he be fired? I don’t really know. I don’t think he will be. I personally have never listened to his show, and don’t plan to.
I’m not touching this one………………….
Funny but unfortunate.
Posted 4/9/2007 12:11 PM by Creed_of_Kings
I really don’t see what’s funny about it. It was a comment in poor taste. I agree that it was unfortunate.
idk bout fired, but it shouldnt be “okay”
I wasn’t going to comment but……Al Sharpton had a great point : “Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media. We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we’ve got to stop this.”
Poor taste, bad judgement, certainly. Meriting some form of censure, absolutely.
However, counter-question: should a person be fired for a single error in judgement? (This is the first I’m hearing about this, so I don’t know if this Imus fella says this sort of thing regular-like. I’m just wondering.) I suppose it depends on how big that error in judgement is–obviously we don’t want nuclear technicians and ambassadors making judgement errors. So the question becomes, just how big an error in judgement is this?
Imus IS known for pushing things a bit far.
So many things are wrong with this. What it comes down to is what needs to be done needs to be done FOR ALL. If Howard Stern got censored, so should he. I don’t think he should be fired. He should be fined.
I hate racism. But I don’t see what firing Imus is going to do. And Jackson and Sharpton will rally at the drop of a pin and have lost all credibility IMO.
Besides, if it was Howard Stern would people be as upset? They expect that from him. How about what Howard has done to American Idol and Sanjaya or whatever his name is.
“Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media. We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we’ve got to stop this.”
Posted 4/9/2007 12:19 PM by distler
I agree wholeheartedly with this comment. People need to stop and think, and review their attitudes.
Well.I think to actually show zero tolerance, they should fire him, but it wont happen. I dont think its the right thing to do. People just want to hide the fact that there is racisim or what not in world in firing anyone who says anything “racial”. I think a fine or some other punishment should take place.
Why is it that when a white person says something about another race its always “racist”: and all over the media, but other races can be just a bad and they sometimes get support?
Im not white either, just in case someone wants to know.
it was unneccessary. but really, people should just disagree with him and move on… I don’t think firing him will do anything? He might not say things like that again, but it may just make him say it more.
yes. yes he should.
I say burn him at the stake. It’s the only way he’ll learn.
Minus the learning part cuz he’ll be dead.
I don’t know if he should be fired, but that comment is very mean-spirited and he should get some type of punishment for it.
Posted 4/9/2007 12:11 PM by onegirlarmy03
I agree with what she said
I say fine him ($100,000?) and use the money for some appropriate cause. That way you punish him and get something more positive out of it.
nah. he probably just forgot to take his ninja personal control pills.
WHOAH. yea! fine him! then make mortal combat schools for all the homeless people. PERFECT!
People say mean things all the time and I really hate it. Who decides what is racist? Who decides what is immoral? Is it based on public opinion?
If I had my way, everyone who said mean things would be punished. That means that most of your readers (including me) should be punished! I’m guessing that’s not going to happen.
i hate Imus…
He’s an idiot, so yeah he should be fired!
Okay so let me get this straight, we only have free speech as long as Al sharpton does not take offense to what we say?
Think about what is going on here, a man during a radio show, made a comment and now people want him fired?
1 single solitary comment.
To fire him for one comment would be like Dan disagreeing with my comment here and banning me from his site.
It is draconian and it is offensive to me that it was suggested, who can I get fired for suggesting it
you are talking abut ending a man’s livihood for making one statement.
If you don’t like the statement then DON”T LISTEN TO HIM.
But whatever you do, let him speak his mind because it could be you next that they will shut up
Jesse Jackson should forgive ….I didn’t think we liked censorship……don’t get me started.
Does nobody other than me think that it is wrong that anyone can insult white men all they want to without any recourse being taken but if someone says something that anyone thinks is offensive to a minority their career is basically over? I think if people want equal rights then they should not get special treatment. If they want to be considered the supreme race then they should just say that. I quickly lose respect for people who purposefully mislead others and that is what politicians and political rights activists are doing with their “equal rights” and “equal opportunity” stuff.
didnt you already do this one?
he should be reprimanded in some form at least.
Was it a crude & rude thing to say? Yes. Do I agree with his thinking? No. Do I think he should be fired? No. I am tired of the thought police and the whole PC movement. I would much rather know where someone stands, so I can make informed decisions about whos company I want to keep, and where I want to spend my consumer dollars.
No fucking way should this man be fired for giving his opinion. 1st amendment, bitches.
Now, if his opinion causes protests, and the defamation of the radio show, loss of profit, etc, then I can see how he could be fired for that – but strictly in the interest of the stations incomes.
Just because the shit someone says makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s against the law. Is the man and his associates bigots? Sure. But that isn’t criterion for losing your job.
I wasn’t aware that a person could be fired for being stupid…if that’s the case, there’s a LOT of people I work with that are suddenly on a “short-timer’s” list!
Imus is like Rosie. Let him keep talking. People will soon figure out what they really are and how stupid they are. (Rosie thinks fire can’t melt metal. Check out approx 1 min into video.)
HA. Imus is a genius.
And for the record, if you fire Imus, you might as well fire Stern or Opie and Anthony.
“Does nobody other than me think that it is wrong that anyone can insult white men all they want to without any recourse being taken but if someone says something that anyone thinks is offensive to a minority their career is basically over? I think if people want equal rights then they should not get special treatment.”
Brilliant.
Such as the Mayor of New Orleans claiming that it would be rebuilt as a “chocolate city” primarily consisting of blacks.
Where the fuck was Sharpton and Jackson then?
Bear in mind that his comment was not only racist but sexist. Fire the bastard.
“He’s an idiot, so yeah he should be fired!”
Posted 4/9/2007 12:39 PM by ButifulDisaster19
Have you lost your job yet for being such a dumb cunt?
Have you lost your job yet for being such a dumb cunt?
Posted 4/9/2007 1:04 PM by Yohsiph
go to hell!! anyone who uses free speech to degrade others should be shot!!
what ever happened to free speech, Yeah I don’t approve of it, but we shouldn’t try to destroy his life because we disagree with what he says
and Jesse Jackson is an asshole
I don’t know if he should be fired, but it wasn’t an appropriate thing to say. I find it interesting that “nappy headed” in reference to African Americans is apparently more offensive than “hos” in reference to women in general though.
no.
he said something wrong. he apologized.
get over it.
Imus should have been canned a long time ago for far worse statements. They won’t. He’s got a bigger cult following than Stern ever thought of.
Okay so let me get this straight, we only have free speech as long as Al sharpton does not take offense to what we say?
Think about what is going on here, a man during a radio show, made a comment and now people want him fired?
1 single solitary comment.
To fire him for one comment would be like Dan disagreeing with my comment here and banning me from his site.
It is draconian and it is offensive to me that it was suggested, who can I get fired for suggesting it
you are talking abut ending a man’s livihood for making one statement.
If you don’t like the statement then DON”T LISTEN TO HIM.
But whatever you do, let him speak his mind because it could be you next that they will shut up.
Way to go, Fruitcake!
it’s a mean comment, but no.
unfortunately i can’t take anything serious when it includes al sharpton & jesse james.
The Revs Jackson and Sharpton are both going to hell
Oh, and what he said is true. Truth hurts people. Remember what Rush Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb? He was right!
i like TJaySteno’s idea.
Fired for being unfunny… Go STERN!!!
and Yohsiph, you’re an asshole. which always makes me laugh. gg.
i dont really think that was a racist comment… it was in very poor taste… but theres no reason he should be fired… why should those ladies care much about what he said anyway?
People are just too sensitive. I mean, anyone could make Racist, Anti-Semetic, Anti-USA comments. Just because it was on radio makes it even worse? Forget this guy and move on to the rapist, murderers, sexual offenders and get them instead of a guy who said something about Blacks.
I don’t think he should be fired, what’ll that do? It might make him hate Blacks even more! And if you fine him, he’ll lose money but his ideas will just worsten. If you send him to Jail, that’s just not right. If the government monitered everyones conversations, alot of people would be lining up in the Un-Enployment line. Though that was a gross and odd thing to say…O_O
Imus is know for that sort of thing, isn’t he?
RYC: Yes, you missed all the good stuff….pictures of it all, as well.
Do you have the theme thingee on your site?
I want do do it, but I’m afraid it will mess up my colors, and such. Does it?
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n (insert after the word know) ^^^^ Oopsie!
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I would have, before Mr.’s High and Mighty Reverend Types decided to jump in.
Now i say, more power to him.
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He is only under scrutiny because he made the comment about black women. If he had said blonde hos or red-headed fire crotched hos, then I am not sure that we would be having this conversation. I had never even heard of this man until this morning. Freedom of speech. You don’t have to listen to his show.
If you fire Imus then some pinhead Imus wanna be will take his place.
Although aren’t Imus’ 15 minutes of fame just about up?
I dunno it seemed like more a statement about the culture of, you know, appearing like a thug. it’s a respect thing, people dress that way and act that way if they come from a certain background. It didn’t seem to be (purely) motivated by race.
Thanks for the comment…Dan
I am just updating my post…so…you saw”edit…”on it
hahahahahahahaha…
He should be punished, merely for calling a woman a “ho”. Then the nappy-headed comment tipped it off. He should be fired, but it’s the boss’s choice.
His upbringing is showing…
i think any sort of racial slang should get someone severely reprimanded, if not fired. so yes.
Is it normal that I have never heard of this Imus dude?
Whoa – I heard he was in hot water but never caught exactly what he said. (good thing you’re here on xanga.
While I extremely disagree with what he said…
If you don’t like it, don’t listen to him. Still freedom of speech.
I’ve never heard anyone say that before, does it imply something negative?
i sure wish al sharpton would get on some of the rappers in the music industry for calling women bitches and ho’s. that guy will do anything to get his big mug on tv.
i think what imus said was wrong but i dont think he should be fired.
Fight Global Warming!
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Posted 4/9/2007 1:36 PM by Fight_Global_Warming
I’m tired of cold weather! I want summer to come, it snowed on Easter, its done that once before hear and that was back when my mom was a kid. I think your a looser, your the one making it cold and your making me mad. Stop it, I’m ready for warm weather.
Who is Don Imus? Clueless about him or where he works, but he definitely shouldn’t have said that – how awful.
Why do white guys get in trouble for publicly dissing balck people, but black ppl can diss white ppl all they want?
Nah, but he should be slapped.
Poor taste. We have to draw the line somewhere, but he’s in a kind of grey area right now, I guess… he definatly needs to apologize but fired… mneh. I’m not sure.
if Isaiah Washington gets fired from Grey’s for being homophobic.
But he wont,so no.
Firing him would be unfair.
Yes. He’s a washed up old buzzard that should have retired long ago.
Eh…
Either you’re for freedom of speech or you’re against it. The bill of rights is for it. I’m for it. If you don’t like the fact that someone is racist, get over it; it’s not illegal to be racist.
I’m tired of people thinking laws only apply when they’re convenient for them.
Too bad Imus is white and gets in trouble for such comments. When black people make fun of stereotypes, they’re called comedians.
lower his paycheque!!
I personally think he should be suspend and put on probation. However, as far as his comments, I would prefer him to be a racist hateful man on the outside therefore I already know about him, as opposed to those who hide it. At least I know not to trust him.
sure why not.
yes
Well if Isiah Washington of Grey’s Anatomy still has a job for calling a costar “faggot” then there isn’t much hope for firing this guy. Once you allow some racial, discriminatory comment out like that for the public you either react right away and set the precedent or just pretend it didn’t happen.
Uh YEAH.
Eh, I don’t know.
Was he meaning it to be mean, or was he just trying to act cool?
Because I think it all really matters on if it was a hate statement or not.
The decision to fire him should be completely up to his employers. If people who were offended want to punish him, then they should just not listen to his show. I think what he said was insensitive, but my vote is for free speech. People should have the right to say what they think, even if it is stupid and offensive.
He said it, he apologized. Sure it was a mean spirited thing to say, but so what? People say mean spirited things all the time. Granted I don’t think people should be able to say whatever they want to the public and only need to apologize and hope it goes away. I hope he learns from this.
But getting fired? We’re going to ruin his career over one comment? Why don’t they do something about the lyrics of music these days, talking about pimps and bitches, killing people, having sex on the dance floor… If “nappy haired ho’s” angers people and not other things on the radio, then they need to reexamine their priorities and quit crying. Listen to something else.
Personally I think there should be free speech on the radio as long as there are regular disclaimers mentioning how there may be things that could be considered offensive, as done on cable. Let the people decide what to listen on their own. Quit trying to dictate what people can or cannot say in this country.
He looks like a very ugly version of Sir Elton John there…
i don’t think he should be fired……people are always pushing the envelope in this way purely for the noteriety and shock effect….if her gets fired, someone else will pick him up and pay him more money fo rmore of the same…..not worth it….imho
Why is the right action always to fire someone.. he apoligized.. why cant the “reverend” forgive him. Is forgiveness now just a past thought. if he didnt say he was sorry thats one thing.. but he apologized. Im honestly tired of people getting “fired” whenever they say or do anything wrong. firing them wont change their opinion or the past action, but at least an apology shows regret. lol, how about “he that is without sin shall cast the first FIRE them”???.. lol
Daniel (doubledb)
No. What is it that just because someone doesn’t like what a radio personality says, they should be fired? We do have freedom of speech. That said, I would have a hard time listening to him. If you really want him fired, turn him off. If he has no listeners, he has no more job. Radio personalities have jobs based on listeners.
aww, I don’t know. It wasn’t a nice thing to say, that’s for sure. He should definately be punished, but fired?-no!
Hold on. I’ll read the link before I say something.
I think some people forget that Jesse Jackson knew Martin Luther King Jr personally and worked closely with him.
And it’s not OK to make racist comments about anyone, be they black or white. I agree that a national review of our own attitudes and our collective consciousness is called for. This is for the majority white population and also the minority population. I may blog about this sometime soon. But I’m getting a bit tired of people hauling that out anytime something horrible is said or done to a minority group. Nothing excuses the behavior, whoever it’s directed at.
People hauling out the “free speech” thing annoy the hell out of me. Yes, we have free speech. Guess what, that applies to everything you might not agree with. But guess what again. Free speech is not an unlimited right. Also, free speech is a freedom to be used responsibly.
But you know what, not everything has a legal or administrative remedy. Certain aspects of racism are included in those things. Which is why I suggest a collective reviewing of our attitudes, actions and words.
free speech = bullshit.
that’s called slander children
fire his ass.
If they’re going to fire Imus, they might as well fire Carlos Mencia. He’s probably just as bad, or maybe worse.
Hmm. But Mencia is a comedian, and people tend to understand that more than Imus’ comments. Even though there is a bulk of people that hate him and people like him [Imus].
He didn’t say Nigger, did he. If he said Nigger maybe it’d be a big deal. But even saying Nigger isn’t that big of a deal, really. I don’t know why people get all offended when other people say Nigger.
I am against racism and personally I hate it. On the other hand this country was founded on the principles of freedom. one of the freedoms that we have is that for us to make an ass out of ourselves by saying stupid things. so, no, he should not be fired, it is in his rights to say whatever he wants to, even if it makes us see his true colors.
cut this guy some slack! what he said was wrong, ok he owned up to it! he made a mistake and he apologized no reason to go so far as to screw him over.
yes. he can’t expect to say shit like that and get away with it..
Wait, Im dumb — what is his job?
If it’s somethin important, then yeahhh.
yeah, i think so. and whos don imus anyway?
No, just send him to “time out” and tell him never ever to do it again. That’s what we as teachers are left with when a student misbehaves and does something WRONG!! Is the real question here whether his flthy mouthed statement is wrong or not? And now I’ve arrived at the root of this discussion. Right and wrong is being discussed in our society as if it is a matter of opinion! Uh……WRONG!!!!!!!!
Either you’re for freedom of speech or you’re against it. The bill of rights is for it. I’m for it. If you don’t like the fact that someone is racist, get over it; it’s not illegal to be racist.
I’m tired of people thinking laws only apply when they’re convenient for them.
Too bad Imus is white and gets in trouble for such comments. When black people make fun of stereotypes, they’re called comedians.
Posted 4/9/2007 2:31 PM by stuartandabby
actually, now that i think about it….. i kinda agree with that guy.
His statement doesn’t belie the truth that there may be a few nappy headed ho’s in the world. The statement itself is not racist at all. Perhaps sexist. But in the context he said it, it would be deemed racist because he’s an old white guy saying a black expression. even still, he meant it ironically. People don’t get irony or dry humor nowadays. The culture has devolved. Black guys often say ‘nappy headed hos’ and much worse. Currently, i have ‘bed hair’ which means..my hair is all nappy from taking a nappy…yes, i’m a caucasian guy saying that..
Maybe punish him, but what if it was directed towards whites? Would it be so inappropriate? Dan could you ask this, I’m curious.
Yup.
What i dont get is that people get more upset if you use a racial slur about a minority, but when you have commenters who will call someone cunt or bitch, its no big deal. why is that? as a female, I shouldnt have to hear those things. But yet, no one cares about it……. same goes with the word “ho”. He didnt even know those girls to say that about them. But more people are concerned with the racial part of it. Gee!
Doesn’t that violate freedom of speech if he gets fired?
He could sue and get mucho amounts of money.
Unless I’m wrong. I’ve been wrong before, but I’m pretty sure that violates his freedom of speech.
Imus has also referred to the “Jewish management” of CBS Radio as “money-grubbing bastards”.
i find it interesting that the whole focus is on the racist aspect of the comment. what about the sexist part? i mean, i’d be just as upset if someone referred to me as a “ho” as i would be if they called me “nappy headed”. but that’s just me…
1st amendment gives him the right to say what he wants but thankfully it doesn’t mean you have to hear what he says with out being given the right to protest. I think it is long overdue.
If you’re angry… boycott. Then let the people who profit from him decide what to do.
I agree with mrcolorful and Building_A_Mystery.
Where are the good Reverends when I hear black rappers talking about “nappy headed g’s”, “pimps”, “hos”, and “niggas”? Where are the offended parties then?
If you want to regulate racist and sexist language, these “cultural icons” aren’t doing much to end such slurs. Until you do something about them, you look kind of hypocritical, and people are not going to take you seriously.
Since the KKK are protected by free speech, as loathsome as they are, I suppose this guy should be. If his employers feel uncomfortable with him saying these things, I think it’s at their discretion what to do with him.
Did he really say that? Dayam… some people really amaze me sometimes. I agree with the fine =)
He should be punished greatly. But I’m not sure about firing.
Who is he? What’s his job?
But anyway, I doubt it.
When will Spike Lee be crucified in public for “White Men Can’t Jump”????? Is that not a “racists” statement. All this is ridiculous …as usual.
Don Imus is like a poor man’s Howard Stern …he’s been around for years…for those who don’t know. He’s said whacky stuff before.
AS I understand Imus, he is a shock jock who says this kind of thing to get ratings. People listen to his show becuase he insults others. This is what makes people like him and Howard Stern and Opie and Anthony popular. Its sad when their humor is standard fare for radio broadcasts
Absolutely. Its simply preposterous
I don’t think he should be fired. The apology is alright, I suppose, but firing him’s a little harsh.
In this day and age of political correctness…he surely knew better.
“Free speech is not an unlimited right. Also, free speech is a freedom to be used responsibly.” -squeakysoul
Obviously there are certain legal parameters on free speech, but I’m still not getting what he said that broke some written law. You can define what freedom of speech means all you want, but if you’re expecting everyone to swallow your subjective definition to appease you, don’t hold your breath.
It’s morally wrong to make racist statements. It’s morally wrong to hold racist positions. It’s not illegal, though. There’s a difference. The only reason this guy should get fired is because his employers want to, whether out of personal conviction or because they think his ratings will go down.
Shaaa
Oh wow. Was he drunk or something?
Little insensitive, but he shouldn’t lose his job for that..
I think he was out of line with what he said, but I don’t know if they’d have grounds to fire him (free speech and all) unless he had contractually agreed to not say things like that or if it would go under the categories of “slander, fighting words, or _____” (gah, I’m drawing a blank on the third one – help me out here!
). But.. yea… I think if he were to receive SOME kind of punishment but I’m just not sure if legally they’d be able to fire him. :-/
Fire him for what, being white and saying what he thinks. This shit goes on everyday on prime time TV, a black man can make jokes about white people, call them names and degrade them, but its all in the name of comedy, or civil rights, what ever happens to suit them oat the time. And don’t get me on Sharpton and Jackson, they have done more to set back race relations in the last 20 years then the clan has done to tear it down in the las 60 years. NO COMMENT
naw
why do u only write about like newspaper articles and stuff????
his show walks a fine line. i think he’s entertaining. he certainly stepped over the line but he didn’t fricken kill anybody. it’s a two edged sword, he said a bad thing , but that/those words are used everyday all over this country by black and white people. doesn’t make it right but it doesn’t call for firing him. he does a shitload of charitable deeds.
Isn’t “ho” a term black women use to describe other black women, or a pimp calls a woman in his fold? I personally thought it was a gardening tool.
white people can have nappy hair too. (howard stern is proof)
The guy made an offensive comment. Seems to me, the offense to be taken should not have been the black people’s for the nappy headed comment, but the whole teams for the ho comment. That is the one that slights their character. Freedom of speech is best protected by protecting the speech of the rascal. Since when do we have the right to hear no offensive speech? If he’s offensive to you, turn him off. I do. Seems to me that people should take some advice I heard many years ago. “Toughen up, buttercup!”
Wow…that hit home. It’s not often that someone says something so racist that it physically hurts. That did. He refers to the basketball team as “nappy-headed ho’s” followed by a reference to the “jigaboo” and “wannabe” fight in Spike Lee’s School Daze. I haven’t heard of anyone publicly referring to a black person in a jigaboo in my entire life. It’s a grossly outdated term. If you want to truly understand why he should be fired go to this site and you’ll get a history for most of the terms.
http://gyral.blackshell.com/names.html
1)Free Speech does not equal you can be employed regardless of what you say
2)There are plenty of offended parties when it comes to rappers–look up the “tipdrill” backlash at Spelman
3)Rappers don’t get mainstream media time unless it is negative–see Pepsi firing Ludacris
4)”White Men Can’t Jump” does sound racist but the movie is redeeming in the end–”Jungle Fever” was a lot more offensive from the academic perspective
5)DraigDruid is just being remedial (the nice way of saying stupid). There are no popular black comedians who use outright white racial slurs in their comedy and get away with it
6)And if a black commentator would have made a direct reference to an all white female basketball team as “white trash” and called them “bitches” there would be no debate over whether he should be fired. He would be. Don’t allow anyone’s knowingly offensive speech unless you are willing to allow it when it directly affects you. Done and Done.
Fine him. Don’t fire him.
I really wrestled with responding to this blog…In my world, calling someone a “nappy-headed ho” is fighting words. It ranks right up there with spitting on someone and calling someone’s mother a bitch. Was it a racist comment?…Maybe. But it was disrespectful and unwarranted. Imus is old coot who like most old coots feel like they can say whatever…while he won’t be fired, some action needs to be taken against him.
Yup – there’s no place for that kind of thing in this day and age. He really needs counselling.
Imus always liked to push people’s buttons, and Al Sharpton always liked to rally at anything he found intolerable. Sure there is the first amendment, but this comment really is on the borderline. There has got to be a line between saying what you want and saying things that insult and discrimination against groups of people.
No. He apologized, just let it go already. I know it might be politically incorrect to say this, but I thought the statement was funny as shit!
“I say burn him at the stake. It’s the only way he’ll learn.” *rolls* lol Touche’ my friend Touche!
it wasnt exactly a NICE thing to say. but its not exactly the worst either. i dont think he should be fired.
Super Cruz, your right, Oh one other thing, bite my ass there nappy
I am sick and tired of racist, bigots making sexest, racial statements about african american people. I Feel the need for apology can only be carried out in the form of a resignation, or termination.And to the Rutgers basketball team, please do not meet with Imus in a private forum.Imus clearly spoke from the heart.
We may have “free speech” but when we are representing a company or group, our actions and words reflect on the company or group. He should have been more responsible with his words and thought before he spoke. If not fired, definitely punished so that he will NOT do it again.
Do you think that if Howard Stern made the same comments he would get a two week suspention?
DraigDruid, I ain’t tryin’ to make it personal. But what you were saying is very foolish and uninformed. Don’t get angry cause I called you out on it. “Sharpton and Jackson, they have done more to set back race relations in the last 20 years then the clan has done to tear it down in the las 60 years” is very extreme and expresses a closet–or overt–racism that you carry. Inform yourself. I’d rather educate than insult. So, I literally refuse to make this a personal thing. And it’s rude to argue on other people’s blogs. Perhaps openly referring to your comments as “stupid” was a bit much. But they were “remedial.” Don’t kill the messenger.
Super Cruz, We are all entitled to our opinions based on how we see the facts, but for me, I recognize my opinion as just that. Our opinions are based on where we come from, and they may seem wrong in other peoples eyes, but I have lived long enough to stand by my opinions with confidence, I will also respect others, and you are right it should not be personal, no matter what, for that I opoligize, and some of my remarks just prove how people get to personal when there opinions are challanged.
Oh Yeah, sorry about the whole bite my ass thing, totally on called for.
I don’t understand how that’s racist… can’t white girls be nappy-headed ho’s, too?
Yes hun, they can!
IF Al sharpton really wanted to rid of offensive material on tv or radio, Al would just quietly go away.
Get real. Sharpton is a jackass and everybody with a cerebral cortex knows it.
This is my last post here. Druid is absolutely right, opinions are the precise product of your environment. That being said, when I try to convince white people that they don’t live in a vacuum, and that history means everything I get dull stares of disbelief. I yearn for a day when I can honestly say, “yes, white women can have nappy hair,” but all that phrase means is that their hair is inappropriately “negro.” Nappy has long been the term used to refer to black people’s hair. All of the characteristics associated with the word exist as traditional African hair texture. Compound that with the aforementioned “jigaboo and wannabe fight” in Spike Lee’s “School Daze” and it becomes clear that there was a racial intent in saying “nappy.” The fixation in America, and more so in the black community, upon hair is a painful reality that most white people can’t even imagine. I recently blogged about the “white standard of beauty.” But few people care to deconstruct their reality. The power of unwavering opinion is the American crutch. No one wants to be wrong, but everyone can’t be right. Al Sharpton isn’t stopping the dialogue, but he certainly isn’t the catalyst of the racism itself. I despise the opportunistic–not my word, but it’s the one most commonly used–responses of Sharpton and the like. They aren’t helping the whole, but rather the few. But I share their goals and desires. We all want the same thing, but if you don’t sincerely listen to the viewpoints of the other side, then we’ll never make any progress. F*ck Imus, he’s just an avatar for the race problem that has been plaguing America since the Declaration of Independence. And black people only want him fired, myself included, because as long as he is in the mainstream media, so is the racism he represents. Tolerating racism is not an option and anyone who accepts it is either a racist or complicit in allowing it to continue. Word is Bond. One Love. I’m Out!
Yes. I think Imus is racist, and so are Sharpton and Jackson. S & J said similar things in the past but nothing happened to them
No, of course he shouldn’t be fired. Are they nappy-headed hoes? (Nappy- tightly curled hair that is unwashed and uncombed. Hoe- a chick who sleeps around.) So the answer is maybe. Of course, talk show hosts are given to exaggeration. However, I trust his description much more than someone from the university (their coach, I think) who claimed that the entire team was a good Christian example “in every sense of the word”.
I thinking fireing him would be too harsh. But fine or suspension would be good idea, after all he did apologies and he did agree to talk face to face with those girls. and dont’ forget that it is a homorous show.