Imus.
I began listening to Imus when he first came to New York (I believe it was ’71 or ’72). I listened every day, and I patiently awaited his return to New York from his banishment to Cleveland for having shown up on the air shitfaced and drugged out. I listened for damned near three decades.
However, a few years ago, I began to tire of what I perceived to be an increasingly long line of liberal weenies guests, each seemingly suffering from terminal Bush Derangement Syndrome. I tolerated Andrea Mitchell, Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, David Gregory, Maureen Dowd and even John Kerry. However, once Imus began to regularly refer to Vice President Cheney as a “war criminal†he lost me to a rival station.
Having said that, I have followed his most recent gaffe with some interest. Sure, what he said was absolutely uncalled for, cruel and insensitive, but in all my past years of listening to Imus I never thought him to be a racist. I still don’t.
As Erica notes, in our lives each of us has said something profoundly stupid and hurtful, which we immediately or ultimately regretted. Imus has made several on-air apologies, which was the right thing to do.
In my view, where he screwed up was taking the bait tossed out there by “Reverend†Al Sharpton and “Reverend†Jesse Jackson, two race hustlers whose economic well-being is based upon making sure that racism remains alive and well in America.
So, in the end, Imus made two mistakes. His first mistake was having made a particularly cruel remark about young women athletes. His second mistake was going on Al Sharpton’s radio show, kissing Al’s ass and getting burned for his trouble.
I hope he has learned something from both mistakes.
Now, if he ever gets around to apologizing for repeatedly calling a sitting Vice President a “war criminal,†I may just tune in again.
“…if he ever gets around to apologizing for repeatedly calling a sitting Vice President a ‘war criminal,’ I may just tune in again.â€
Just a leeetle itty bitty problem there: If ya don’t tune in, howya gonna know? Ah, but don’t worry, that’s where I come in…I’ll keep my ears peeled for you.
Kinda like when I got my ass banned at TND, I couldn’t read the fine print about how to get my ass unbanned, since I was, uh…banned.
Comment by Erica — April 9, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
I am no Imus fan either. But I defend his right to insult whoever he wants to insult.
Comment by GUYK — April 9, 2007 @ 11:00 pm
i’m embarrassed to admit i never heard of the man. but i also didn’t see anything racist about the phrase “nappy headed hos”, but, then i’ve known nappy headed hos of virtually every color.
i think it’s rude moreso because they were collegiate atheletes, but i don’t know if i would say cruel. one of the other comments i read was about their tattoos. again, i didn’t see the athletes, but i know lots of people that if they saw a tat on a woman would assume she’s trash (again no matter what color she was)
i think it’s overblown and a sign of our wussed out society. and by the way, you hurt my feelings by posting this. i’ll be expecting a settlement check within the week, right?
Comment by shoe — April 10, 2007 @ 8:06 am
E — Um, for the record, you were *not* intentionally banned. Only invasive botscraperscrap gets that; however, t’innocent are accidentally ensnared in tuna nets at times by my spazzing & then don’t wanna email w/ IP yaddayadda.
Can’t say I am an Imus fan. The few times I *have* heard him he’s had on the weenie guests, whose opinions I get enough of elsewhere. Dennis Miller is on the airwaves now so I may give him a try, even though I differ with him on a few things. I like the big words he sometimes uses, and then suddenly he’ll drop in “booger.”
Comment by dogette — April 10, 2007 @ 10:06 am
Motormouth Imus…..
First, let me state that I also have tuned him out with his increasing pro-liberal bias as well as his anti Bush & Cheny rhetoric.
That being stated the commment he made pales in comparison to the pronoucements of Louie Farrakhan,Honest Al Sharpton, Rev`n Jackson,most of the NAACP crew, the Black congressional caucus & MC Mumbles the black rapper on the street corner down the block from my shop. All of these with the exception of MC are Black race-Baiting Poverty Pimps who depend on Racism continuing to maintain relevance & keep the cash flowing into their pockets.
If the LSM can fawn over the antis of this crew of welfare dumpster divers ,why is a pronoucement by an Asshole like Imus so horrifying? We are too sensitive for the ruffled feathers of those who make a career in doing the exact same thing to us honky`s & plantation owners.
Comment by dudley1 — April 10, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Sorry to use your space as an e-bulletin board, but two things worth addressing, as a semi-regular listener of I-Man: A) He broke out with his Cheney/War Criminal diatribe this morning, again, amidst some of the most annooo-OY-ing groveling I have ever heard. He’s just a little pussy at this point. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that apology. B) Bill Maher was on today. Now I’m definitely switching back to Q104.3. C) Dogette….I know, I was joking, ya nappy headed hoe (that’s an urban landscaping joke – please don’t boycott me).
Comment by Erica — April 10, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Cliffy….I listen to the I-MAN on the way to work. He does more good than bad. Can’t hate the guy for making a few jokes. If Chris Rock said that it would be no big deal.
Comment by chef of da future — April 10, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
He played on our NAPPY-HEADED HOE fears!!! Al Gore
Comment by JihadGene — April 10, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
Is it a bad thing to say that;
“Global Warming is a gutter religion,” these days?
Or that the “Rainbow coalition is a homosexual front?”
I’m confused about the whole mess.
Comment by everydayjoe — April 11, 2007 @ 1:56 am
it indicates poor judgement. someone in a public forum needs to balance free speech with good taste. popularity is not license.
Comment by gregor — April 11, 2007 @ 7:57 pm