Thursday, April 12, 2007

I’ve just about had it with this whole Don Imus nonsense.
So far today, I’ve gone on msn.com, yahoo.com, and even imdb.com for my routine news reports (that's right, imdb is one of my news sources) and each page had over three articles about this guy. Don’t you all see? By creating this much publicity surrounding him you are doing the exact opposite of whatever your good intentions are – you are empowering him!
If you’ve lived under a rock since the women’s basketball championship, and thus have no idea what I am talking about – stop reading now and go to one of the aforementioned websites; they will tell you everything you need to know - - I refuse to indulge in this story. However, after a discussion with my inner-city youth classroom I would like to say the following:
I love free speech. I love banned books. I love the idea that people in this country can express themselves and do not have to worry about being killed or maimed as a result. I also am a firm believer in the idea that your freedoms end where mine begin.
Having said all this, I was recently called on the carpet to explain how I felt about this whole Don Imus issue and discovered that I was at war with myself over what to say. Was I angry that this radio non-DJ whom I’ve never listened to, for being an absurd racist? Did I choose to not care because I have the choice to not listen to him and therefore he has the choice to say whatever he feels like?
Then I did what I am afraid most Americans of my age today do not do: I did some research before opening my mouth. I did not go to yahoo.com, msn.com, or imdb.com this time; however, I read various in print articles from a variety of newspapers and magazines (I tend to put more faith in the paper written word than the typed even though that is my now choice of expression - this is also not the first time that I have been a hypocrite to myself).
Turns out this guy pulls this kind of nonsense all the time. His producer has been fired twice for making racist or otherwise inappropriate comments and each time was given a penalty and forced to make an on-air apology. After which, Mr. Imus would hire him back, thus finding the loophole in the FCC rules/policies. This makes me think that this rant about the Rutgers' girls wasn’t just something that fell out of his mouth (as he claimed in his FCC letter of apology) but something that he said in order to gain a response from his audience. Therefore he is perpetuating a cycle of not only racism and hate, but also of being sneaky and being above the rules. He knows that nothing can happen to him because nothing has before. He figured out the ways around his punishments.
He should be fired, not because of his statements - as I said before he is allowed to be an idiot just as I am allowed to love John Travolta with all my heart and soul: no one has the right to tell us we are wrong. But, if I find ways to get around the laws that protect my beloved Mr. Kotter alum, and begin to stalk him as I sometimes want to – I am wrong and need to be punished for it. So if this Imus guy finds ways to make racist and inappropriate comments and still remain on the air, at some point he needs be punished for it. Take away his method of feeling ‘above the rules’ and get him off the radio.
Am I making any sense here?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Imus and he is a radio Genious!

Just kidding he is impossible to listen too. His show actually makes you dumber as you listen to it.

Martin out!

Bea said...

It's probably best that they fired Imus when they did. Offensive comments or no, dude looks like a zombie. He was seconds away from eating someone's brains. Messy, that. And leaves MSNBC wide open for litigation!

Anonymous said...

OK, so this is just a general comment with nothing to do about the political correctness of "ho haters". You to are awsome! Period, end of sentence. I was considering calling you crazy or wacky, but "your dynamic interplay of completely useless and yet utterly enjoyable anecdotes ispires me" (the last line was stolen from the New York Times Book Review. Anyway, keep it up, it is awsome