Sauce for the Goose
I think Don Imus is a dolt.
On the other hand, I’ve always thought Don Imus was a dolt — way before this whole flap started — and I think the same about most talk radio hosts. Even Air America Radio makes me cringe, and you can’t get much more liberal than AAR. It wouldn’t make me the least bit unhappy to see them all go away; DJ’s are the principle reason that I don’t listen to the radio, either talk, news or music. Give a guy a microphone, and he begins to think that everyone is entitled to HIS opinion.
HOWever… I have a question.
I realize that there is a dearth of Black, Hispanic or Asian talk radio hosts with huge audiences out there, but what if, say, Al Sharpton started making unfunny jokes about white girls? (Ghods forbid!) Do you think he’d be fired from his show? Would there be an out-pouring of outrage and hate mail? Or, would he be given a pass because of his race?
(I have been told — in no uncertain terms, by a minority person — that minority people cannot be racist regardless of their opinions, and that white people deserve to be disrespected. Um, I dunno, me.)
So, if Al Sharpton is entitled to his opinion by the rules of Free Speech, shouldn’t Don Imus?
Just sayin’…
April 13th, 2007 at 12:43pm
For me, the racism was minor, I was more ticked off about the “ho” part of his comment. The racism was stereotyping, but the “ho” was personal.
Ask Jesse Jackson what happens when a black person starts stereotyping Jews - there is a price.
When it comes to the media, it is about money. Imus became a liability instead of an asset on the CBS financial statement. When it was obvious it was going to cost them money, the corporation dropped him.
April 13th, 2007 at 7:45pm
For me, more that the racism or the sexism, it was the sheer pointless meanness of it. What had those girls done to attract his attention? It’s one thing to be crude and nasty toward public figures like politicians and entertainers–they at least have some warning that it comes with the job. It’s disgusting behavior, but it’s expected disgusting behavior. This was nothing more than someone powerful kicking down at the less powerful just because he could do it. Vulgarity I can ignore, but bullying I cannot.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:52pm
Welcome, John!
Mean people suck, but so far it’s not illegal.
So far, I like Bryan’s explanation best: follow the money. Once it becomes apparent that meanness is expensive, there may be less of it all around.
May 11th, 2007 at 7:00pm
Oh yes, follow the money. The first rule of news reporting. Since 4/13 it has been revealed that his contract required him to step over the line as far as he dared. Only one problem - it did not tell him where the drop-off point was. He found it with perceived racism, advertising dollars, and reporters looking for a story with traction. Just my 2 cents worth (1.7 cents U.S.).
BTW - You are #2 & 3 on Google, beaten only by the lovely charter M/Y (Motor Yatch) Arondelle from the fiords of Norway.