Who did Imus hurt?
Now, don't get me wrong, what he said is in extremely poor taste at best. He was stupid. He made a huge mistake. I don't really listen to the old fart(ha ha look whose talking right?), so I don't even know what exactly he said but "that" phrase. But how does what one dottering old loon says affect a bunch of lady basketballers? Does this man have that much influence over the hearts and minds of people that they swing their opinions based on a bad joke? It's like those folks that listen to Rush, he's preaching to the choir, they're already convinced. I imagine Imus devotees are similar. If the pot hadn't been stirred, outrage insisted, indignation incited, it would have passed quickly and silently into oblivion. Instead Imus is now more relevant than ever to a broader audience than he would have had. Much more destructive words are uttered every day in our houses of legislature falling on deaf and disinterested ears. The various "offended" communities should focus on those problems that truly affect them instead of generating outrage over a rambling old fool. Can you imagine what would have happened if they had named it the Raghead Reduction Act instead of the Patriot act? Then again, who am I but another dottering old fool?
posted by Grumpy at 4/13/2007 12:04:00 PM
2 Comments:
The Imus' of the world hurt everybody. I do not know why his remarks have been picked upon and made into a media event, but he is just as guilty of bigotry as the hip hop singers are. I do not believe that persons in the media or entertainment industry should set a bad example for today's youth, or play to the bigoted opinions held by some of their listeners. If Imus hurt the feelings of just one young black girl, it was one too many. Tolerating any bigotry serves to promote all bigotry. Perhaps the firing of Imus from his broadcasting job will make other jerks like him think twice before making offensive, insensitive and unnaceptable remarks over the airwaves.
Luckytop,
I just figure that bigots are gonna exist whether we like it or not. Picking this one over things that, in my mind, matter more, was misguided. Imus most likely will move to satellite or retire and I doubt that his firing is gonna get anyone at all thinking about the next time. The world is full of hatred, the world is full of inequality and I reckon that if folks are gonna get up in arms they oughta do it for something other than some old fart spoutin rhetoric. Do you honestly believe that those girls would have cared what that old man thought if this wouldn't have been hyped up? Does what Imus, a crusty old white dude they probably had never heard of, thinks of them hurt their self-esteem? Do you think that folks that listen to Imus are going to think less of folks that are different because he used that phrase rather than one that, while meaning the same thing, happened to be more palatable? He was just as big of a bigot before this ever happened, he just happen to use a set of words that drew the attention of the world this go around. Problem is, America isn't up in arms about Imus. Just a few folks that captured the spotlight for a few minutes from the likes of Anna Nicole, and the latest Britney/Paris fluff are making this anything more. I'd say if anything you'll see Imus pick up even more of a following than he'd have had otherwise. Imus pushed the limit and he got stung, but history has shown that the limit is now just a little past where it was.
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