Leave Imus alone
Don Imus said something incredibly stupid.
He has apologized
He has offered to meet with the victims of his words.
CASE. CLOSED.
There are 15 women hurt by his words. Everyone else is just LOOKING for something to be offended by. Leave him alone to do his show and help kids with cancer. You're not doing anything for those kids, and be honest, you' ( Read more... )
Did you watch some of these Rutgers games the last several weeks? Probably not, and quite honestly I doubt I would have paid much attention either if I didn't work for a major newspaper where this was one of our biggest stories. But I did end up watching a bunch of them and editing a ton of copy, and I know what a big deal this team became to a lot of people. A very important segment would be younger girls, and to subdivide that group even further, young minority girls.
When it's OK to go on the air and call their role models "nappy-headed hos," it's just reinforcing all the stereotypes they grow up fighting not to accept that people of influence in our society like Don Imus perpetuate. He can apologize on the air, as he has, he can meet with Jesse Jackson and the Rutgers women's basketball team, but I disagree that the hurt that was spread here goes no further than them. Truth is, if someone without Imus' stature said this, he already would have been fired. Imus probably won't be, and that just sends the message that it's OK to make these types of remarks as long as you apologize and are contrite about it afterward. Public figures have to be held to higher standards than that.
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Young girls, especially young minority girls, are denigrated far, far worse by those in entertainment. For instance, let's look at rap music, by FAR the most popular choice in music of African Americans, specifically those who might look up to the Rutgers women's team. Which is worse for them, a cranky old white man they've never heard of calling the team "nappy headed hos" or rappers like Ludacris or Snoop Dogg calling women EXCLUSIVELY and ALL-INCLUSIVELY "bitches" and "hos", in essence calling THEM that?
Let's be honest on a few things:
1) The amount of girls looking up to the Rutgers Womens Basketball team is very, very small. I mean less than the New York Liberty, which is already unfortunately small. I wish more girls would get into sports myself, but to say that there is a substantial amount of Rutgers women's fans... well, where were they last year? They are there this year cause they were awesome. Girls will forget about that team in weeks.
2) The reason people have a problem with it is because a white man said it. Period. If a black man in any media said it, joke or not, it would be brushed off. Imus should not have said it, and he should apologize, and HE DID. Those littled girls were NOT HURT by what he said. The only time it will hurt them is when they are explained that "an evil white man doesn't like black women", which is NOT what he said, but will be explained. If that's not what's explained, then it won't be hurtful, cause it's "a stupid man said a stupid thing about our team"
3) As for public figures being held to high standards, he is. He is not just saying he's sorry, he IS sorry. He's made MILLIONS of dollars, he doesn't need to work. So if he's fired, all that does is set precedent, he really loses... well, you know what he loses? He loses his spot to talk about his Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer. He loses his spot to talk about the dangers of themerycil (sp) in vaccines that might be linked to autism. He loses his spot to raise money for research for cures for SIDS. You know who really loses if he loses his job over ONE (1) stupid statement? Not him. A lot of sick kids do though, and quite frankly, I think they're more important than 1 sentence.
But I could be wrong, I suppose.
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And I did listen to Imus at one time, but like jrzshore, after a while you realize, listing to him isn't worth anyone's time.
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This of course intrigues me as to your real identity. Someone who knows someone I know? I know the obvious person is someone who knows my girlfriend... but I think that's a front. In fact, I think your whole situation is a front. You just sign up today, make up a story on your journal that is an obvious attack on me, and sign up a few people who are either friends of mine, or are friends of friends... I think you're just someone who wanted to have a little fun on here, and I just lucked out into being your target. Well, don't worry, I won't take it personally anymore, since it's not about me, it's about you trying to get a rise out of some random person.
Well, it worked, so congrats, but it won't work anymore. Good job though, you had me going for like an hour.
Am I wrong? Prove it. Tell me something about myself or my girlfriend that only someone who knows us would know. Like a phone #, or an address. Can you do that?
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Thanks for your time,
Undead_RTWA
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