WebKittyn Warbles
Thursday, April 12, 2007
WebKittyn Warbles Stands by Don Imus
I've been wanting to write on Imus since all of this started. Every time I start to write on Imus something new comes up on the news and it changes what I sat down to write. Warning: This post is guaranteed to offend people. I don't care. I seem to be doing that all over these days so why not give people something real to be pissed at.
I think what's happened to Imus sucks. I think it's a blatant display of double standard and political-correctness gone mad and I am saddened and disgusted by the results. There. It's out.
If I may, before I go on.. I just watched a few moments of Hannity and Colmes. I know Sean Hannity, we're not friendly like we used to be but I was pretty friendly with Sean when he was starting out, when he defended Bob Grant, Jay Diamond and other NY talkradio hosts. I was happy to listen to Sean's words, he spoke logic. However, they had Elisabeth Hasselbeck on and she was spouting crap about how she thought they did the right thing. First off, who the hell is she to make opinions? Have people forgotten she's nothing more than a shoe designer Survivor loser who looks good and married a pro football player so she's on television. Why in the name of all that's holy would anyone give a damn what Elisabeth Hasselback has to say? Secondly, how does she condemn Imus and defend Rosie.
No one needs me to be another spouter of how dumbass the phrase Imus used was. It was amazingly stupid and mean. I was surprised when I first heard of this. I've been listening to Imus for a long time and he may be a lot of things but he's not a racist. Doesn't mean a person who isn't a racist can't make a racist comment but Imus isn't a racist.
He should have been suspended. He should have been fined like Stern was. He should have gotten in trouble. He should not have been fired.
He went above and beyond in his initial apologies. This was between him and the team, he didn't owe Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson anything. He went on Sharpton's show knowing it was going to be harsh and I thought that was impressive. Al Sharpton does not represent the vast global black community. Al Sharpton likes to jump on bandwagons. Al Sharpton needed something to distract from the fact that he was ready to hang the now cleared Duke lacrosse players, shades of Tawana Brawley. Yet no one calls for Sharpton's head.
I listened to Steve Capus and it made me angry. Talk inside NBC, why not tell the truth. Imus had a hard-on for Dan Abrams and the wonderchild of MSNBC got his way. Ever since Dan Abrams decided MSNBC didn't need to cover the opening of the facility for wounded solider in Texas, it had to chase Anna Nicole's body as it went wherever it was going. I'd be angry too.
I went to school with Dan Abrams from 5th grade on. He was a weenie in school and it's obvious he's grown up into the same arrogant weenie as a man. This is what happens when you're shorter than all the other kids.
And the women have to get involved, who the hell asked NOW to get involved? Is the world so freaken' over-sensitive that NOW has to get on the crusade over the word 'ho?' Come on. On that one I can opine. I am a woman, have been all my life and love being a girl. I do NOT find anything sexist in the word 'ho' and I admit that I and my associates have called each other a lot worse. Anything just to have a cause and a moment in the spotlight.
For CBS to pull the plug in the middle of a radiothon is disgusting. What did the kids and wounded soldiers do and why do they get screwed?
Why did Howard Stern last so long on the air? Why is Rush Limbaugh still on the air? Rosie? Mark Levin? Has anyone listened to some of the shows on the radio? Some of them are pretty inflammatory. And I don't WANT any of them off the air. I don't WANT the voices silenced because I don't agree. I WANT them to be able to go on speaking and I can counter-speak if I wish. I want free speech, there are no guarantees we'll never be offended.
This mass sense of communal over-reacting pisses me off. It was stupid, mean and ignorant. It was not vicious or life-impacting. I'm sorry. For anyone to claim to know how the team feels and to insist they will be scarred forever over this is just milking the sympathy cow and I hate to say this but if one comment is enough to ruin a person's life then there's something wrong with the person. The team hasn't said it, the team has handled this will dignity and finesse and I'm sure they all spoke freely in the meeting with Imus. It's not the team pouring the lighter fluid on the hibachi.
He should have been punished. Some of the players are Freshmen, he should have told the entire team the rest of their education, under-grad and graduate - one of the girls wants to be a doctor -, that the rest of their educations were on him. I believe he was genuinely sorry and understanding of what a stupid thing it was to say, I think it should have been between him and the team.
No permanent actions should have been taken until he met with the team. This was not Sharpton's call to make. This is what has me so enraged, that and the overkill factor. My mother's side of the family is Jewish so technically so am I. We've heard a lot of nasty stuff through the years as Jews. I don't want to silence the voices, that's the difference between myself and the Sharptons of the world.
Has this country gotten so bad that on one mistake and the opinions of the press decisions are made? I don't want that, I don't want to be a part of that.
And the Harold Fords of the world, you ought to hang your heads in shame. Imus was good enough to take the support of, Imus was a fine friend when he was singing your praises and standing by you. He wasn't a racist then when he supported campaigns and gave a platform to your voices. Where are you, where is the support for a man you know damn well is not a racist.
American Express
Staples
GM
Sprint/Nextel
Geico
Bigelow Tea
Procter & Gamble
Some of the sponsors that decided to jump on this and companies I will go out of my way to avoid. I'll be canceling my American Express with a letter of explanation, not that it will matter but it's my small part of saying I think this sucks. I won't be watching anymore MSNBC or CBS, I can't support this one mistake and you're screwed policy.
I would like to think that Imus will end up on XM or Sirius and that he'll be able to go back at the Sharptons of the world and be heard. God or Goddess help us if we've become a country so easily wounded that one man's words can cause such a maelstrom in a place where the new norm is one strike and off with your head.
I think it sucks.
I support Don Imus.
I support free speech.
Other Blogs Supporting Freedom of Speech or Imus (not necessarily both):
The Bear's Garage
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Thank you, it’s about time someone said it…
on 04/13 at 01:04 AM -
Do you know all of the details of Imus’ contract with CBS & MSNBC? Could it be possible that what he said was grounds for dismissal based on the wording of his contract? Could it be possible that the loss of advertisers due to something he said would be grounds for dismissal?
monogodo on 04/13 at 02:10 AM -
R.I.P Mister Common Sense :-(
on 04/13 at 02:29 AM -
i don’t think monogodo listens to Imus, he’s said worse, alot worse, and alot more often. this is just a convenient outing for CBS and MSNBC because Imus insulted a few producers a couple weeks ago. They over blew this situation so they could dump him and come out the good guys.
on 04/13 at 10:18 AM -
Why is it that if a white man says this its horrible..but if rappers etc...say similar stuff it can go on the airwaves?
I think the whole thing with Imus is B.S.
Yes, he should have had a wrist slapping...but firing...that’s ridiculous.
We have no free speech in this country at all.
Andrea on 04/14 at 08:25 PM
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<-- Steal me!
