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Don Imus - Page 3

I suppose a lot of this debate boils down to what exactly is free speech, and a topic that we have on this very forum: "Why Do People Become Offended?" We even have a personality quiz: "How thin is your skin?"

My first post in this thread predicted that Imus would fall, and it happened because, as Vincenzo pointed out, enough people complained. Whenever the feeding frenzy of the media begins, you can pretty much see which way the wind blows.

I've never listened to the shock jocks or hardcore comedy (of any color) because I find it offensive, not amusing. But there are plenty of people who do find it amusing, or these types of so-called "entertainment" wouldn't ever make it to the airwaves - let alone have paying sponsors.

Probably much worse things have been said publicly, but if no one complains, there's no problem? It's all about perspective and WHO gets offended.

Imus Don

I will be honest. When I heard the comment made by Don Imus, I felt annoyed but I was not sure what he meant. Somehow, I knew that it was a racial slur and when my spouse explained it to me, I became incensed. Why do Americans abuse their "freedom of speech?" I do not agree with changing the station or the channel, if you do not like listening to the comments made by these shock jocks. This is simply not good enough for me. This is why the world is clearly divided today. Some races think they are superior to others and therefore believe that there is nothing wrong with making racial slurs, when referring to other races who they deem as "inferior." This is not right. People are human beings and not dogs or objects. Saying these ugly words are hurtful, cruel and uncalled for. I suppose Don Imus felt he had a right to consider the Rutgers "Nappy Headed Hos" since they qualified for the championship game and were playing against a team that was considered "the best." But then again, these shock jocks are not well educated and therefore feel compelled to drag others down (especially when an "inferior race" is involved) to make themselves feel superior. But is it necessary for these shock jocks to advertise their ignorance so openly on the airwaves?

Hats off to CBS for firing Don Imus! A brilliant move even though it was borne out of pressure from the masses.

Don Imus History & Civil Business Politics

I disagree on some of your points Geenie so don't disappear and let's enter a debate!

What do you mean by you did not know what he meant? His comment was very clear.

I won't say is an American thing at all, as a matter of fact if you hear the Gladiator in our radio station in Trinidad with his constant racial-hate talk is much stronger than Don Imus and how many people listen to him in the country? Many! So really, is not something of Americans only.

Hmmmm I am not so sure his comments really project what you are saying (that he thinks the black race is somehow "inferior") His comments were uncalled for and absolutely out of place but did not portrait the fact that he sees them as "inferior". He actually repeated what we hear from BLACK entertainment music all the time and NOBODY complains about it. I am NOT defending what he said but as Vincenzo well said, there is double standards here. Why the Black community does not complain about the hip-hop or rap lyrics? We know exactly why. Because they call each other those same racial slurs they felt so offended about.

Also, let me say that personally I am sick of hearing how the white "evil" men always see themselves as "superior" and put down the poor black men who are seen as "inferior". We need to stop the post-traumatic slavery mentality. Lots of blacks call all kind of ugly names to white people too, we forget that? And lots of them cannot stand them so it goes both ways. In Trinidad where we both live, someone is a little light-skinned than the rest and is called "white" or "he/she thinks is white" and you better watch out what you say because they are scrutinizing every word that comes out of your mouth, specially if you are speaking about race . Again, this is post-slavery mentality that needs to stop but is not going to.

I think CBS was correct in firing Imus because he has a history of saying these type of nastiness BUT a lot of the African American Community and Blacks in general need to stop being hypocrites too. You cannot get angry at a guy (that happens to be white) because he called "nappy-headed hos" to a group of women when themselves call each other worst things like the "N" word or listen and dance to the vibes of hip-hop which are known to degrade women and races. Is it because he is white that they are so angry about? YES!

Page 3 Imus Don

LDS I am laughing at the first line of your post and I will playfully respond "your wish is my command!" I will stay and debate on this issue with you!

Racism is an epidemic that spreads like wildfire all over the world. No one is spared from it. Not even a group of young ladies who have worked so hard to reach the championship game. Instead of commending this, Don Imus prefers to refer to these ladies as "Nappy Headed Hos." I was honest enough to state that I wasn't sure about what he meant by this but I somehow knew it was a racial slur. LDS I have never heard of this expression used before and I am appalled after learning what it meant. I have heard of women being referred to as "Hos" and that is why I mentioned that I was annoyed but not sure of what he meant.

Americans are more fortunate than us. They have the freedom of speech as a constitutional right in their country. But unfortunately, it is often used for people to hide behind it and be verbally abusive towards others.

Don Imus referred to the ladies as "Nappy Headed Hos" which was not meant to be very complimentary LDS. This comment alone speaks volumes on how he feels towards people of African descent. Why couldn't he say that those girls look well prepared to win this game? Or are playing rather fiercely to win? The words "Nappy Headed Hos" is a derogatory way of referring to the ladies as prostitutes. Please explain to me what these ladies did to deserve such a disgusting remark?

It is typical of people like Don Imus to feel compelled to say something negative about others who are regarded as the "inferior race." I agree with you when you mentioned about stopping this "post traumatic slavery mentality" but how are we supposed to stop, it if it is constantly being perpetuated as a fact of life? We are constantly reminded about our history when others are rubbing our faces in it everyday. This slavery mentality is a stigma that we will never be able to overcome because of man's ignorance.

The Rappers and Hip hop artistes are not really entertainers but misguided individuals, who believe that the only way to make it in this world is, by degrading themselves in exchange for fame and fortune. Very sad! Sometimes, when people hear so many times about how inferior they are, the self fulfilling prophecy occurs. That is, people begin to believe in their label and behave accordingly because this is what society expects from them. Perhaps this may be a reason why some individuals of African descent, choose to say disrespectful remarks about themselves.

A member stated that comedians like Chris Rocke and Dave La Chapelle are guilty of saying things worse than what Don Imus said. And yet no one comments on this. Yes this is true. But please remember that people like Chris Rocke are talking from experience. This is how we learn more about the world when we share it with others. In life we have positive and negative experiences. The positive experiences are sometimes very few but very uplifting. And the negative experiences can be ugly, traumatic and profound. Chris Rocke once shared his experience about how he was judged and poorly treated, in the entertainment world not for his talent but because of his race. But did he allow this to deter him from living his dream? No! Instead, he chose to share it with others in a jocular fashion. Racism is no laughing matter. But Chris Rocke chose to communicate his negative experiences to others, as a way of raising awareness of the ills in society and also to profit from it too! I believe this is an excellent way of coping with "racial tension," after all, laughter is the best medicine. It doesn't mean that I enjoy the kind of jokes Chris Rocke makes but I see it as a way of changing a negative experience to something we can learn from and at the same time, understand the seriousness of it and be able to laugh at the foolishness of others.

Of course you can become angry for what the guy said. Why? Because it is morally wrong. How do you know that these ladies also listen to hip hop music? Why can't they appreciate classical music? Don't you think you are stereotyping these ladies? And even if they do call themselves the "N" word or dance to hip hop music, this doesn't justify what Don Imus did is right! In life, we create our own experiences by the choices we make. We can choose to do the right thing or choose to do the wrong thing. Don Imus made the wrong decision and is finally being paying for it.

Again I would like to reiterate that I am very pleased with CBS' decision to fire Don Imus. I hope that this would send a clear message to all shock jocks about being more careful of what they say on the air.

Rather off topic, but... Tonight, there was a report about Don Imus having a meeting with the ladies, to offer a personal apology to them. At least some good came out of this!

Imus Don

Geenie, let me start by saying is good to see you debating! You should "attack" (no pun intended) the Trini board where we have many controversial topics you haven't replied as yet, a lot of them related to race too.

First of all, let me start by saying that I am NOT defending, justifying or rationalizing what Imus said. I think he was very wrong and has been wrong for a very long time, neither I am blaming the girls of the basketball team at all who are the victims of the situation but I DO blame some of the African American community who DO listen hip-hop and rap, who DANCE to this music and they are suddenly shocked and "offended" by what Imus said. Those are the ones I am speaking about. It does NOT change the fact that what Imus said is wrong, nevertheless those African Americans that I am speaking about should not dare to say anything while they are fully consciously supporting that type of crap-talk through music.

It does not matter what the rest says, that's the end of it. As a White Hispanic, I am stereotype as an "easy woman" who does not speak English, who is an illegal alien and possibly a criminal. Now, do you think I believe in any of these things? I don't, because I know and love myself. The only way this can stop is by each person embracing their race or ethnicity...Now why do I say that?

A lot of individuals of the Black Community (specially women) do not fully embrace their race and this is a reality. They are too concerned over who is lighter skinned than who, how to straight that hair that naturally is not straight, bleaching their skin and the list goes on..(and please let's not argue whether they want to look white or not because is obvious. Trinidad is obsessed with skin color for instance.) Basically trying to look as much as possible as whites do. You may or may not agree with this but this is reality, if not check the beautiful African American women on TV. Beyonce, Vanessa Williams. Beyonce is every time trying to look more European (she even had nose surgery) Why is that, if Black is beautiful like the 70's slogan used to say?

I am a full believer that in order for other people to appreciate who you are, you need to learn to appreciate yourself first. Yes, there will be always very ignorant people like Imus but in the end is who YOU believe to be. Do you believe to be a beautiful African American woman or you believe to be a "Nappy-headed" N..."?

Correct but in the end, is he really raising awareness when he makes jokes about it? I am not quite sure.

I will repeat. They (the people who were complaining about Imus yet they dance to the lyrics of hip-hop music) CANNOT become angry for what Imus said because it will show their hypocrisy and the saying "Do as I said, not as I do". I was not referring to the ladies of the basketball team as I explained before therefore I was not stereotyping them.

Don Imus

Just adding a general comment here.

So, Don Imus has been fired. Yeah, I agree that he was completely out of line in his comments.

However, he was saying EXACTLY the same thing that black men all over the US are saying. I have PERSONALLY heard black young men say that about black young women.

I don't believe that Mr. Imus' comments were racist. He was trying, in my opinion, to sound like a young black man. Stupid. He should have known well that it is "one rule for me, another for you." Racial relations in the US are filled with double standards.

Don Imus - Page 3

Imus is out - what about the others?

Amid all his apologizing and genuflecting and begging forgiveness from the college girls he insulted, shock jock Don Imus, fired by CBS and MSNBC last week for inappropriate comments on the air, couldn't stop himself from one moment of clarity and self-defense when he called out America's media, as well as critics such as Al Sharpton, for using double standards.
"The hypocrisy is absurd," he said.
I'm not defending Imus for calling members of the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."
Neither, for that matter, is he.
Ref. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660211969,00.html

Don Imus Politics Business Civil & History - Page 3

Oh dear! After reading the above post, I suppose it would be safe to say Don Imus' apology was not sincere after all. Isn't it amazing the things we do when under a tremendous amount of pressure? I guess his "apology" can be labelled in two words, "damage control."