Keith Olbermann put it best the other day when he was on ESPN RADIO's Big Show that he does each day from 1-2 with Dan Patrick (heard locally on 730 ESPN). He noted that when the Rutgers women held a press conference with their legnedary coach, Vivian Stringer, that sealed his fate because, finally, the audience could put faces to his remarks and everyone recoiled in horror, and that's when the sponsors started calling MSNBC and CBS Radio to cancel their commercials.
Sadly, it wasn't until the money started leaving that Imus was finished, and he had every reason to be surprised, because, after all, he'd been doing this schtick for 20 yeasrs now, and the Beltway crowd (politicians and the SCLM) had lapped it up in a boys-will-be-boys kind of way, and we're all in the same club, right? RIGHT? WRONG.
So, Imus is finished unless, after the merger of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio is complete, Howard Stern decides to throw him a lifeline out of pity. Then, Imus can be even worse if he wants.
Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh says worse every day, outright LIES, making fun of everyone who's not a right-wing moron, especially if they have an illness or happens to be a minority, and he will continue until he loses sponsorships, too.
So why HASN'T he lost them? Well, it's because, unlike Imus, he has a listenership that WANTS to believe the utter bullshit he spouts day in and say out. Look, Limbaugh knows he's making this up, WE know he's making it up, he KNOWS we know, and, in the deep, dark, recesses of their souls, his listeners know but THEY JUST DON'T CARE.
They are DESPERATE to believe that LIBERALS, MINORITIES (especially those evil rappers!!) and WOMEN are all responsible for the fact that they make less money now than they ever did, that their property values are crumbling, etc. It could never be THEIR fault, and thank God for Rush, Hannity, Fox News and the rest of those creatures who are only too eager to give them what they want rather than reality.
Another interesting note to all of this is that if I hear one more person bitch about Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson or rappers or anyone else in a moronic attempt to excuse Don Imus (or Rush or any of the rest of them) I WILL GET VIOLENT. Well, not that that's a real threat to anyone, but you get the point.
Look, the TAWANA BRAWLEY incident happened what, 20 years ago? Get the fuck over it, people, Sharpton learned from his mistake, why can't you? You think we don't know why you bring this up? Get serious. Al Sharpton has become a respected figure in New York City's African-American community, and he has POWER. Why shouldn't he use it?
Because you folks that whine about Jackson and Sharpton don't want to hear that racism still exists in the heart and fiber of this country, and in every corner of it, and I'm no better than anyone else in that regard, but at least I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
I'm not fond of gangsta hip-hop, either, it's not my generation's music, but, what the hell, this is NO DIFFERENT than people of the 1950s screaming that the world was going to HELL for listening to that evil Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard. Better you should listen to that nice Christian boy Pat Boone than that Elvis Presley! You'll dance like those wild (insert ethnic slur here)s down in the jungle!
STOP LOOKING FOR JUSTIFICATION OR EXCUSES. Accept that Don Imus fucked up, I think HE has (maybe) and stop trying to equalize his comments with poorly-done hip-hop. Even Jason Whitlock, the KC Star sports writer has gotten into the act, with every white person trying to rationalize Imus pointing to his article and saying, "See! See! I was right!".
No, you're not. It doesn't equate, and it never will. The blunt point is that African-Americans, despite being a majority in this city and county, make up roughly 12% of the US population. They do NOT possess, as a group, the economic power to have enough effect on the culture of the USA to change it.
Blame your white children who love hip-hop for its advancement in our culture, especially because they probably did it to piss you off, just like YOU did with YOUR parents by turning up your Led Zep albums too loud in 1972. The more you bitch, the more they love it, REMEMBER?
Any way, you've had enough of a whipping for one day, I'll see you Monday.
16 comments:
Point taken. Have a good weekend, LWC.
Agreed.
Such a sweet talker you are.....
You ever bothered to research the Imus Ranch, Austin? Sure, he brings kids to visit out there, and that's a great thing that he does.
However, he lives out there year round AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RANCH, whether there are children there or not.
He got too big for his britches, and he got taken down a peg. Maybe Stern will throw him a lifeline, maybe not.
And, I never said Imus was evil, just burnt out. REad carefully.
Toodles!
LWC
Extraordinary Post! I first came to your sight and the blogosphere in 2005 when I questioned why I should remain loyal to the Democrat Party. My doubts about the party strength is still there, but I will take a liberal over a conservative any day.
Blinders Off, you make my day better, thank you...
Austin Farley, your favorite musician is one of biggest, fucking, stupid liberals in the music industry. Have you never listened to his lyrics?
9 days ago, conservatives didn't really care much for the I-man. Now he's suffered a grand injustice and the only argument you have in his defense is that he has a charity for sick kids. I guess Danny Thomas ain't got shit on Imus. Damn, even Emelda Marcos had charities in the Phillipines, lets give her a radio show. Her political bent is more towards the conservative side.
After thinking about your post, I realize it was written in a tongue-in-cheek tone. Your wit is as sharp as a spoon.
Nazis. Really? You've already fallen back to Nazi name calling. I guess its true, on a long enough blog flamewar, someone will end up refer to another poster as nazi-like.
All joking and name calling aside, sorry about your family farm.
I'm now going to cause Brother Farley here to faint.
One of the things that cost Democrats in Congress dearly and may have led to the 1994 rout is their absolute failure to deal with family farms in the 1980s and 1990s and the fact that they were eaten alive by banks.
The Democrats in congress were too busy taking fat campaign checks from bankers and agribusiness to do anything for the family farmer, and it KILLED us in rural areas.
The Progressives in Congress are fighting the fatcats every day; sadly, many of the fatcats are in our own caucus and they have to be BEATEN.
That's true LWC.
Though I am loathe to respond, I feel I must.
Mr. Farley, the issue here is not free speech. Certainly, Imus has the right to say whatever thoughs pass his mind so long as they fall under protected speech. The issue here is that SOCIETY has deemed his speech detestable. This is borne out in the pullout of quite possibly ALL of his major advertisers, and the eventual firing by two networks (most probably for a dearth of advertising dollars to pay his $10 million a year salary). Imus was not penalized for his speech per se, but society's reaction to his speech.
As a public person, Don Imus has a responsibility to both entertain, and manage his relationship with his audience and those who share a financial stake in his enterprise. While CBS and MSNBC may wish to spin his removal as a sign of outrage, it is really just the same old financial impact on a corporation, mixed with a clumsy social response, both by Imus and the corporations that he was paid by, that ultimately led to his downfall.
Free Speech is not a free pass. Yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater can get you arrested. Free speech only goes as far as you are willing to extend yourself. The majority opinion is that Imus overextended himself.
I am not qualified to say wether "nappy headed hos" is a racist statement or not. It is certainly sexist. Additionally, it is potentially liabelous, since none of these individuals are "public" people. I equate Imus' words to the same type of thoughless douchebags that called a 13 year old girl, who had the misfortune to be the President's daughter, "ugly" back in the 90's.
Finally, your use of "Nazi" to describe whatever it is that you're trying to say, is soooo recount 2000. Find some other outrageously overstaed bullshit to not only deflate your position, but also make you look like a Nader suppoprter in Florida, with buyers remorse.
Peace Be With You,
vibinc
You know, Farly, it would never occur to me to call someone I don't like a "pussy". Perhaps it's because I like pussy quite a bit.
But it DID occur to you to call something you don't like "pussy", didn't it?
And if you want to talk shit to someone, I'll tell you where I can be found on any given Thursday. Just bear in mind that I don't suffer wannabe tough guys lightly. I'll treat you like the joke your party treats you as.
Whoa, let's all BREATHE here. I knew brother Farley was goading me a little and I responded in kind.....
Maybe as a result of all this we can have a genuine conversation about race, gender, class and, most importantly, what kind of country we really want. I had written something much more extensive, but lost it in cyberhades.
the thing that gets me is that don imus is really no worse than any other person allowed to spew his/her venom in a public venue. yes, what he said is reprehsensible, but is what he said worse than what rosie o'donnell said about asian americans??? no way - add in the fact that "the view" is owned by disney, and then explain to me why, indeed, she is allowed to keep her job when don imus is not.
Well Freedonian it seems I made it through Saturday without a visit from you. I will be back at work on Tuesday and should be there from 9A to 6P. Please feel free to come on by. I will check in Tuesday evening to tell everyone if you came or not.
Tuesday has come and gone and I have yet to receive an ass whipping from you Mr. Freedonian. Tomorrow is a new day and I shall continue to wait for your visit.
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