On the DOn Imus COntroversy

College Confidential Community
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<p>my 2 cents:
On the Don Imus Controversy </p>

<p>" Them some nappy headed hoes there"</p>

<p>" Them some Rough Hoes"</p>

<p>-Don Imus comments made about the prodimently black Rutgers players</p>

<p>First and foremost as a black man I apologize for not policing my community. </p>

<p>I apologize for setting the climate such that Don Imus would feel comfortable sayin that on air. I apologize for calling my black queens " b's and hoes" because my doing so allowed others to feel entitled to do the same. I apologize for not valuing the queens who have held our race up since slavery-my mom, my daughter, my sister, my aunt, my grandma, Hariet Tubman, Ida B Wells, and Sojourner Truth . </p>

<p>The comments made were deragotory in two points- </p>

<p>"Nappy headed"- In referring to a basketball team, why would nappy headed be mentioned? This term has several negative connotations- less than, niggerish. What was Don Imus saying- that I do not look at these athletes as athletes but first as nappy headed, uncouth, boorish individuals? If Don Imus is indeed reflective of the feelings of the White (WASP) majority then AMerica has not progressed from 1700..</p>

<p>"Hoes"- Don Imus reffered to these basketball players not only as nappy headed-but hoes!!! A hoe is defined as a loose women who cannot keep their panties on. When Mr. Imus made these comments he knew nothing of the girls personal lives. Rather His mouth spoke an over generalization that he believed, and one that has been perpetuated in film, books, and music-THAT ALL BLACK WOMEN ARE HOEs, and futhermore that he looks at all women as "hoes". The word hoe was thrown around like it was akin to women or basketball player, what was this man's problem?</p>

<p>I am appalled by these words. Hip Hop needs to man up and start respecting our women. We are just perpetuting a vicious cycle that went on during slavery-allowing our women to be pillaged, rape, and disrespected. A sort of hyprocisy is going on that white america loves to point out- Don Imus called them hoes-but so do you. (I AM NOT ENDORSING CALLING THE GIRLS HOES!) However, rap lyrics never single out a specific entity as hoes like yo yo rutger girls are hoes. Rather they generalize. At the same time, we need to demand that rappers be fired for calling our women the same. You can't look at the speck in someone's eye when you have a plank in your own. And if we don't respect our women no one will. For centuries black American women have been the lowest class in our earth.</p>

<p>Women need to stand up and not allow this type of treatment.</p>

<p>America needs to step up and stay for civility. No longer, must we allow racist and sexist comments to be shared with the world. This is the 21st century let's move forward.</p>

<p>Finally, Ron IMus need to STEP DOWN and be fired.</p>

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<p>Sorry, I disagree.</p>

<p>I think that the only way to improve society is through discussion, debate, and freedom of speech. Now, although I do not agree with his comments, he is entitled to his opinion. And by the way, it was for entertainment. I'm sure he does not actually think that but if he does, he's open to his opinion. He's open to his thoughts, opinions, and etc. It's his right and he deserves the right, just like everyone who is protesting does.</p>

<p>Al Sharpton I believe is a horrible hypocrite. He jumps on the bandwagon when ever its a "white against black" thing but when ever a black has done something wrong, you don't see him. He has said so many things that could come off as racism but no one makes a big deal about that, now do they? How about when he went to the Hudson Valley and ruined a mans life and than it turned out that the whole story was a lie? Did you see him reprimand the girl at all? Any large public outcry from him? NO.</p>

<p>Everyone is open to their opinion. Everyone is open to what they have to say, what the want to think, and etc and thats the way it should be.</p>

<p>Besides, do you hear some of the lyrics in songs, in particular, rap? Do you see how sexist they are? Racist they are? I mean, cmon people! People fight against those but it does not turn into a big thing at all. Everyone is not crying to censor that are they?</p>

<p>This is coming from a girl by the way who is not racist or sexist by any means WHAT SO EVER. What I am against is censorship.</p>

<p>Everyone has the first amendment, including protest so go on, protest for or against. I'll support you.</p>

<p>In the words of Voltaire: "I may disapprove of what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."</p>

<p>This is our FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT! FIGHT CENSORSHIP!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Besides, do you hear some of the lyrics in songs, in particular, rap? Do you see how sexist they are? Racist they are? I mean, cmon people! People fight against those but it does not turn into a big thing at all. Everyone is not crying to censor that are they?

[/quote]

WatchMeShine, that's exactly what MR. Tubbz was saying:

[quote]
At the same time, we need to demand that rappers be fired for calling our women the same. You can't look at the speck in someone's eye when you have a plank in your own.

[/quote]

You don't completely disagree w/ him.
I agree w/ him and I'm glad that the situation caused someone to think carefully about his actions and decide to change.
Imus is an idiot and making him apologize wont make him any less of an idiot. But firing him and making an example of him for all future idiots might just improve something. Oh and I don't think that the fact that Imus degraded people for entertainment makes it any more acceptable--if anything, it makes it worse, that he said something like that unprovoked because he thought that that was what the people wanted to hear. He needs to know that that's NOT what the people want to hear and that his support base is falling apart so that he will change his actions.</p>

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<p>I think it was kind of funny.</p>

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<p>Pray tell pugfug...</p>

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<p>I don't think it's going to advance the equality of races. But nappy headed hoes, LOL, he's had to have had that ingrained into him.</p>

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<p>yah, like when he called gwen ifill from jim lehrer a nanny.
i think it was funny in the sense that he made himself look absolutely stupid when he thought he was being clever and finally got caught after all of these years of racism and insensitivity.</p>

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<p>My two cents, take it for what its worth.</p>

<p>He shouldn't have made that comment, he deserved the original two week suspension, and deserved to get on with his life. CBS was feeling pressured by the media, so they did what they felt was "right."</p>

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<p>I agree with you, WatchMeShine.</p>

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<p>Yes, I agree with WatchMeShine as well. The Voltaire quotes sums it up nicely. Imus is clearly an idiot for making such ridiculous and has been properly humiliated. I am vehemently opposed to racism and sexism, but I don't think this needs to stretch to firing him. And also ditto on the Al Sharpton thing. He is perpetually annoying about these types of issues and never helps the situation in any way.</p>

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<p>The free speech argument doesn't fly. Al Sharpton wouldn't have the right to call the cops on the Iman to stop a protest, but it is COMMERCIAL radio. He has a contract, he is paid, and his bosses and sponsors made the decisions. The Federal government wouldn't have the right to step in. The first Amendment only applies to the government folks, not corporations or private radio ventures.</p>

<p>That said, I think this outcry is utterly ridiculous. Hello? Sharpton has never picketed the BET studio for degrading women. They run videos with much more vile lyrics than Imus's 3 word slur (as wrong as it was) and accompany such vile lyrics with grotesquely offensive images, the likes of which I don't want to elaborate on. How do people of any race stomach this? Oh, right, because their bank accounts are nice and full.</p>

<p>What Imus said was wrong and offensive but the reaction is completely disproportionate.</p>

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<p>http:froogle.google.com/froogle?q=nappy+headed+ho&btnG=Search</p>

<p>And I spent my money on college t-shirts.</p>

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<p><a href="http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=nappy+headed+ho&btnG=Search%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=nappy+headed+ho&btnG=Search&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I think my "favorite" product is the infant onsie bodysuit.</p>

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<p>Holy.... (10 char.)</p>

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<p>The First Ammendment is a joke. No matter how many times they tell you can say whatever you want, you can't. Never. </p>

<p>Proof- Don Imus is a damn fool. (see?)</p>

<p>But anyway, I agree that he is an idiot, but I really don't think he should have been fired. Plenty of people say stuff about Hispanics, Asians, and you should hear about how the black stations talk about white people. I think that the black community begs more respect than they are due. For god's sake, why is everyone so pressed about a black president? We're only 15% of the population! You don't see Hispanics, who are like 20%, constantly blabbing about Hispanic this and Hispanic that. Instead of perpetually trying to get white people to bow down to them (like the idiotic 'apology for slavery'- for god's sake, it's 2007!), blacks should try to make their own sucess.</p>

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<p>Don Imus has nothing to do with the First Amendment.</p>

<p>First of all, the First Amendment applies to government controlling speech. This is not the government acting. It's the employers who are acting. Generally speaking, employers have a right to fire people for any reason they want.</p>

<p>Second, rights are relative. Everyone has a right to free speech, including those who want to say that they think Don Imus is racist, bigoted and deserves to be fired.</p>

<p>Third, you don't have a right to an audience. Don Imus is free to say "nappy headed 'hos" till the cows come home. He just can't do it on the air with a national audience.</p>

<p>Fourth, the people who own the distribution systems (radio stations, cable channel) have a right to free speech over their systems and that means that if they don't want Don Imus speaking over their company-owned networks, their rights shouldn't be trumped just because Don Imus said "nappy headed 'hos" and, by doing so, his job should be secure and access to the airwaves and cable systems unfettered.</p>

<p>Fifth, the FCC -- a government agency that does have some restraints placed upon how much it regulates broadcasts -- hasn't stopped Imus.</p>

<p>I could go on and on about how this has no relation to the First Amendment, but it would be really cool if people would actually read the U.S. Constitution and tried to figure out what it means before b!tching about how it's a joke.</p>

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<p>hmm, cc didn't block out the d-word. interesting...guess it's not that 'bad'.</p>

<p>But on a more important note, I was pretty off-base. I'm glad you refuted my unfounded point, dyer. It makes me happy when I can gain more understanding.</p>

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<p>It's was really just a publicity stunt.
I think that a suspension was enough. Although he was rude/racist/all that other stuff, I think people are blowing out of proportion.
They were pressured into doing something more because people were outraged. He should just apologize, get a pay cut and a suspension and that would be it.</p>

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<p>OK HERES MY VIEW ON THE SITUATION AGAIN...</p>

<p>This link will lead you to a site branching from the national coalition against censorship. This articles' point of view I could not agree more with.</p>

<p><a href="http://ncac.org/entertainment/20070412%7EUSA%7EWhat_The_Chocolate_Jesus_and_Don_Imus_Have_in_Common.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ncac.org/entertainment/20070412~USA~What_The_Chocolate_Jesus_and_Don_Imus_Have_in_Common.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>