Imus

[Universe Prince]

How fortunate we are to have your phenomenal insight into the human psyche at our disposal.

Damn right you are.

How COULD one feel any empathy for those nappy-headed hos and their parents anyway?  That would make absolutely no sense at all.

Oh I am sure someone could. But comments like "Oh yea, I forgot, it's Tee-leaf logic." and "Bush is a lying, torturing, murdering, cowardly and incompetent bastard, pure and simple." give no appearance whatever of expressing empathy for the basketball players. And frankly, I doubt that requires phenomenal insight to figure out.

Uhh, let me clue you in.  The issue is no longer what the guy said.  His JOB is on the line, get it?  The issue is how, and whether, he can save his ass.  Who he's gonna crawl to for help, what good is any of it gonna do for him.  Who's gonna help him, who's gonna not.  And THAT'S newsworthy, (a) because the great American public loves dramas of sin and redemption, guys falling into a self-dug pit and then against all odds, digging themselves out of it and (b) because the outcome will say something about core American values, at least at the corporate level, the megabucks that they can make out of a mouth like Imus' versus the hurt and insult that will be felt in millions of low-rent (and a few high-rent) homes if the racist prick doesn't get the axe.  Get it now?  THAT'S what's newsworthy.

The outcome will say something about core American values? Yeah, and the plaid pixies live in a hole in the sky where they keep Amelia Earhart as their queen. The hurt and insult felt if he doesn't get the axe? Yeah, now pull the other one. Worse things are said by rap artists who have a bigger audience and make as much or more money than Imus does.

This story is next to meaningless. It provides an excuse for people to express pointless outrage and puff themselves up as moralistic champions of pharisaical righteousness. Ah yes, we're all condemning Don Imus and his racist comments, so aren't we fine and good, harrumph, harrumph, harrumph. Excrement.

If the folks making so loud a fuss over Imus all really gave so much as half a damn about it, there is a lot more out there that would draw their ire. But in a few weeks, their ire will again be safely packed away and this incident will be largely forgotten. And everyday racism will continue unattended by the folks who are now beating their chests. If this story says anything at all about core American values, that would be it.

The attempt to conflate this into some sort of profound news story is a load of excrement. It's not news worthy. It's laughable at best. The man is a joke and all this story has succeeded in doing is giving his radio and TV show a temporary ratings boost. Way to go! I wonder how all those hurt people in those millions of low income homes feel about that.

Anyway, say whatever else you will, I'm done here.

[BT]

What does income have to do with your rant?

Why should a low income black feel more pain that a middle or high income black?

What does Imus's income have to do with this?

[sirs]

<<Which no one I'm aware of has denied.  So why you brought it up [that both sides almost routinely vilify their political opponents] is beyond me. >>

I brought it up because you seemed to be totally unaware of the phenomenon. 

Start with a false premise and......well, no need to go any further.

Anyway I don't attack cartoonists for promoting my own view of things, if that's what you mean, and I don't think you are any different in that respect either. 

Well, at least you're honest in supporting hypocrisy and racist commentary/toons, when it happens to coincide with your ideological hatred for those who don't think like Tee.  Personally, my bar isn't that low

[Brassmask]

Imus' comment was less than intelligent.

CBS and NBC are making a big deal out of the whole thing for reasons other than Imus' comment.  Either they are wanting to extract a sufficient pound of flesh in order to keep the advertising dollars rolling in or they don't like Imus and want him gone.

If Imus had said this and there had been a major story out like, say, I don't know, the Attorney General of the United States being subpoenaed by Congress then this wouldn't have been more than a blip story before going to commercial.  Oh wait...

Seriously though, I have to say, they really are making this out to be waaaay more than it is.  He's a dumbass and shouldn't have a radio show but what he said wasn't worthy of his being fired.  Especially since he's gone waaaaay out of his way to apologize and make up for it.  The Rutger's coach and one of the players were on the Today show this morning and the coach dismissed it out of hand when she first heard about it but then allegedly someone showed her the "script" and the context and that's when she became outraged.  I suspect it was after a call from Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or both that she really got pissed off.

[Lanya]

Brass, I strongly disagree with you.    Made way more out of it than it is?  You don't get it.   
What if someone called your child a comparable name of a sexual nature, out of the blue, on live radio/tv?    I don't think you'd say, Oh, it was no biggie, the man's an asshole, always has been, move along. 

[Michael Tee]

<< But comments like  . . . "Bush is a lying, torturing, murdering, cowardly and incompetent bastard, pure and simple." give no appearance whatever of expressing empathy for the basketball players. And frankly, I doubt that requires phenomenal insight to figure out.>>

Phenomenal insight?  What does phenomenal insight have to do with the pathetically off-the-mark conclusions you draw, seemingly out of thin air?   If I were you, I'd aspire first to garden-variety mediocre insight, just enough to know how to read in context - -  you'd realize that the remark that you quoted was in response to sirs' complaint that I failed to protest "unfair" depictions of your murderous "President" by various "left-wing" toonists.  sirs' point and my response had absolutely nothing to do with empathy for the basketball players, both related to a side-issue.  That's what happens in debate, side issues can arise, the issues of which have nothing necessarily to do with the main issue.

<<The outcome will say something about core American values? Yeah, and the plaid pixies live in a hole in the sky where they keep Amelia Earhart as their queen. The hurt and insult felt if he doesn't get the axe? Yeah, now pull the other one. Worse things are said by rap artists who have a bigger audience and make as much or more money than Imus does.>>

Yeah?  No shit?  Rappers have already singled out a real-life girls' college team and called them a bunch a napppy-headed hos?  No waaay, man, that is so bad.   I had no idea.  So Imus isn't even an original.   Why shame on him.  He'll never make it in rap world.

<<If the folks making so loud a fuss over Imus all really gave so much as half a damn about it . . . >>

Whoah, we are indeed privileged here, folks.  Doubly blessed, as the renowned Dr. Prince is again willing to share his profound psychological insight with us peons here and read for us the minds of all those phonies who object to Imus' racst and sexist rant.

<< . . . there is a lot more out there that would draw their ire. >>

Oh, I know, I know.  sirs has already clued us in to those uncounted thousands of nameless, faceless (but nevertheless, prominent in the media) "left-wingers" who spew far worse vile, disgusting and vulgar things in public, all day, every day, 24/7.

<<But in a few weeks, their ire will again be safely packed away and this incident will be largely forgotten . . . >>

Well, of course.  How could it be otherwise when insincere, phony, "left-wing" hypocrites control the mass media and set its agenda.  In a few weeks, they'll get back to their real agenda, which is the War on Christmas, the promotion of sexual perversion and the destruction of the American family.  Oh, yeah, and the victory of al Qaeda.

<<It provides an excuse for people to express pointless outrage . . . >>

Yeah, why bother expressing "pointless outrage" when we could all get together behind Don and bash those nappy-headed hos one more time?  THAT'S what I call meaningful political expression.  Fuck those bitches, who the hell do they think they are anyway?

<<And everyday racism will continue unattended by the folks who are now beating their chests.>>

WHAT?  You mean American racism WON'T come to a crashing halt if Imus' ass is fired?  I am shocked, I tell you . . . SHOCKED.

<<It's not news worthy>>

NAAAH, I'll tell ya what's newsworthy.  The paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's baby, THAT'S newsworthy.  McCain's stroll in the Baghdad market, THAT'S newsworthy.  The 14th biggest (by audience) commentator in the U.S. (and by one weekly newsmagazine's reckoning, one of the 100 most influential people in the country) trashing a team of unsuspecting, unoffending women basketball players with racist and sexist insults newsworthy?  Don't make me laugh.  It's just everyday racism-as-usual in the good old U.S. of A., the greatest democracy on the face of the earth.  Keep right on moving, folks, nothing to see here.  All's well in the nation, bub, those are some happy little jigaboos there, let me tell you.

<<all this story has succeeded in doing is giving his radio and TV show a temporary ratings boost. Way to go! I wonder how all those hurt people in those millions of low income homes feel about that.>>

I'm really touched by this sudden humility.  The great psychologist who can read my mind and detect my hypocrisy and lack of real empathy in the blink of an eye is baffled by how the poor blacks will feel about the guy who publicly insulted them getting nothing more than a ratings boost out of his openly expressed contempt.  Why not try all the possibilities and eliminate them one by one?  Elation.  How about elation?  Would they feel elated if nothing but a big ratings boost was all that Imus got out of this?  No?  Well, then, jubilation - - would they be jubilant about it?  Keep on trying, Prince . . .  I'm sure you can figure it out.  Eventually.  You just have to concentrate a little more, and try not to be distracted by those feelings of your own superiority to the rest of us.

<<Anyway, say whatever else you will,>>

Why, thankee, boss.  I believe I just did.

[sirs]

Brass, I strongly disagree with you.    Made way more out of it than it is?  You don't get it.   What if someone called your child a comparable name of a sexual nature, out of the blue, on live radio/tv?

Or.......murdering bastard, fascist totalitarian, utter incompotent moron, want women to die of cancer, etc., etc., etc.?  Oh wait, that's ok, it's no biggie if it's aimed at someone(s) you're not too keen with.  It's only a "biggie" when you deem its a biggie. 
   

I don't think you'd say, Oh, it was no biggie, the man's an asshole, always has been, move along.  

Yea, Imus is an a**hole.  So is nearly the entire hiphop industry that routinely uses such language on their records and LIVe concerts, as are a whole host of Bush bashers, who leave little doubt as to their hatred of the man & the Republican party, be it live radio/TV or web blogs

[Michael Tee]

<<Well, at least you're honest in supporting hypocrisy and racist commentary/toons, when it happens to coincide with your ideological hatred for those who don't think like Tee.>>

Still living on your own imaginary little planet, sirs?  Toonists and commentators who are on my side of the ideological line aren't racists and don't produce racist material 

<<Personally, my bar isn't that low>>

ROTFLMFAO.  You're a Bush supporter and your bar isn't "that low?"  The moment you decided to support the Smirking Chimp, you threw away any bar you might have had.

[sirs]

Toonists and commentators who are on my side of the ideological line aren't racists and don't produce racist material

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight       

[BT]

The vultures circle, replete with their own agendas.

Imus says this, Rosie says that.

and the cry from the rafters is that these speakers of forbidden words should be made to die for their (our) sins.

I have read on these very pages that the Zionists (Jews) are hiding behind the Holocaust as they commit atrocities against the Palestinians.

As always the substance of the words do not matter. It is the symbolic crucifixion that is supreme now.

Bread and circuses.

[yellow_crane]

 

It was just announced on NBC Nightly News that Imus is permanently dropped from MSNBC.

Kudos to NBC.

Perhaps Imus could start his own tiny radio station, emitting from David Duke's basement.

[Amianthus]

It was just announced on NBC Nightly News that Imus is permanently dropped from MSNBC.

Kudos to NBC.

Perhaps Imus could start his own tiny radio station, emitting from David Duke's basement.

Guess you don't realize that Imus' broadcast on MSNBC was just a simulcast, and he still has the same radio audience that he had before?

[Michael Tee]

<<and the cry from the rafters is that these speakers of forbidden words should be made to die for their (our) sins. >>

Must be very high up in the rafters.  It's a cry I never heard and I doubt anyone else heard it either.  You have a very acute sense of hearing, BT.  Either that or an extremely overactive imagination.

<<I have read on these very pages that the Zionists (Jews) are hiding behind the Holocaust as they commit atrocities against the Palestinians. >>

Yeah, it's almost as shocking as the fascists (Americans)  hiding behind 9-11 as they commit atrocities against the Arabs.  Or the Nazis hiding behind the Treaty of Versailles as they commit atrocities against everyone else.  What I always admired in you, BT, was the highly selective nature of your bullshit detectors.

<<As always the substance of the words do not matter. >>

Not to you guys, that's for sure.

<<It is the symbolic crucifixion that is supreme now.>>

When was the American public ever permitted to see the real thing?

<<Bread and circuses.>>

LOL.  Next you'll be bitching about corporate ownership of the MSM.  BT discovering his inner lefty.

[BT]

Riddle me this Mikey.

How many people listen to Imus or Rosie on a daily basis.

How many people if asked on the street could tell you their transgressions.

How did the number multiply expontentially?

To whose advantage?

Is the story really about Imus or Rosie? or is it an explotation of the rifts in our society.

Who profits?

[Michael Tee]

<<Is the story really about Imus or Rosie? or is it an explotation of the rifts in our society. >>

You say, exploitation, I say expose (that last "e" needs an acute accent but I can't insert it)

The rest of your questions are the chicken-and-egg questions of what is news and what is media event.  Your point seems to be that the media broadened Imus' comments to a wider range than usual, taking in not only the unthinking morons who wouldn't think twice about his comment and bringing it to people more directly affected, people who DO give a shit.  Who profits?  Well a corporation whose business is selling news will profit, because they found some news - - hey folks, look here's some ass-hole you never listen to but who has been given a national platform anyway, and look what he's saying about your daughters on that platform.  Well, it's newsworthy to all those people who HAVE black daughters and who don't listen to Imus to know what that asshole is saying about them.  And it's newsworthy to a lot of folks who don't have black daughters but who care about the folks who do, who know the hardness of their fight against racism, who hope that racism will continue to lose force.  The only people for whom the story is NOT newsworthy is the people who don't have black daughters and don't give a shit about the people who do.

So you live in a capitalist society and believe that only a profit-seeking corporation can do the best job of baking cakes, making cars, insuring health-care costs, etc. etc. which must also include gathering and disseminating news.  But find it objectionable when that profit-seeking corporation finds "news" that you think isn't news, only to boost its profits.  All of them find that this kind of "news" is profitable and suddenly their profit-seeking becomes a subject of moral condemnation?  BT is shocked!  The profit motive suddenly becomes a dirty word, when the profit is turned by exposing racists and racism!  THAT'S not how they're supposed to rake in the shekels!  They're supposed to rake it in by letting Imus spew his racist venom to his racist audience and pretending that all's well in a democratic non-racist America.  Whatasa matta wit dose guys?