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Double standards for Imus

Saturday, April 21 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Gene Ira Katz, Boulder

I used to listen to Don Imus decades ago when he was a shock jock on WNBC radio in NYC. Imus was totally outrageous and completely different than anything else up until that time, and often extremely funny. Turns out he was also high on something or other much of the time, which seemed to fuel his rapid fire zaniness. After rehab and a few venue changes, Imus returned with a morning "crew" and lots of satiric commentary that was heavy on politics, and not so much comedy as the rants of a cynical and angry man, although he was still somewhat funny.

More recently I've caught his simulcast radio/TV morning show on MSNBC, primarily because I'm frequently up in the wee hours. He also has a way of providing news makers an opportunity to let go of the mask a little, and show a more candid side than usual, which occasionally can be refreshing. But, it's been a long time since Don Imus has actually been funny, although he does have some funny people on the show with him. Much of what he passes off as humor are simply meaningless strings of insults and epithets that usually make little sense and seem disconnected from any real thought process. We're talking about a guy who has built a very lucrative career on a certain nasty style of broadcasting and in his golden years the daily show seems more and more like the affectations and postures of what he used to do.

The flap over his ridiculously insensitive comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team was a long time in coming, and this is certainly not an isolated incident of a blatant senseless remark being casually tossed off as though it was a joke ... only this time, for so many reasons, Imus has to face the music and pay the piper. Should he be fired? Should he be prevented from polluting the airwaves ever again? It may be a fitting punishment for years of cruel commentary, but Imus, also happens to be a significant humanitarian off-the-air, a man whose charity work, particular with children, has deservedly won him accolades and awards. If he manages to stay on the airwaves, Don Imus is now in a unique position to elevate the discourse in this nation regarding the casual, and unfortunately all too ingrained, tendency to throw out racial and sexist remarks at the drop of a hat. What Imus did on his multi-million dollar morning show is rampant in our society, and I proffer this challenge to everyone who is now so loudly calling for his total banishment, will you demand the same kind of silence next time you hear such comments from your friends, relatives, co-workers, teachers, employers...and let's not even get started on the many zillionaire rap "poets" who regularly put out much much worse. So maybe we can get past the massive hypocrisy of public outrage and make some lemonade out of these very sour lemons.

READER COMMENTS

Fat chance of this happening!
The white male is the scapegoat of the minorities....blame him for everything and take no responibility for their own actions. That is the American Standard for minorities today as it has been for many years. Yes, it is time to hold everyone accountable. No matter what their race or gender is. Will it happen.....HA HA...Fat Chance....

Just when will J. Jackson andSharpton see the light like Bill Cosby??

Posted by gary on April 22, 2007 05:46 AM