It’s about one o’clock in the afternoon in Chicago and I’m still thinking about those comments. It’s exhausting to read thousands upon thousands of blog entries discussing the subject. Some of the comments are insightful while others take the slightly immature route. This is my round up from doing a basic Google Blog search for Essence Carson, the captain of Rutgers University’s Basketball Team, who spoke at the conference on Tuesday regarding Don Imus and his “nappy-headed hos” comment directed towards the team.
Conservative Commentator Debbie Schlussel was the first person I discovered. I regret clicking the link. In her entry named “How Don Imus Got Tall Chicks Their 15 Minutes; Plus CAIR Gets in on the Act,” she claimed the women were attempting to use the situation in order to boost their sport (women’s basketball) which in her words, “no-one on earth cares about.” She takes it even further by suggesting that the strange irony in it all is that “these women weren’t even the champions.”
They lost so they could be called a disrespectful comment, which would bring their sport more revenue and advertising sales? I could think of easier ways of promoting a sport besides that. So what if they aren’t champions? They are bigger winners for not taking people such as you and Mr. Imus and giving them a natural born ass whipping. Travel back in time to the 1960’s and watch how you get outnumbered.Moving on, folks should head on over to Leavethemanalone. The author there explains the context of what the words “nappy headed” means and points out in a selected photo she used that the players Don Imus was referring to had no nappy in their hair to begin with. She labels their real haircuts in the following order: “Freshly relaxed bob, freshly relaxed bob,” and so on. I applaud the site for explaining what the term “nappy headed” means to black people and why the Rutgers team didn’t have any of the type of cuts the term refers to.Essbee of Objectionable Material questions why the team would want to meet Don Imus for the private conference they are holding with him (the date has yet to be determined) and that he cite the meeting with the Rutgers University team as a “hard-won friendship with the 12 Rutgers women and Coach Stringer, and he’ll hold it up as evidence that he is not a racist or a misogynist.”Meeting with Imus shows that the team can face the ugly head of racism without cowering in fear for their lives. It shows that they are strong and that they are willing to keep it moving after losing the championship they wanted so badly. If there’s anyone who needs to be afraid, it’s Imus.Today Show’s Al Roker chimed in on the Don Imus situation in two entries, but made a statement that I think fits with the definition of Internet communication: The Internet is colorblind, but that it’s easy to “figure out someone’s ethnicity by where they came down on this issue.”I shall personally link you to my blog, Mr. Roker.That’s about all for the Don Imus/Rutgers University round up. I will come up with Part Two of this when I find more entries of interest. In the meantime, someone ask Debbie if she and Ann Coulter are related. They seem to share the same blank face.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - mia
I just read a great column and it makes me wonder how Al Roker would feel if someone decided he said something objectional during one of his weather forecasts. I don't like Imus, personally I'm glad he got his, it has been a long time coming. But when folks like Rev. Sharpton start talking about controling what goes out over the airwaves, I get concerned. Here is the column
2 - Wrestling Perspective
This is nothing new. Consider these racist Imus clips from the late 70s.
3 - big a
The last people that should be judging any body are Al Sharepton and Jessie Jackson. They both have made various coments over the years and are very racist...
4 - E. J. King, Ozark, MO
Too bad your not more forgiving. You have brought Politically Correct scrutiny on entertainment, mostly harming rap, hip-hop, movies, comedy, and black entertainers. You'll get the fame you crave, but it won't be what you had in mind. Are you going to help kids with cancer, etc. Imus will benefit most from your selfishness. Yeah, you'll get the movie/book deals. The WORLD is laughing at YOU! Your self-centered morals are appauling! You deserve the HATE you are getting. You might want to consider your appearance before you do more TV! GOD forgive you.
5 - Matthew Milam
uh, who are you talking to? -- number 4
6 - Susan
This is way over the top, beyond absurd. Shame on those who ever had a single sexist, racist, or deragatory remark, no matter the context, and casted the first stone.
7 - Russ - NH
I am not really a fan of Imus, but have we gone to far with this? Yes he said something he probably should not have, but when I heard it I veiwed as a joke, not as a attack. Was it racist? I don't know. Should it be considered racist? probably not. I think the team has more than just black women on it. Is it because he used the word ho? I think Chris Rock says it, I think Eddie Murphy has done it, and has made other jokes against all races and religion. I think I heard Larry the cable guy call his girlfriend that, and about 1000 other people use the term. Is it because it could be thought of as a slam against women in general? I think I have heard more women use the term than men. Should I be upset because someone wants it called a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree like it has been called from the start? I think that the united negro college fund is good, but what if there was a united caucasion college fund? If this is allow to continue we will not be able to share our constitutional rights. We will be just like a communist nation, where everything is sensored. I think we should rename everything that could be considered racist.. The slippery ice in the winter will no longer be referred to as black ice - It will now be called non-caucsion ice. Why do we continue leeting things like this bother us. As a nation we should be moving forward, but things like this keep setting us back. It is not Imus making statements that is a disgrace, it is the fact that we spend so much time and effort making this the leading story on all news and talk show programs. Other countries laugh at us. These are the items they see when the view us. I think we should focus on what is important, like the gang violence, the senseless killings, the hunger, the homeless, lack of healthcare, and numerous other things that effect all of us. Why did Jesse Jackson get involved in this? Duke Lacrosse was an issue that was this big deal and look where that got us? I say us, meaning everyone in the U.S. or as the letters state (US) as in all of us. We need not to spend so much engery on this, but finding a way to band together. After 9-11 we banded together, well most of us did, but we did have the problem with anyone that possibly looked like they were from the middle east. I don't remember too many people upset with this, well except anyone that may have looked like they were from the middle east. If we spent more time getting to know each other, and working together as a country, maybe we could solve the real issues.
8 - Russ- NH
Oh ya, and the next time anyone makes a mistake at work, plan on getting fired. That mean when you mis-spell on a letter, or puch in a minute late, or spill coffee, or maybe even trip while walking --> YOU ARE FIRED. Or the next time you speed while driving - Plan on the police calling you work so they can fire you. The next time you curse - Fired. Litter - Fired. Get sick - Fired.
9 - Michael J. West
Gee -- I sure hope that somebody else leaves a long, rambling post on this subject. Nobody seems to be talking about this issue!
10 - elizabeth
I think it has gone too far, Don Imus should not be fired over this. He apologized and enough is enough. Why do the black/brown people in America talk so badly of themselves, calling themselves nigger and such and it be ok?? They say it so much that it feels/seems that it is ok to say those things. It makes it common that anyone can say. I don't hear white/caucasion/flesh/whatever color say negative things about themselves. Maybe what George would call Archie Bunker- honky, whitey, those things. White people don't call those names to other white people. Black/brown people do, they call themselves nigger and ho and it's wrong that they say it. They should stop it if they don't like to be called by those words. This should not be put on the shoulders of Don Imus.
All of this talking about the race issue just keeps the wound open to fester and grow. The racial issue in America will never go away unless we stop bringing it up all the time. The next time a black/brown comedian makes a ho remark or a nigger remark he should be fired or publically beat up like they are doing to Don Imus. It is wrong.
11 - True_Liberal
Imus today - who's next? Who will be the next talk host to fall prey to the PC po-lice?
Don't tell me there's not an agenda here.
And - if you can find it, listen to the Rev. Sharpton's talk show - then tell us who the REAL racist is.
12 - True_Liberal
Imus today - who's next? Who will be the next talk host to fall prey to the PC po-lice?
Don't tell me there's not an agenda here.
And - if you can find it, listen to the Rev. Sharpton's talk show - then tell us who the REAL racist is.
13 - Matthew T. Sussman
Please, dear God, let it be Part One of 1.
14 - Matthew Milam
Sorry Matt, it ain't over till it's over.
15 - Jack Slade
Imus is gone from MSNBC and CBS. I suppose what surprises me most is that the African-American activists/opportunists have chosen to ignore the emotional impact this whole ugly affair continues to have on nappy-headed hos in cities and towns all over this great country. True, such laborers may not make a living as “upright” citizens, but they are deserving of at least a sliver of consideration. These working girls doomed to walk the streets or loiter in shadowy recesses because they could mange a lay better than a lay-up may never be the doctors, lawyers or engineers that the Rutgers players will become, but the hos are certainly not genderless or motherless as was implied by one of the wounded athletes who said she was not a nappy-headed ho, but a woman and someone’s child. Ironically, real nappy-headed hos have probably entertained more doctors, lawyers and engineers (actors, preachers, etc) than the athletes are likely ever to meet. There were, of course, plaudits a-plenty for the dignity of the player who made the comparison, but no outrage, or objection, or interview with a prominent African-American to soothe the hurt feelings of nappy-headed hos. It is sad, really, since it is the downtrodden - those with little hope and little choice - who need men of the cloth…men like the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, to speak for them. After all, what would Jesus do?
16 - Chad H
What happened to the first amendment? Does it only apply if it does not offend black people?
First Kramer from Seinfeld and now Imus on the radio. What's up, I don't demand snoop dog's resignation when says cracker. Get a grip america!
17 - Andy Marsh
I don't think it's a 1st amendment thing...he got fired, not arrested. The 1st amendment doesn't say that you don't have to suffer the consequences when you put your foot in your mouth, just that anybody is allowed to taste shoe leather all they want!
18 - George
Don Imus described a girls basketball team as “nappy-headed ho’s”. Most whites had never even heard the term nappy-head until this. Apparently this term is taboo, another banned n-word in our society. But black comics like Chris Rock use the n-word every third sentence with total impunity, no one calls for his head on a platter? How about black rappers? How about the Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman. Ever overhear a group of black youths talking, they call each other the n-word all the time. So there is a triple standard, blacks can use words that whites can’t, but blacks can also use derogatory or racist words toward whites and get away with it. Black comedians use words like honky, cracker, white-trash, hillbilly, redneck, etc. all the time. Is nappy-head worse than honky or should I say the h-word? So how come only whites are the ones who get burned at the stake when they say something wrong? A man lost his livelihood because he exercised his freedom of speech. Anyone can make a mistake, especially a comedian trying to be funny.
You want to talk about racists though, let’s talk about Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. These are two of the biggest racists on the planet. They have both made racist and off color slurs in their lives. Sharpton and Jackson are despicable, repugnant, hypocritical imbeciles. Their level of hypocrisy and stupidity is staggering. And yet they can stir up all this furor over a comedian. Why don’t they try and stamp out racist remarks from rap music? This is doing far more damage to their culture than a white talk show host that is listened to by mostly old white men. Rap music has wide appeal and enormous audiences among blacks. But no, they don’t want to tackle the real problems that are promoting negative stereotypes in their culture.
Instead, the other week, Jesse Jackson was trying to organize national marches for people who were going to default on their mortgages because their payments were now too high because of adjustable rate mortgages. His rationale was that these people shouldn’t have to pay their loans back and that the government (i.e taxpayers) should bail them out. By the way, I find this personally offensive as a taxpayer and homeowner. My wife and I are savers and do not spend beyond our means. So why the hell should we have to shell out more of our hard-earned money to the government so that we can bail out all the people who are too stupid to understand their own finances and spend more than they can afford. These are the kind of causes these two lunatics pursue. They are black supremacists with racist attitudes and walk around with 20lb chips on their shoulders like the world owes them a life. Their lobby has become way too powerful and they have everyone running scared. There are many minorities in the country but only the blacks seem to feel like they should command the majority of attention on the national discourse. We have other more important things to deal with in the country than the use of the term nappy-head by a comedian, let’s get real here. Blacks represent only 12.8% of the US population but yet they seem to demand greater representation on issues, committees, corporations, politics and so on than all other minorities and even the majority. They have corporate sponsors and the public at large so scared that people are afraid to use any word or term that is the slightest bit politically incorrect. Whites basically have to tip-toe around blacks everywhere they go now. In the workplace, if you are assertive and treat blacks the same way you do whites, then you can be called a racist or be accused of racial harassment. Things have gone too far, the level of political influence in our culture is completely out of control and it is time that someone stick up for white middle class people. The white male is one of the most discriminated against groups in our society these days.
Anyway, back to Imus, the guy is a comedian and said something that many comedians, rappers and others say and get away with all the time. Should we call for the firing of all the movie producers and directors who use in-appropriate words? How about banning Mark Twain’s books that use the n-word. The next time a black comedian uses a derogatory or racist term against whites, I urge every white person in the country to put so much pressure on the politicians, sponsors and corporations and let them know that we are so deeply offended that the person who made the remarks should be immediately destroyed and burned at the stake. Then finally we may achieve the utopian society we all desire where nobody says anything except bland, sterile, non thought-provoking platitudes that offend no one. Free speech will be truly dead and all the politically correct sheep will be very happy. Big question is, are those really the people we want making the rules in our society, those who stifle free speech in favor of trying to appease certain groups? This country has already been dumbed down enough.
19 - missle
Where is Imus's dear friend Bo Dietl when he needs them now. Running for the hills can't tarnish his rep. Come on Bo Imus made you.
20 - John
If your school or these Girls had a hair on its butt, it or they would stand squarely and critisize the firing of Don Imus. This country wont rebuild the World Trade Center, wont cleanup after a hurricane, wont secure borders, wont provide Healthcare to 50 million citizens, 3 million american families will lose their Homes this year, 30% of Highschool students dont graduate! But it will invade and murder sovereign nations under the guise of "Freedom" and attack an individual for words. You listen to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton? They are Pimping you. WE ALL get called names! Get over it!
And Start Focusing on the Important Issues!
21 - Ken
What I'd be interested in knowing is how this incident w/ Imus (which resulted in getting him fired and removed) is any different from Miss Jones (an infamous hip hop DJ) airing the Tsunami song (mocking/offending/denegrating Asians and Asian Americans). She was not fired. She only had to issue a written apology, and donate a week's worth of her salary to a charity. C'mon now. Where's the social justice in that?
22 - thepoetryman
The first amendment isn't the issue here. He has the right to say it, but his employer has the right to fire him if he damages their bottom line. A nasty business. Imus is known for his racist comments tossed about like a trailer in a tornado. He was fired. One step forward. The Rutgers women handled themselves like decent human beings. Credit them with being grown ups about the whole ordeal.
John makes some good points on what our country is doing and becoming, but the fact remains that to stem the flood of negative language it is best to start with the culture that promotes and pays for much of the prevalent hip hop culture.
(Slavery doesn't necessarily come with the actual physical chains.)
23 - 4Sure
1st comment: is that Al and Jesse are not judging they are the high profilers speaking up and making sure the proper actions are taken to correct the situation (IT).
2nd comment: Whites say that IT is a double standard; blacks say IT historically is a form of comedy used in entertainment not to hurt each other but for laughs to keep from crying through the depressed and oppressed situations. Hard core rappers used IT to get out of the ghetto saying this is what they know; outsider pretenders get comfortable and familiar with IT to fit in but then IT usually slip out (IMUS). Blacks that get out of the ghetto don’t remember then they despise IT; Christian blacks know that there is a better way then IT.
would like to add just one more perspective, another spin that many may not like but if you look at it you will see it. Let’s look at the re-airing of the mini series ROOTS that has aired since Easter Sunday (maybe Imus watched this and caught a flash back instead of getting IT from the black community hummm). Anyway, one of the greatest strongholds of oppression for slaves was to remain silent (muzzled) watching masa (master) do whatever ills he wanted to do to the slave or their family and they could not say or do anything about IT without getting punished, therefore, they where very very careful about whatever they would say and would wait until they got back to the cabin to speak on IT. The few bold ones who spoke up were fiercely punished mostly as an example to discourage all others slaves from attempting the same. Well, now we all know that familiar feeling of being quenched, a lose of basic human rights, to be painfully helpless and restricted from saying what we really want. We watch the big mouths lose control and say IT then they must suffer and bear the consequences as an example to discourage all others from attempting the same, shut up in public eye and not be able to do a darn thing about IT for fear of the consequences that may befall so you think before you speak very very carefully then you say what the masa wants to here, yesa masa. Then go to our million dollar cabin (or email) and say what you really feel about IT. So when is the standard double? Is IT when the chickens come home to roost?
24 - Ken O
Don Imus is the greatest. CBS should bring him back with a increase in pay for what he said. I support him 110%. Go Imus - You will find another job with a higher pay anyway.
25 - 4Sure
yes, all the slaves believe Kunta Kinte was the greatest! while all of us support him 110% he got the beatings and a better slave position driving carriages but humbled just the same and we are safe in our the cabins (email) with our comments.