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ScottGem · Apr 11, 2007, 03:41 PM

Just heard that MSNBC canned Imus

Skell · Apr 11, 2007, 03:46 PM

Oh the old comment "there are bigger issues than this to deal with so why bother discussing it"

So where do we stop. There are bigger issues than education, transport etc in the world so does that mean we don't deal or talk about it?

Stuff our homeless lets just look at the bigger issues and deal with world famine. No, it can't be like that! Sorry, doesn't add to this discussion much but I just get annoyed when people just throw away an issue by saying there are bigger worries in the world. Well right now for these girls and Mr Imus there probably aren't!

shygrneyzs · Apr 11, 2007, 03:50 PM

It is more than sad - to hear Don Imus ruin his long career over his thoughtless and racially slurred comments - to hear CNN beat this dead horse over and over - to see Al Sharpton ONCE AGAIN hogging the media - to witness the genuine shock of the Rutgers team as they try to process being in this media feeding frenzy..

Maybe we should get out an old stockade from the Puritan days, I am sure there is one somewhere, and place Imus in the town square and flog him. Would that make him sorry enough to please everyone?

RubyPitbull · Apr 11, 2007, 04:06 PM

Yes, shy, I agree. The whole situation is very sad. Al Sharpton has just sunk his teeth into this and won't let go. If he didn't, there wouldn't have been such a media circus.

Scott, I just heard the same news. I guess enough of the larger sponsors complained and/or pulled their spots. Money does talk. But, who knows. The way things work in this world, Imus will pop up somewhere else at some point. Maybe Sirius Radio, like Howard Stern.

shygrneyzs · Apr 11, 2007, 04:19 PM

Sirius Radio would be the way to go, for Imus. Howard Stern has not suffered from going over there.
I have listened to Imus for many years and have often agreed and disagreed with his comments. I am not defending him at all on the Rutgers comment. But also, if people know he is controversial, then do not listen to him. Listen another programming - like NPR.

Allheart · Apr 11, 2007, 04:31 PM

I heard the news as well.

I wonder if his words made those girls sad inside. I think his words did. That is so very sad. Imagine feeling that way. I know, when I was 18 or 19, those words would have hit me quite hard.

Once again, just another sad sad situation and no happy ending.

shygrneyzs · Apr 11, 2007, 04:38 PM

True, Allheart, no happy ending. I think of how hard each of those girls worked all through their previous school years and earned the right to be at Rutgers. How many teens would give their right arm to get into Rutgers? Those girls made it - by being smart, sharp, athletic, capable, talented, and dedicated young women. To have someone else, who has never met any one them, make that hoe comment, is beyond comprehension.

Allheart · Apr 11, 2007, 04:43 PM

Even though you know inside, his words do not fit, in their shoes, at their age, knowing how there are some ill minds in society, I tell you, I would have been mortified.

excon · Apr 11, 2007, 05:16 PM

Hello again,

But, there is a happy ending. #1) Those girls will scooped up by top notch firms and their careers are set. GOOD for them. #2) NBC got it. GOOD for them. 3#) Racism, which we pretended went away, showed us we have work to do. GOOD for us.

excon

shygrneyzs · Apr 11, 2007, 05:37 PM

True, excon. Just today there was another article in the newspaper about a young actor who was picked up by police and was making racial slurs. Wonder if his career is down the tubes too? It ought to be.

Jackoftrades · Apr 11, 2007, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by RubyPitbull

I am not sure if this is the correct area to place this but I didn't want to subject anyone to "ratings" in Issues and Causes. So, I am posting this here for discussion.

Just wondering if anyone is familiar with what is going on and what their opinions are.

For those of you who do not know, I will try to recap in a nutshell.

Don Imus is a radio and television personality. He has a talk radio show that can be viewed on television on MSNBC. He is known for making, distasteful remarks, at times. Some call his humor, potty humor. Some think he is really quite funny. Anyway, during one of his broadcasts, they were recapping a basketball game played by the Rutgers girl's baskeball team. Rutgers lost. While they were airing a clip, Imus made a comment about the team. He called them "nappy headed hos" (nappy headed whores). Most of the girls are African-American and there is no question that they are the ones to whom he was directing his remarks. There was quite an uproar over this. Imus was suspended for two weeks. Reverend Al Sharpton is calling for Imus to be fired and he is not backing down. Sharpton thinks it is high time that people who make these racist comments need to be dealt with in a way that isn't a simple slap on the back of the hand, which is what he views the suspension to be.

So, for those of you who are familiar with this, any comments? What are your views?
For those of you not familiar with this, please do a google search to gather more info. Then post back here with your views.

I am quite interested in hearing opinions. I think this really cuts to the heart of the racial problems we are still having in this country, and I am wondering where people stand on this issue.

I don't like either personally, Best way to handle it cut them off, If we don't lessen to them they will be cut off. If we lessen we will surely become like them. What we let in our mines and the people we surround ourselves with, we will surly become like them.

ATYOURSERVICE · Apr 11, 2007, 10:15 PM

Thought I'd share some interesting quotes :

Black leadership has to recognize that principles more than speech, character more than a claim, is greater in advancing the cause of our liberation than what has transpired thus far.
Louis Farrakhan
I think that ego-driven leaders will be a thing of the past because the masses are tired.
Louis Farrakhan
There really can be no peace without justice. There can be no justice without truth. And there can be no truth, unless someone rises up to tell you the truth.
Louis Farrakhan
They call them terrorists, I call them freedom fighters.
Louis Farrakhan
You must recognize that the way to get the good out of your brother and your sister is not to return evil for evil.
Louis Farrakhan
Sometimes I feel like rap music is almost the key to stopping racism.
Eminem
How do you make things fair?
Al Sharpton
I have been guilty of letting ungodly things around me.
Al Sharpton
If O.J. had been accused of killing his black wife, you would not have seen the same passion stirred up.
Al Sharpton
If you can get the proper definition of trouble, then we can find out who the real troublemakers are.
Al Sharpton

If you play the theatrics too much, you get in the way of your own cause.
Al Sharpton
In the South, blacks were blacks and whites were whites. In the North, blacks are Caribbean, African, Dominican, Southern.
Al Sharpton
One thing people never talked about, after the marches, was how we were able to take such hostility and not respond.
Al Sharpton
My goal is to goad people into saying something that ruins their life.
Don Imus
I am free of all prejudices. I hate every one equally.
WC Fields
I think every group of black guys should have at least one white guy in it.
Dave Chappelle

Chris Rock's Rude Interruption
On the world:
"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is a Chinese guy, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are name 'Bush,' '' and 'Colon.' Need I say more?"

ScottGem · Apr 12, 2007, 05:21 AM

Shaun Powell had a GREAT column about all this in today's Newsday. You can read it here:

It's more than just Imus - Newsday.com

manimuth · Apr 12, 2007, 05:46 AM

ScottGem,

Excellent, excellent column! Thank you for sharing. I hope more people take a look at it.

manimuth

excon · Apr 12, 2007, 06:08 AM

Hello:

Well, leave it to me to disagree. When I was a kid, they told me rock and roll was bad. It wasn't. So no, I don't think it's Snoop Dog's fault any more than the 60's were John Lennon's fault.

Does art reflect or shape society? I think it's a reflection, therefore I look beyond artists for the REAL problems we have. It's easy to stop there, but pure folly.

excon

RubyPitbull · Apr 12, 2007, 06:10 AM

ScottGem! I will ditto manimuth's sentiments! THANK YOU. What a great article! If you hadn't posted it, I wouldn't have seen it. Very powerful words! We need to have more people discussing this problem and bringing it out in the forefront.

P.S. I love you ex but this time I don't agree with you. MWAH.

RubyPitbull · Apr 12, 2007, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Hello:

Well, leave it to me to disagree. When I was a kid, they told me rock and roll was bad. It wasn't. So no, I don't think it's Snoop Dog's fault any more than the 60's were John Lennon's fault.

Does art reflect or shape society? I think it's a reflection, therefore I look beyond artists for the REAL problems we have. It's easy to stop there, but pure folly.

excon

I figured I should explain my position. The difference here is that in your day, those performers did not denigrate women the way they do today. The line has most definitely been crossed. These songs treat all black women in a most disrespectful way. If they want to talk about whites and cops and make a statement, that is one thing. But, these other songs that Powell is writing about, do not contain any constructive political messages or stances, just hateful words.

manimuth · Apr 12, 2007, 06:50 AM

excon,
I see your point. I agree that art is often a reflection but I think it is unwise to completely deny its impact on the young and the impressionable; especially in a day and age when exposure to "artistic" music and television shows, meant to be satirical and entertaining, are greater than exposure to solid, good, role models and guidance.

Can art shape or inspire people's views? Yes! Yes! especially when the viewers are young.

I also agree that the problem does NOT stop with the "artists" who call women "b***hes" and "hoes".

manimuth

excon · Apr 12, 2007, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by RubyPitbull

The difference here is that in your day, those performers did not denigrate women the way they do today. The line has most definitely been crossed.

Hello again, Ruby Dear:

My day? I'm not that old.

I don't disagree with you about the songs. However, my premise remains the same. Are the performers denigrating women because their society does? Or does their society do it because the performers do?

I think it's the former.

excon

manimuth · Apr 12, 2007, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Are the performers denigrating women because their society does? Or does their society do it because the performers do?

Hello excon,

I don't believe it is as simple as that. Sometimes there is a diconnect between what society says or does and what artists do. Why is the "N" word OK in rap songs but horrendous in social use? Do you think rap artists use the words "nappy hoes" because Imus, and other white men, go around saying the words or is it the other way around?

It's not always a simple cause and effect when it comes to art and society. Sometimes art can transcend society and be provocative, inspirational, and revolutionary. So, it is not always just a mirror for society. Sometimes it can be a powerful smack in the face.

manimuth