MSNBC to Imus: You're FIRED!

[Nova]

This is true Nova, but bullying brings bad karma and people will get very sick of it. Means to end perhaps but there may be a limit to how long these tantrum tactics will work. I sure wouldn't be proud to pursue a cause in this manner.

Eve

"Karma" works both ways, Eve. If people feel so badly bullied by Al Sharpton today, perhaps he's merely an agent of their karma.

We have a long way to go before I start worrying about whether the tactics of African American activists are too much or too late.

 

[eve]

"Karma" works both ways, Eve. If people feel so badly bullied by Al Sharpton today, perhaps he's merely an agent of their karma.

We have a long way to go before I start worrying about whether the tactics of African American activists are too much or too late.

It does work both ways. When you say "their karma" - who are they? Is this a "sins of the fathers" type thing? All of us with white skin, no matter what our character? When all is said and done, who will be big enough to stop the cycle of bad karma?

Eve

 

[Nova]

It does work both ways. When you say "their karma" - who are they? Is this a "sins of the fathers" type thing? All of us with white skin, no matter what our character? When all is said and done, who will be big enough to stop the cycle of bad karma?

Eve

Eve, I defined "they" in the same sentence: "people who feel bullied by Al Sharpton".

I don't believe karma is inherited from one's ancestors and I don't believe "guilt" need be, either.

But we all, regardless of our color, share a responsibility to make the society in which we live an equitable one.

 

[eve]

Eve, I defined "they" in the same sentence: "people who feel bullied by Al Sharpton".

I don't believe karma is inherited from one's ancestors and I don't believe "guilt" need be, either.

But we all, regardless of our color, share a responsibility to make the society in which we live an equitable one.

Equitable means fair. I agree we all have responsibility. But the ends don't always justify the means. If one complains about something and turns around and does the same thing himself, there is simply no credibility.

Eve

 

[Ang50]

There's a time to yell about injustice, a time to use an issue for greater gain, and there's a time to quietly go about getting what you want.

Robertson, Falwell, etc. are BIG BULLIES. They yell about injustice all the time too. Sharpton and such also seem to use high-profile issues to try to divide rather than unite.

But complacency and niceness doesn't get social causes advanced. It takes the shrill annoying strident people to push the envelope so the rest of us can come along and calmly say - they have a point...

As it relates to Imus - he doesn't fall into any of these categories b/c his comments don't further any fruitful discussion of racial/gender/class/athletic issues. He made an offensive comment for no particular purpose.

At least Sharpton and Falwell spark (what should be thoughtful) debate.

 

[Nova]

Equitable means fair. I agree we all have responsibility. But the ends don't always justify the means. If one complains about something and turns around and does the same thing himself, there is simply no credibility.

Eve

If "one" does, certainly. But I don't believe Al Sharpton has been accused of calling teenagers "nappy headed hos."

If you are arguing, as so many have here, that Sharpton may not complain about Imus' remarks as long as other black men use the same expression, then I think that's ridiculous.

Would I prefer that black rappers not use that expression? Most certainly. More importantly, I would prefer they find a subject other than the denigration of women.

But "Snoop Dog does it, too" (as a defense of Imus) is just as childish as it was when we complained that "everybody else does it" ("it" being any forbidden activity) when we were 6. I don't think any of us got away with it then and there's no reason to think that's a valid argument now.

(As for African-American cultural critics who are rightly pointing out that sexism is just as bad in black culture as in white, good for them.)

 

[MREG2]

I haven't read the rest of this thread except for the first few posts, but this is how I feel:
This is a race and gender card. I really feel they made an example of Don Imus because he;s an older radio "dinosaur" and they wanna go after rap next.

Snoop still does commercials for the sidekick and T-Mobile, and has called women worse things than B's and Ho's in his songs. They didn't fire him.

Ludacris raps and sings about smackin his B's around and how he loves his Ho's. He's still in movies and commercials, too.

No woman should ever be referred to nor refer to each other as B's or otherwise.

Imus apologized, and they should have moved on. And if they simply couldn't, I am waiting for these other companies to start lopping off some heads, or there are going to be problems.

MG

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I was trying to stay off these threads but just had to applaud this post!

 

[IdahoMom]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/colum...12,0,3616109.column?coll=ny-sports-columnists

Interesting column I read today. Interesting perspective of a black journalist. See snippet below.

I wish I were wrong about that last part. But I doubt it, because any minute now, black people will resume calling themselves and hos and the N-word and in the ultimate sign of hypocrisy, neither Rutgers nor anyone else will call a news conference about that.

Because when we really get to the root of the problem, this isn't about Imus. This is about a culture we -- meaning black folks -- created and condoned and packaged for white power brokers to sell and shock jocks like Imus to exploit. Can we talk?

Tell me: Where did an old white guy like Imus learn the word "ho"?

Was that always part of his vocabulary? Or did he borrow it from Jay-Z and Dave Chappelle and Snoop Dogg?

What really disappointed me about that exhausting Rutgers news conference, which was slyly used as a recruiting pitch by Stringer, was the absence of the truth and the lack of backbone and courage. Black women had the perfect opportunity to lash out at their most dangerous oppressors -- black men -- and yet they kept the focus on a white guy.

Whoa!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[railbird]

I agree, they probably want the man lynched.
He has apologized , people need to learn to let things go.

So, I wasn't the only one who thought Sharpton and Jackson were taking a little to much pleasure in this whole controversy?

I think there has been too much disingenuousness swirling around this one. The two Reverends bordering on racism, the networks claiming it had nothing to do with revenue or the sponsers pulling their ads and just where was GWB and his voice on freedom.

What ever happened to: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my dying breath your freedom to express it.

 

[Sundayrain]

Gary Smith...but according to this news story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3031167 it sounds to me like he got what was coming to him.

Paladin ,he was the DJ at two weddings personal to me........
You'd have to know Gary to know that he is such a clown.......he trys to be so funny....in all that he does.
It is a contest that was always done........
It was a contest on the "interest" of the day.........
That was it.........the headlines........the news of the day.
He made one wrong choice in 17 years.......
Thats 17 years on the air, goofing around.....making people laugh.
There is many more nice stories about him and a very large petition going
on line for his return.
I'd say almost a good 99% want him back and his local area is very diversified. I'd read up some on the great thing Gary has done before I'd say " he got what was coming".........
www.thepoconosusa.com/petition.html Bring Gary home!!!
Hes done too much for the community to deserve the heave ho.........

 

[Marthatex]

Dark Knight made a similar argument on the early pages of this thread and I've been thinking for days how to respond.

Let me try this: we don't have AIDS funding because of the thousands of politely compliant homosexuals in the Reagan Administration. We have AIDS funding because Larry Kramer and other irritating fellows took to the streets. (And, yes, they threw condoms in churches and did other things that made me cringe at the time.)

Oh listen, I would take to the streets for something I felt was an injustice or that we need to call attention to - I just meant in THIS instance the reaction was handled badly and did the black equality cause more harm than good. The ENTIRE focus should have been on the girls, their feelings, how they were hurt badly,how they are good, hard-working athletes. LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES for the most part - it would have had alot more emphasis.

But Sharpton just rubbed me the wrong way this time, went on and on, didn't always make good sense, said the same thing over and over, and he didn't seem all that sincere. LIke the article said, "racial ambulance chasers", they jump in as soon as they can; were they really speaking for the girls? and won't admit that their own bad lyrics may be part of the social problem, etc.

I am not defending what Imus said. Remember how the Jewish people expressed their feelings about what Mel Gibson said? It was just quieter and more dignified, and then they put the ball in his court.

I just think the whole thing turned from a mess to a bigger mess that did not ameliorate what was done to the Rutgers girls.

 

[Marthatex]

So, I wasn't the only one who thought Sharpton and Jackson were taking a little to much pleasure in this whole controversy?

I think there has been too much disingenuousness swirling around this one. The two Reverends bordering on racism, the networks claiming it had nothing to do with revenue or the sponsers pulling their ads and just where was GWB and his voice on freedom.

What ever happened to: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my dying breath your freedom to express it.

well put. I just took about 1,000 words to say the same thing. :twocents:

 

[Sundayrain]

Hey Martha........( How are you and Texas......and to think I was swimming two weeks ago ,and now there is snow not very far from me at all.......yuck)
You are so right.........I so agree with you.......
ameliorate? I need to get out the dictionary to include that word in the next poem.........
Ameliorate.........like it.........never used it.......
I just so think this is all so "over-cooked"........words, words,.........
He needed to ( Imus) speak with those girls........other then that.........
Even though I don't much like Imus at all, he shouldn't of been fired.

 

[Sundayrain]

Now that's wrong!!

Yes Sadie and Rain..........because Gary worked there for 17 years clowning around in his own special way. He was the class-clown type of guy........also the one to be at all the charitiable functions. All the store sales.........with "Gary in the Morning broadcasting".......
He was our wedding DJ guy.........Our happy greeter at a store opening...
It was a contest on the "NEWS of the DAY" and that was it......
Unfortunately........ Here is a person who went to school functions, worked tirelessly for his town.........the entire ordeal is sickening.
The town people love Gary and a petition is going to have him return to the home station.......I wish him luck.
www.thepoconosusa.com/petition.html

 

[eve]

If "one" does, certainly. But I don't believe Al Sharpton has been accused of calling teenagers "nappy headed hos."

If you are arguing, as so many have here, that Sharpton may not complain about Imus' remarks as long as other black men use the same expression, then I think that's ridiculous.

Would I prefer that black rappers not use that expression? Most certainly. More importantly, I would prefer they find a subject other than the denigration of women.

But "Snoop Dog does it, too" (as a defense of Imus) is just as childish as it was when we complained that "everybody else does it" ("it" being any forbidden activity) when we were 6. I don't think any of us got away with it then and there's no reason to think that's a valid argument now.

(As for African-American cultural critics who are rightly pointing out that sexism is just as bad in black culture as in white, good for them.)

That's not my gripe. I just see an irony in the rush to judgment on the Duke young men, where an African American accuser is apparently still being supported (Jackson's sending her to college on his dime). She is not being taken to task by Sharpton and Jackson (who brought themselves into it with their comments and made it an activist thing) for her wrongful accusation. Her accusation was met with racial concerns on their part. For them everything is about race and they haven't apologized.

Eve

 

[Paladin]

I'm not making light of this or the VA tragedy, but I bet Imus sure is glad that the spotlight isn't focused on him any more for the time being.

 

[Nova]

That's not my gripe. I just see an irony in the rush to judgment on the Duke young men, where an African American accuser is apparently still being supported (Jackson's sending her to college on his dime). She is not being taken to task by Sharpton and Jackson (who brought themselves into it with their comments and made it an activist thing) for her wrongful accusation. Her accusation was met with racial concerns on their part. For them everything is about race and they haven't apologized.

Eve

The two reverends haven't appointed me to speak for them, but I believe they would say something to the effect of this:

"There are plenty of people who rush to criticize African Americans every day, but precious few who are in any hurry to speak out against powerful white people. So our mission is to pick up the slack in the latter case."

And, frankly, the hosts of politicians and media people who were happy to sit with Imus and chuckle politely at his racism, sexism and homophobia for decades rather makes the point. The Duke lacrosse players have not lacked for people to speak on their behalf.

Question: is Jackson still sending the accuser to college? I know he said that early on, but do we know what he thinks today?

 

[Nova]

Oh listen, I would take to the streets for something I felt was an injustice or that we need to call attention to...

I know you would, Martha.

I just meant in THIS instance the reaction was handled badly and did the black equality cause more harm than good. The ENTIRE focus should have been on the girls, their feelings, how they were hurt badly,how they are good, hard-working athletes. LET THEM SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES for the most part - it would have had alot more emphasis.

I don't know about "more harm than good." It's still early. As one poster said above, at least Sharpton and Jackson got people talking about racism in the media.

As for focus on the Rutgers women, I'm all for that. But this is NOT just about them. It is about what is acceptable speech on the air.

 

[MREG2]

So, I wasn't the only one who thought Sharpton and Jackson were taking a little to much pleasure in this whole controversy?

I think there has been too much disingenuousness swirling around this one. The two Reverends bordering on racism, the networks claiming it had nothing to do with revenue or the sponsers pulling their ads and just where was GWB and his voice on freedom.

What ever happened to: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my dying breath your freedom to express it.

LOL Railbird, no you weren't the only one.... Uh, didn't you know that is only for "certain" people?

 

[MREG2]

That's not my gripe. I just see an irony in the rush to judgment on the Duke young men, where an African American accuser is apparently still being supported (Jackson's sending her to college on his dime). She is not being taken to task by Sharpton and Jackson (who brought themselves into it with their comments and made it an activist thing) for her wrongful accusation. Her accusation was met with racial concerns on their part. For them everything is about race and they haven't apologized.

Eve

And I read somewhere, forgive me for I can't remember, that they won't apologize either. Nice.