As for Don Imus,
1. How is it possible that he thought - even for a moment - that it was ok to say that?
2. Isn't there, nevertheless, something artificial about the way in which he must now engage in extreme self-abasement and seek absolution from Al Sharpton? Perhaps it is a necessary ritual but it is no less of one for that.
3. This type of stuff on our airwaves is harmful. But how much more harmful is it than the veiled misogynism and relentless coarsening of public mores undertaken by Howard Stern and hundreds of others?
4. Why did anyone ever think that Imus was entertaining?
5. If Imus were a black rapper and these were lyrics in a song, wouldn't this have been completely overlooked?
ReplyDeleteAnd if he had been so cruel on, say, a TMJ blog, David, it would have been overlooked. So what?
ReplyDeleteThis is a national media figure saying this on national tv. And if he had been a black male national media figure saying this on national tv, or a black female or white female national media figure saying this on tv, this would not have been overlooked.
It's what was said, where it was said -- not just by whom it was said. It's not even just about who was targeted, although that many of them were only girls in high school last year, girls who overcame so much to get into a great university and continue their fine academic records while also staging a storied comeback season . . . well, that adds to the story. But if this was said about a women's NBA team, there also would be outrage.
Try to get it. It's what was said. And as the team said (and Sharpton and Jackson have said, for that matter), it's not okay in a rap song, either -- no matter who sings it.
Try to get it. It's what was said.
Btw, I compliment the blogger for noting the sexism as well as the racism -- as the women themselves have said it was more about being called whores than about their race or hairstyles. The JS made it all about racism, because of its gender blinders, but this blogger gets it -- all of it.
Btw2, about the "Sharpton ritual" -- well put. It makes me wonder why we don't have black women of that stature to call on for this -- where are the Barbara Jordans today? (I would not personally want our Secretary of State to have to deal with Imus, when she's got Iran, Iraq, etc. . . .)
ReplyDeleteIf you want ideas for other "rituals" to which we might subject Imus, a question to which one of the team wisely replied "no comment" -- after a wonderfully well-timed and poised pause -- well, I've got a few ideas.:-)
Imus is not worth the time being spent on him.
ReplyDeleteNo one on a TMJ blog would have said anything like that ... and I challenge you to find one — JUST ONE — example of where it has been.
ReplyDeleteThat's not what I said. That's actually the opposite of what I said. No wonder you can't grasp the enormity of what Imus said.
ReplyDeleteWork on your reading comprehension for starters, and then on your empathy.