- Writer Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. I've always admired his work and feel I should give my regards on his passing. Although I had his brother, Bernard Vonnegut, as a professor for an atmospheric sciences course back in my college days, he certainly wasn't Kurt! A fantastic talent, rest in peace Mr. Vonnegut. Hi-ho.
- Don Imus was fired by both CBS radio and and CNBC, as he should be. I've never been an Imus fan and thought his comments not only racist and sexist, but just incredibly mean, too. Here they're a team of young women who should have been thrilled that they made Rutgers sports history and he had to say what he did. What would even make a thought like that come to mind in a situation when the girls did something so great? Good. He's fired.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
A Few Quick Newsy Notes
These aren't necessarily television-related, per se. But I thought it important to mention them if folks wanted to discuss them.
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28 comments:
I'm for freedom of speech, and I don't like the idea that talk show personalities can be fired for on the air comments. That's why we are fascinated and listen to talk radio. I enjoy shaking my head and saying, "What" to some of their comments. What if a special interest group gathered together to oust any of your favorite on-air personalities? Having said that, what Don Imus did was over the top - over the line. You can be controversial without being blatantly racist and/or sexist. There is a line, of pure mean and stupid, and he crossed it. Mr. Imus should enjoy his retirement - he earned it through his own stupidity!
Like Rosie O' Donnell said, if you don't like what a particular radio or Tv personality is saying then turn them off. We all know that Howard Stern talks total smut and that Rosie sometimes pops off about things that irritate everyone, but we know this and if we have the power of not listening to it and should do so if it bothers us. Though I do not agree with Mr. Imus's statements, I do believe that he has a right to free speech. It is getting pretty sad in America when your only right to Freedom of speech is behind closed doors. The man shouldn't have said such an awful thing, but he does as an American have that right. Firing him isn't the answer...But we shouldn't cry over it, he'll just wise up and do like Howard Stern and go to Sirius where he can speak freely and without rules.
Mr. Vonnegut leaves behind an amazing legacy and body of work. He will be missed by many.
Mr. Imus, however, got what he has deserved for a long, long time. This was simply the tipping point, as his many over-the-top, crude and rude remarks over the years have finally become inexcusable.
And, should he decide to work again, he probably will end up broadcasting with Howard Stern, Whoopi, Oprah, and everyone else on satellite radio.
I do feel for him, as we are all human and make mistakes, but he has shown blatant disregard for such a long period of time that he truly left them no choice. I hope that he has a successful meeting with the young ladies, and that this ugliness can be put to rest.
Although what he said is reprehensible, I don't think he should be fired. How long before we all start looking over our shoulders for fear we'll be singled out?
~Susan from MA
I am an african american i think his statement was very crude and rude. Sure, we are a country with freedom of speech but because we have this priviledge do not mean we should be able to go around offending people. On several ocassions Imus have said negative things about african american which was inapproriate. This time he just went to far. How to correct this I could not tell you. But he was definitely out of line.
But what if I'm offended by Saturday night live, or David Letterman (Oh,Jackie!)??? Where is the line drawn, and WHO gets to draw it??
Yes, he's a jerk, that's why we can change the channel. Just my opinion.
~Susan from MA
Sue - If I were to make such a statement in my own workplace, I'd be subject to disciplinary action which could include termination.
A lot of this was economics, as well. With so many sponsors pulling their ads (the bread and butter which supported the show), it would be a financial liability to keep the man. He gets 10 million dollars a year!
I think of the old saying, "with great power comes great responsibility." He has to be held responsible for his own words and, if his words lose the money coming in... yeah, he should go from a logistics sense as well as some kind of moral one.
I wouldn't have to turn the station as I turned it decades ago on Imus because I just never cared for him enough to bother with him. And, he'll probably end up going to satellite or something.
I'm sure that he has more money for retirement at the age of 70 than most folks. I feel a lot more sympathy for the Rutgers girls who for no reason on earth had their moment of glory slimed by him.
Imus was an idiot....I just hope he can keep his ranch going for cancer children!!! The saying goes...open mouth insert foot. We are all guilty of that, but I do not know how that was a slip of the tongue, he has been on radio/TV for years. The 2 satellite radio channels are on the edge of a merge and they can not afford to hire Imus, as they will need advertising $$$ to complete this.
I watched Imus from time to time, but never was a fan. He is gone, but somehow many still remain, Howard Stern. Now that is someone I would like kicked to the curb.
Oh well, we can all sit back and see who blunders next!!!! To the Rutgers women... so sorry for idiots of the world and hope you have many juniors on your team to return next year and show the world another winning season.
But Jackie & Delee: it's just that mentality, like Delee said, "we can sit back and see who blunders next" that scares me.
I totally agree those girls should not have been subjected to that slander in their moment of glory. But...who's next...? you,..me..?
~Susan from MA
MSNBC and CBS have now set the bar for bad comments and job security. If they had just held their breath for another couple of days, the free market system would have handled Imus. No sponsors, no program. They could have said that they thought what he said was terrible, and the public has spoken. However, now we must go on the PC watch, and make sure no one says a thing that might offend. The bar has been set, but who will be next? Imus should be off the air, but it should be because listeners and sponsors dictate the program had no merit. Pity the poor person that makes the next mistake.
I just don't get the double standard. Yes, Imus was totally wrong to make such a stupid statement and the girls on the rugby team certainly did not deserve it. But why is it acceptable for Ludacris and other rap artists to refer to women (black or white) as ho's? Even if I liked rap, I wouldn't buy their music because of their very derogatory lyrics. There.s even a line in an old Stevie Wonder song where he refers to himself as "a nappy-headed boy". What's the difference? And I never got why so many blacks themselves use the "n" word freely among themseves but bristle when a white person uses it. I think the word should be banned from our language but it won't be, Al Sharpton says he and Jesse Jackson will move to change rapmusic lyrics, but they've said that for years. Why aren't they all over the media demanding that their own race STOP using those terms? If it's freedom of speech for Afro-Americans to use those kind of words and not get fired, then it' got to be freedom of speech for all. You can't have it both ways. ys
I have to say something... but let me say that I think what Imus said is horrible, and very rude. There was no reason for it.. but,
There is a complete double standard here. Not only are black people able to use those words to describe themselves, but the actions of the "reverand" Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are equally despicable. Here's why:
1. Does the Bible and God not promote to always forgive?? And Teach?
2. Has anyone thought about the Duke case, and the double standard being held there? Al Sharpton was quick to call those kids racists, and bad boys, etc... and now they are innocent. Where is the apology to them? Their lives were ruined to a point that is practically irreversible, and I heard Al Sharpton refuses to apologize for what he said and implied to those boys. Yet he claims that one comment will ruin the lives of these girls. I think he is just as much of a racist as he says Imus is. I am so sick of hearing about how Al Sharpton is the end all be all of what is "right" when it comes to equality. Has he never heard "Lead by Example"?
I think these girls are smarter than to let this "ruin their lives", and this is being completely blown out of proportion. Why not just ignore it and let Imus deal with the consequences instead of turning this into a ridiculous media frenzy?
I will agree with the Imus firing when Al Sharpton takes responsibility for his own racism.
The Imus issue is not one of free speech, it is one of endorsements. If the networks kept him on the air, they were endorsing his statements. Yes, he has free speech, but he also has the right to not be endorsed. He has the right to be unemployed. - Jen
All I can say is if it was a black man calling some white players, "cracker ho's" this wouldnt even be an issue. America tries so hard to be PC that we allow all races but whites to express their views. We allow BET, black scholarships,NAACP, etc... Yet the moment a white person says a word against anyone of another race they are deemed racist.
When are other races going to be held accountable for their racial slurs too?
Don Imus was not supplying the financing for his show. If he had been paying the freight, he would still be mouthing the vile words for which he has become famous over the years. Sorry, not a free speech issue.
I think him saying anything derogatory towards any women is wrong. Calling any woman a ho is wrong, regardless of their race. To me this is not a race issue, but an issue of what is decent to say.
YES, it is a freedom of speech issue. To think otherwise is pure ignorance. We all have the right to speak freely and if advertisers do not care for it then they can pull out and not endorse the show or it's views. The man made an awful remark, but it is his right to speak freely in any forum he chooses. Next thing you know, I'll be blasted for saying the president is an idiot...oh wait, that's true. I'll be expecting a knock on my door any moment.@@
The Dixie Chicks used their right to speak freely and Sponsers pulled out of their tour, but did that stop them from speaking? NO and it shouldnt stop any of us either. Im sorry but if Imus was a black man making a remark about a white woman it would be a total non issue. Very sad, but very true.
I totally agree with those who are against his firing because of the free speech issue. If the sponsors were pulling out and the show was cancelled, that would be one thing. But that's not what happened. I heard somewhere that some of the girls on the team were just ignoring what he said because he's "an ignorant old man". I totally support their attitude. I've had people call me some pretty bad names, but I didn't let it ruin my life.
With that said, I read an interesting opinion article that I'd like to share. It's called Ho Ho Ho, Merry Imus.
Here is another link with some in depth explanation:
http://news.aol.com/entertainment/articles/_a/flying-solo-past-the-point-of-no-return/20070413073809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Does anyone remember the Tawana Brawley case from years ago that first brought Al Sharpton into the limelight. The alleged rape of a young black girl, whereby Al Sharpton accused Every white official of importance in NYC of being involved in that, including I believe the chief prosecutor of that era. And after a couple years of keeping his face in the media, it was finally proven to be a lie. He never apologized to anyone for that either. Mr. Sharpton has been spreading his biased opinions for a very long time. This was just one more opportunity for him to get on camera again.
If Imus has "the right" to say what he wants, then I would assume, following that line of thinking, that both NBC and CBS also have "the right" to decide they DO NOT want what he has to say on their network and airwaves?
For some reason I can't get the article online that Dia mentioned., but did read the one Orkmommy offered. EVERYONE in America Black and White should read this article.
I've found all the comments here to be really thought provoking. Passing along a comment I heard from someone on this today: freedom of speech means you won't get put in jail or run over by tanks by the government for what you say... like they still do in some places. But it doesn't mean that you might not lose your job.
Sydney, I believe you have absolutely hit the nail on the head.
It's so difficult to know what is correct and what isn't. You all have compelling arguments. The fact is, the Rutger's Team met with Imus and accepted his apology. He's still fired regardless. Nuf said!
I have put off putting in my two cents worth,because people seem to be so adamant about their side being the only "right" side. I think it is a matter of free speech. In this country,anybody has a right to his own opinion,does that mean that everybody is going to "play nice",of course not.And that means that people like Imus and Stern are always going to be around,there will always be a forum for them to exercise their right to "free speech". Does that mean that I have to turn them on,of course not! And so,that is what I choose to do. The sponsors and station owners also have the right to fire these people. If we,the public,withhold our buying power from these programs,the sponsors and owners have to make their decisions. But I defend their right to say these things! AND I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world!!!!
BUT,I have a real hard time with Sharpton and Jackson setting themselves up to be the "moral police" for me or any other American. If you are going to throw stones,then you'd better make sure your own backyard is clean first. Why don't they go out and make all the rappers and hip hopppers quit calling their own kind these vile,nasty names and THEN come back and tell corporate America who can and can't say things on public television.They surely aren't MY moral compass that's for darn sure. When Sharpton denounced and called the three men accused of the rape in the Duke scandal every name in the book,was he prepared to apologize to them when the outcome of that incident came down? I haven't heard that apology forthcoming. Here in the Cleveland area,EVERY time a black person is shot by the police in the commitment of a crime,the black community jumps up and protests,doesn't matter they were guilty of the crime,and demands the police's heads on a platter. Do they do that every time,even if the victim is white....no,they don't.I get really,really tired of this double standard in this country. Either we are all AMERICANS or we are whites,blacks,hispanics,asians and whatever all just living on the same mass of land. What is it folks? Are we all supposed to have a different set of standards for each other? Not the way MY constitution is set up!!!!
I was laying in bed last night thinking about this whole Imus thing...and the Anna Nicole "who's your baby's daddy" saga and I was saddened...
I'm ashamed to say that I live in a country where the biggest news stories are what some radio guy said about some girls and who the father of some dead celebrity's baby is! We have real tragedies going on every day of the week all over America and all we can focus on is some hurt feelings and personal controversy that is none of our business.
Let's focus on finding homes for our homeless...and getting the drugs off the streets and out of our schools. Let's work on making our neighborhoods safe so our children can play outside. Let's not worry about what people say or what happens in their personal lives and start worrying about things that really matter...
Anyone into the great writer and historian couple -- Will and Ariel Durant? They spent over 60 years studying all of recorded civilization with a philosophers eye, asking the question, what is man, really, and how does he behave.
Toward the end of their lives, being experts by then, they decided to condense their prolific 11 volume answer (called "The History of Civilization") into smaller sumamries. One is a book called The Lessons of History, (great on CD). Fascinating stuff.
Forgive my attempt to paraphrase this Pulitzer and Medal of Freedom winner's work, but your comments made me think of it. He said that each man is a little more affectionate toward his own race, even subconciously, as he is a part of it and knows it best. (It's natural, even organic). And this, like a hint of vanity, can be a positive and even necessary force, as it energizes/animates us.
This principle expands beyond race and can apply to each's religion, pride in one's team, your town, state or region of the country, then again to one's country and so on, as we ALL belong to larger and larger groups.
This is most natural when life is not 100% caught up in just the daily struggle to survive (food/shelter). But when some outside force threatens more than one race/religion, state or country, this is when the lines blend more and people become united as a group to protect themselves against a common foe.
And his kicker is: only when we are invaded from space will all the earth's people truly become one.
Now that one kept ME awake!
If interested, check out the chapter in the book on race for the exact idea, as I'd hate to have annihilated his genius in trying to relate it to you. But he has a gift for putting highly complex things into a simple, big picture view, and you feel like someone is telling you the secrets of life. He finds we are no different than we ever have been... and while that means our struggles may seem fruitless, there is an odd comfort in seeing we also aren't getting "worse" as a society, going to hell as we progress...
I wrestle often with the unanswerable question -- are people inherently good or bad at their core? I come up with conflicting answers, + sufficient evidence to prove each, and therefore am no closer to knowing... Seems there's the capacity for both. So, I end up turning my attention to a place where I can affect things -- how I live my life, doing what I can do to contribute to the world on any level. And in that I find some peace.
I think it's really great to see everyone cares about this issue, regardless of their view, and I certainly appreciate being exposed to all of them.
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