Saturday, April 14, 2007
My Last (I hope) word on Imus
by Ken Houghton
My last word follows from Mark Cuban's:
And I fully expect that Imus (and, unfortunately, 'The I-Man') will end up on HBO or Sirius or XM or some other non-public airwave.* Which is fine; there are enough straight white males on the public airwaves trying to make other SWMs feel superior to others as a substitute for accomplishing anything themselves.
Let's see him survive in the private sector. As with the comedians Mannion and Mahablog were discussing, there's probably a demand; the question is whether it will produce a return on capital, or is already mature and declining. I know which way I would bet.
Let's see if Mark Cuban decides to put his money where his mouth is.
Note to readers: I've deleted several comments in the thread below by mutual agreement between Gary Farber, Bill Patterson, and me. If you've arrived here via a link at alt.fan.heinlein, I commend Patterson's forthcoming Heinlein bio for all the information provided in the deleted comments and much, much more.
*Assuming he doesn't just decide that, at age 67, he can take some time for his charity and his second family. (He appears to have forgotten his first, a la Robert A. Heinlein.)
The basketball team has continued to be the only classy thing about the whole episode, and it may well have cost us a governor, though that can't be blamed on Imus or Rutgers, but rather...well, let Jim MacDonald at Making Light explain.
My last word follows from Mark Cuban's:
Now for one last comment. If the Imus show was on HDNet would I have fired him ? Hell no. I would have expected him to apologize, but he would have kept his job. Firing him would just get him a job on HBO.
And I fully expect that Imus (and, unfortunately, 'The I-Man') will end up on HBO or Sirius or XM or some other non-public airwave.* Which is fine; there are enough straight white males on the public airwaves trying to make other SWMs feel superior to others as a substitute for accomplishing anything themselves.
Let's see him survive in the private sector. As with the comedians Mannion and Mahablog were discussing, there's probably a demand; the question is whether it will produce a return on capital, or is already mature and declining. I know which way I would bet.
Let's see if Mark Cuban decides to put his money where his mouth is.
Note to readers: I've deleted several comments in the thread below by mutual agreement between Gary Farber, Bill Patterson, and me. If you've arrived here via a link at alt.fan.heinlein, I commend Patterson's forthcoming Heinlein bio for all the information provided in the deleted comments and much, much more.
*Assuming he doesn't just decide that, at age 67, he can take some time for his charity and his second family. (He appears to have forgotten his first, a la Robert A. Heinlein.)
Labels: commonweal, Imus, Mannion, public v. private, Rutgers
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
In the Case You Missed It (Rutgers)
by Ken Houghton
Two press releases in my inbox last night, one from the President of the University, the other from one of the leaders of our local (Newark) campus.
If the people at WFAN/CBS/MSNBC are hoping this is going to go away two weeks from now, I expect they are wrong. But, as I noted below, they're only in it for the money anyway.
Meanwhile, catch Jemele Hill's column at ESPN, which concludes
The General puts the faces to the 'nappy-headed hos'.
Two press releases in my inbox last night, one from the President of the University, the other from one of the leaders of our local (Newark) campus.
If the people at WFAN/CBS/MSNBC are hoping this is going to go away two weeks from now, I expect they are wrong. But, as I noted below, they're only in it for the money anyway.
Meanwhile, catch Jemele Hill's column at ESPN, which concludes
But none of this has anything to do with Imus, whose apology I can't accept or take seriously. Imus has become a Hall of Fame broadcaster using race-baiting, offensive tactics. He is routinely offensive to people of color and women, and if he needs to lose his job to understand that there is no place for that, so be it.
As a society, there are times when we need to stand together against indecency and cruelty.
Labels: college basketball, Imus, Rutgers
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
I Keep Getting Pulled Back In
by Ken Houghton
I wasn't going to do this—as I said below, others have covered this ground, well—but the homemade CD I brought for the car today refused to play anything past Track 1, so I had to shift to the radio. And since my normal listening station was doing Yeshiva League Sports Updates (like regular sports updates, but with more cliches), I was left flipping between Whoopie, the Rock of New Jersey, and New York's Classic Rock station (if Classic Rock were limited to White bands).
And Jim Kerr,* who should know better, started talking about Imus.
Defending Imus.
Defending dialog of which Ron Allen of MSNBC rightly notes:
Kerr* inadvertently let slip the whole reason for the fooforah:
Imus is getting a lot of free publicity. It's probably the first time people are talking about him in several years.
Kerr* presented the other BS defences: he's doing comedy, he's been humiliated enough, he's tried to make things right with Coach Stringer and her players,** he's really, really sorry and it will never happen again (this was, after all, only the 47th time, give or take a few). UPDATE: And, of course, he attacked the character of Imus's attackers.
UPDATE: Via Dr. Black, Imus appears to be getting tired of making fake apologies, or, as he calls it, "playing."
I was going to do a furious post about that this morning—I'm reprogramming the radio, removing Q104.3 from autosets—but then I saw the comments of another MSNBC-affiliated professional . Al Roker:
That's an understatement. Imus has been on a Glorious Tour: yesterday, Sharpton. Today, Today. Imus can, and probably will, spend the two weeks of his "suspension" appearing all over the place, receiving scale and keeping himself in the spotlight. Roker again:
Roker declares that the best case is that Imus gets a new job elsewhere. And declares himself the "victim," while the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team—which performed beyond all expectation, doesn't have a senior on it, and has been the only classy thing about this entire roundelay—has to wonder how they got shunted and shamed and became pariahs for coming within one game of a National Championship.
*UPDATE: Corrected, and my deepest apologies to Pat St. John for the initial mistake.
**He'll get the chance, privately, which is another indication that the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team and their coach have more class and style than Imus ever will, and that the remark is, if anything, even more over the line than it was when uttered.
***This has been underemphasized. It was McGuirk, after all, who first irrredemably described the Rutgers team as "some hard-core hos," and continued by describing the game as "The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes" If anything, Imus's initial response was a downplaying of McGuirk's statement.
This is for Max.
I wasn't going to do this—as I said below, others have covered this ground, well—but the homemade CD I brought for the car today refused to play anything past Track 1, so I had to shift to the radio. And since my normal listening station was doing Yeshiva League Sports Updates (like regular sports updates, but with more cliches), I was left flipping between Whoopie, the Rock of New Jersey, and New York's Classic Rock station (if Classic Rock were limited to White bands).
And Jim Kerr,* who should know better, started talking about Imus.
Defending Imus.
Defending dialog of which Ron Allen of MSNBC rightly notes:
But I still can't forget those words: "nappy headed hos," and then more banter about "jigaboos and wannabes." Where did that come from? How could Imus -- and don't forget his producer -- feel comfortable enough to think that's funny? How could they not anticipate a firestorm? When people speak that way publicly, it makes you wonder what's said, and felt, in private?
If you say the words out loud rather than just listening to them or reading them, each carries even more power. And they strike at the heart of the negative images that so many people have fought so many battles to rid our culture and society of. When I hear those words, I think of people I know -- the insults they endured, and more importantly, the injustices along the way. We're reminded that some of America's most horrible history -- history we hope to leave in our past -- happened during our lifetimes. We're reminded of parents and grandparents who combed and brushed our tightly curled hair.
Kerr* inadvertently let slip the whole reason for the fooforah:
It's radio's Spring Sweeps time.
Imus is getting a lot of free publicity. It's probably the first time people are talking about him in several years.
Kerr* presented the other BS defences: he's doing comedy, he's been humiliated enough, he's tried to make things right with Coach Stringer and her players,** he's really, really sorry and it will never happen again (this was, after all, only the 47th time, give or take a few). UPDATE: And, of course, he attacked the character of Imus's attackers.
UPDATE: Via Dr. Black, Imus appears to be getting tired of making fake apologies, or, as he calls it, "playing."
I was going to do a furious post about that this morning—I'm reprogramming the radio, removing Q104.3 from autosets—but then I saw the comments of another MSNBC-affiliated professional . Al Roker:
Don and his wife have done a lot of good things—raising money for charity, including a ranch for children suffering from cancer and blood disorders.
Yet, Don Imus needs to be fired for what he said. And while we’re at it, his producer, Bernard McGu[i]rk, needs to be canned as well. McGu[i]rk is just as guilty, often egging Imus on.***
The “I’m a good person who said a bad thing” apology doesn’t cut it. At least he didn’t try to weasel out of this by hiding behind alcohol or drug abuse. Still, he said it and a two-week suspension doesn’t cut it. It is, at best, a slap on the wrist. A vacation. Nothing....
Don Imus should do the right thing and resign. Not talk about taking a two-week suspension with dignity. I don’t think Don Imus gets it.
That's an understatement. Imus has been on a Glorious Tour: yesterday, Sharpton. Today, Today. Imus can, and probably will, spend the two weeks of his "suspension" appearing all over the place, receiving scale and keeping himself in the spotlight. Roker again:
After watching and listening to him this morning during an interview with Matt Lauer, Don Imus doesn’t get it. Maybe it’s being stuck in a studio for 35 years or being stuck in the 1980’s. Either way, it’s obvious that he needs to move on. Citing “context within a comedy show” is not an excuse.
He has to take his punishment and start over. Guess what? He’ll get re-hired and we’ll go on like nothing happened. CBS Radio and NBC News needs to remove Don Imus from the airwaves. That is what needs to happen. Otherwise, it just looks like profits and ratings rule over decency and justice.
Roker declares that the best case is that Imus gets a new job elsewhere. And declares himself the "victim," while the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team—which performed beyond all expectation, doesn't have a senior on it, and has been the only classy thing about this entire roundelay—has to wonder how they got shunted and shamed and became pariahs for coming within one game of a National Championship.
*UPDATE: Corrected, and my deepest apologies to Pat St. John for the initial mistake.
**He'll get the chance, privately, which is another indication that the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team and their coach have more class and style than Imus ever will, and that the remark is, if anything, even more over the line than it was when uttered.
***This has been underemphasized. It was McGuirk, after all, who first irrredemably described the Rutgers team as "some hard-core hos," and continued by describing the game as "The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes" If anything, Imus's initial response was a downplaying of McGuirk's statement.
Labels: college basketball, Imus, radio, Rutgers
Monday, April 09, 2007
Rutgers Achievements, Update
by Ken Houghton
That said,
Except to discuss this, which hadn't happened when she wrote her post, and especially:
Gee, ya think??
That's good, because I'm not certain I understand what he just said, unless it was "My producer and I may not be here five more years."
Some of his best friends? Maybe not, if all he could cite was his ranch where "[t]en percent of the children who come to the ranch are black."
That's good. Because if this is the best he can do, in the forum where he had the best chance to redeem himself and time to prepare, then he's going to have to have more interesting guests than Joe Lieberman to survive much longer, no matter how much Howie ignores him.
I didn't comment on the no-way-I-lose Women's College Basketball Final (Rutgers v. Tennessee, won by Pat Summit's team), in part because I had class and by the time I got home, it was clearly going to be Tennessee's day.
That said,
- It's good to see C. Vivian Stringer's team get some recognition. Unlike that other Rutgers sports team, which loses money when it does well, the Women's Basketball team has been competitive for years.
- About the Imus discussions, I have nothing to say that Angry Black Bitch didn't already say better, despite having none of those characteristics.
Except to discuss this, which hadn't happened when she wrote her post, and especially:
"Our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far," Imus said on "The Al Sharpton Show."
Gee, ya think??
"Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," he said on his show, which is nationally syndicated to millions of listeners. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean that it has to be that way for the next five years or whatever because that has to change, and I understand that."
That's good, because I'm not certain I understand what he just said, unless it was "My producer and I may not be here five more years."
"I'm not a white man who doesn't know any African-Americans," he said.
Some of his best friends? Maybe not, if all he could cite was his ranch where "[t]en percent of the children who come to the ranch are black."
Imus said he hoped to meet the Rutgers players and their parents and coaches, and that he was grateful for the appearance on Sharpton's nationally syndicated show.
"It's not going to be easy, but I'm not looking for it to be easy," Imus said.
That's good. Because if this is the best he can do, in the forum where he had the best chance to redeem himself and time to prepare, then he's going to have to have more interesting guests than Joe Lieberman to survive much longer, no matter how much Howie ignores him.
Labels: Angry Black Bitch, college basketball, Imus, Journamalism, Rutgers
