Sharpton's comments about Imus firing, if sincere, are fair enough.?

Question

Will we see Sharpton take a similar stance against racially and sexist charged movie themes, one-liners in comedy, and lyrics in rap music now that he has taken such a strong position against a radio personality? If he does, then he will have my support and respect. Will he call for the boycott of Spike Lee films? HBO? Showtime? Death Row Records? Def Jam Recordings? Jive Records? I mean, come on!! "Pimp the Ho?!?!?!" I don't see anyone marching in front of Too Short's mansion. If so, then Sharpton will have my respect and I will applaud him and support him. Will he dare carry out an all-out attack against these media mecas as well? Or would that make him lose favor with his constituency? I am betting that this is all for a while for Sharpton until another white man steps out of line and treads where only "pimps" are allowed to go.

Tray Jay or jdubble22. Easy enough to hide behind an email? I assume your real name is not Tray Jay. Maybe it is Jay Dubble? Or maybe Ms 22? I cannot afford bodyguards. I am not a rapper making a buck off using degrading language about my own race and rapping total degrading garbage about women. The words and phrases "******" "mah ******" "fo shizzle my nizzle" ****** please" "nappy head" "nappy-headed ho" "yo *****" "my *****" "****** with attitude" "bitches" "one of my bitches" "pimp" "pimp daddy" "high yellah" "*******" "wannabee" all of these orginated or are kepy alive by black entertainment. This kind of slang is copied by black people, perpetuated and kept alive and has become the cultural identity of Black America. One old white guy slips up and forgets for a moment that he doesn't have a black race membership card and birthright permit, makes a lame attempt at being hip, after being prompted to do so by his producer and you apply the double standard. That's the deal.

Answer 1

While I abhore tha language used by Hip Hop and Rap artists to degrade women of color and women in general, you have to take into account that its the FCC and predominately white execs that hold all the power in determining what gets said, printed, and distributed in the music industry and played on the airways. Bottom line, it's all about money, and if sex, violence, profanity, and degrading comments against women continue to sell CDs, they will continue to approve such lanaguage for use in music. But is this racism? In my opinion it's more about sexism, and as long as the Jay-Zs, Snoops, and Fifty Cents of the the music industry continue to make them money, we will continue to hear such language. In regards to Imus, and although there may be some who will see this as a double standard, his choice of words became rascist when they came out of his white mouth -- a white man degrading the appearances of the black women on the team. Was it fair to fire him? I would say yes, merely because this was not the first time he has said such things. Plus, firing wasn't even an option considered until the sponsers pulled out, then he got fired. So, his freedom of speech was tolerated at some point, at least until the loss of money became a threat. In addition, if Ius had insulted the wife of a CBS or NBC exec by calling her a Ho om the radio, he would have been fired quickly. Think on this . . .while everyone out there is yelling freedom of speech and double standards, I'd like to see how many of you would be bold enough to say the same things in a public forum for all to hear. It's easy to hide behind an e-mail.

Michael . . I agree with most of what you have siad, but remember Imus has said these things before so they are hardly a slip. I wouldn't mind engaging in further dialogue with you --perhaps we can help eduate each other. Send me an e-mail, and I would be happy to reveal more about who I am off-line.

Haven't heard from you Michael.

Michael . .got your okay, but not sure if you got my message. You may have to update your profile to allow yourself to receive e-mails -- currently you don't allow them.

Answer 2

Spike Lee films, HBO, Showtime, Death Row Records, Def Jam Recordings, Jive Records are smarter than Imus because they know their audience.

They are not right, they are just smarted.

It will not be intelligent for Al Sharpton to go after any of these groups until they do something stupid and blatantly racist. If he marched in front of Too Short's mansions, his record sale will go through the roof and he will make more songs with offensive language because Al Sharpton will have made him a super-star.

Al Sharpton's job is to fight institutional racism. It may not be right but that's what he does. Pimp's and Ho's do not participate in institutional racism so that's not his concern. It should be but it's not.

Answer 3

Until there is actual discourse regarding race relations, nothing is changing. Al Sharpton calling for Imus' resignation reeks of pandering to the lowest common denominator. Add to this the victim complex that a [i]very tiny vocal minority[/i] of black people use when anything they hear "offends" them, you have the same, tired old soundbites. Until blacks stop calling each other (insert racial epithets here), and scream racism when a white person does the same, the hypocrisy will continue. Blacks must also stop calling white people "whitey", "cracker" in the name of "humor". Racism is racism is racism. I, for one, am NOT an Imus fan, nor ever have/will be. However, for a country which champions "free speech", this has become a joke. We have to look at the true problems of our society, instead of blaming your own failures on everyone else. Those who are successful, study and work hard to get there. Al Sharpton is not speaking for educated people. He's simply attempting to exploit 3 words for his own agenda, which is to continue to drive a wedge in race relations.

Answer 4

You guys are pathetic. All this proves is that racism is alive and well in the USA. Do we want to be able to get away with name calling anyone? When was the last time you heard a Black radio host or a politician or anyone with "power" (key word being power) say anything so degrading to anyone so undeserved. Imus even says it was wrong. Your attempt to throw the guilty blanket over those who complain is rediculous. This is a racist society. Do we want to make it better? Or start calling white folks derogatory names..(somehow honky or cracker does not equate to the n word).
I dare anyone of you to go into a "black" bar and say some of this crap.

BTW Al went to jail for all Puerto Ricans (white ones included )to stop the bombing.

Answer 5

everything al does is based on color alone. so no you will not be seeing him boycott any black supported companies or spike lee. he wanted the duke players prosecuted without a fair trial. why? because they are white and from well to do families. he lives in a glass house and someone needs to take away his stones.
we are now living in a world where what ever is said is judged on what color we are not right and wrong. i can call people honky or even cracker, so can a black person, but let me call them the "N" word even if it is nappy and I'll be called a racist. what ever happened to turn about is fair play???
i place jessie jackson in the same boat with al sharpton.
they aren't "pimps they are "punks"

going into a "black bar" would be the same as you going into a white one in some redneck town and standing there calling them crackers or honky's. so don't act like there is any difference. as far as the word cracker and honky they are the same as me calling you a ******. i can't and don't understand why you would get worked up over being called that...**** ...blacks call each other ****** so what's the difference?? they are all words that are supposed to degrade so in my view cracker and honky are exactly the same as ******.
sharpton might have gone to Puerto Rico and been arrested but that was because the navy was using one of the islands as a bombing range... not because someone was misstreated. don't add more to it when it was all about publicity to begin with.

Answer 6

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are bigots and have confirmed that with their responses to this problem. All they want is to get the publicity so they will jump at any and every opportunity to get their bigoted faces into the public eye. Look at their histories and their pasts and look at their actions in the present. Al Sharpton paraded his daughter on the air and asked Don Imus (who was a fool for going on Sharpton's show) if she was a "nappy headed hoe" and that she worked there. If I had been his daughter, I would have slapped his face for using me like that. However, he just showed his true colors and his bigotry and his propensity to use whoever and whatever to make a name for himself.

Answer 7

I agree with you completly. What they are doing is called racisim. They treat one group of people differently from another. No one looks at it like that though. People feel that if you are of one race it is ok to say harmful racisit things about your race. But the think that you crossed the line when you say it about another race. If equality is what they are looking for they need to police their own race first and do away with the lyrics in rap, Trya Banks (saying nappy head on her show) and of course movies. However, if they tried to sancation the rappers, or movies people would cry out censorship, or that their right to free speech was being treaded on. D & G Gifts Etc

Answer 8

I have a hunch you are right. Sharpton and Jackson as well. They rushed in and judged the Duke players guilty but are they apologizing to them, no. Rap music consistently denigrates women and no one says anything. I guess only white men can be wrong for saying something so derogatory.

Answer 9

Folks Michael does make a very valid point here-------Al Sharpton has destroyed his credibility long ago by a proven track record of racist actions and statements.--Here is an opportunity for Al------or any member of the black community for that matter------to gain validity and credibility Al or someone needs to step up to the plate and call for change.---we can do better than all this mess-----and we need leaders who will have the courage to be good role models.....we need to end the hate and bitterness.

Answer 10

And we both KNOW that's never going to happen. I distrust just about everything about Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, their motives are rarely genuine. They've always got an angle, and it usually benefits them or their particular cause at that moment.