What's all the controversy about Don Imus? (Read details before answering, please!)?

Question

Yes. Don Imus overstepped his bounds and made a terribly inappropriate comment on the radio about the Rutgers team. Yes, disciplinary action (including his firing) should have occurred.

Someone asked me yesterday, "Scott, what do YOU think about the whole Imus thing?"

I said, "Well, I'm glad the Iraq war is finally over. I'm glad they've got enough doctors at Walter Reed. I'm glad they've fixed social security and medicare. I'm glad they've figured out how to revamp medicaid here in my home state, and it's a darn good thing they've finally fixed the whole healthcare crisis in America."

What?? You mean these problems HAVEN'T been solved yet? Then what the hell is the media doing covering Don Imus and Anna Nicole Smith?

Brian M: You obviously didn't read the details of my question.

Susan L: Are we on the same question here? I'm not trying to give away ANYTHING. In fact, my very point was about the slanted media coverage
in the US, and wishing for REAL news coverage instead of the Info-Tainment bull that we're fed by NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and FOX.

Answer 1

Are the media in the business of solving the problems of the world? Or simply covering the issues of the world? Local 6 here in Orlando who tout themselves as "The Problem Solvers" have the lowest ratings in metro Orlando.
It's all unfortunate, but true. It shows where people's values lie.

On another front, I'm a big proponent of people who are in the spotlight being role models, even if they are "shock jocks."
When they make a huge error in judgment, this is newsworthy.

It's bad enough that women's sports do not get the coverage, prestige, and honor in the media they deserve, it really is devastating to hear someone nationally syndicated denigrate women athletes both for their race and their sex. As a woman, I'm especially appalled, as a human, I'm sickened.
It's really horrible that the way that the women's NCAA finalists get big time coverage is when someone like Don Imus calls them names.

Despite Don Imus' comments being a seemingly 'lesser issue' than the Iraq war, veterans' healthcare, social security, medicare, medicaid, and the whole healthcare system, do his comments have a correlation to these larger problems? Yes. To not cover the controversy over his words would be unconscionable.

If we, as a society, allow folks to say things like this, without redress, we will continue to have the seemingly larger scale problems. It is attitudes of intolerance or even attitudes of just turning a deaf ear to the comments like that of Don Imus that contribute to the larger problems.

Don Imus has every right to say whatever he pleases, and have his first amendment rights protected, but so does CBS and msnbc have a right to fire him, and that too is newsworthy. Big time newsworthy.

A nationally-known commentator who demeaned women and people of color a news issue, even in the midst of war, financial crises, and healthcare debaucles? You bet.

And, by the way, the Anna Nicole Smith issue is newsworthy too. Her life and death is a reflection of those larger issues in American society: women's bodies [A multi-faceted issue-how they're portrayed in media, the weight loss businesses, cosmetic surgery, women's sexuality, etc ], substance abuse, inheritance laws, paternity, reality tv effects, international law, etc....not to mention just plain old intrigue.

Answer 2

The TRUTH behind the firing of Don Imus:

I truly believe Don Imus was fired because there weren't any other good news stories out there. The only major news story was about the father of Anna Nicole's baby (which was losing ratings because of repetativeness, and even when the real father was announced, it wasn't that interesting) . So most of the newscast time was then used on Don Imus. If you notice, newspapers didn't really keep repeating the Don Imus story. But the competativeness of television news kept giving this story steam.

People are going to tell you he said "nappy-headed hos" but you didn't actually hear it in the context of how it was said. If you were to actually listen to how he said it, you'd hear that he was laughing in the background while saying it. Don Imus is a responsible person who knows the ins and outs of broadcasting as he had so much experience with it. It is very sad when a man can say three words in a joke and was ultimatley fired for it. I am not backing him up on it, but was this the best way to treat the situation? You can relate this to the Halocast. Yes, there is a MAJOR difference between the deaths of 12 million people and one person firing of a job, but there is one similarity: The actions used as "punishment" for the "unacceptable nature" of the persons do not fit the crime. I believe that Imus should have been kept on the the two-week suspension to let the dust settle on the controversy. Now he will get a show on satellite radio and gain lnew isteners from the publicity. Now he can say WHATEVER he wants.

Answer 3

For some odd reason, the news doesn't like to cover important things. A while back, when I was still in middle school, we invited the news station to come see the NASA program we had invented in the school. It consisted of 8th graders acting as if we were in space and having to repair problems to our spacecraft. No one should up. Yet, 3-4 weeks later, when we had a bomb threat, they were pouring into the school trying to see how the students felt. Needless to say, the administration wouldn't let them on campus. It just goes to show that they could care less about things that are really important. They are too busy worrying about how people feel about stupid things. If they would have never even reported the Imus thing, it would not have even been thought about a week later. They made all the media hype out of something that rappers rap about every day. Don't see them going after rappers, right?

Answer 4

good question
Lets see...
First, main stream American media is a huge business. They are going to report on things that make them money. Old news does not make them money.

Second, we all like to watch the train wreck. The issues you brought up are important but they do not have the drama of Don Imus (or Anna Nicole, so glad that is over).

and for the million'th time (not for you Scott, for the others)... this is not a first ammendment issue (freedom of speach). The government did not fire him... his employer fired him. He can go work somewhere else and say what ever he wants as long as his boss lets him. He is not be sensored. His employer wants to keep making money and he has gotten to risky.

I like your question but find it a little ironic. Looking at your recent questions here I do not see any on the war, SS, medicare but yet you have this one on Don.

ps... I listen to NPR when I get tired of the BS. They are usually an informative news outlet. This week they have been covering this cr*p as much as everyone else.

Answer 5

You answered your own question after, 'Yes."

As a man, when I first heard the comment thought it was jocular, funny, and more of a harmless generalization, rather than an attack upon specific individuals, and it may well have been, and probably was.

But then, having recently met an older Black woman, being a professional,Christian, and mother, a decent person in every respect, decided that the guy had to go. He represents mainstream and while what he said may have a time and place, the national media is not that place, at any time.

If you want to play the jerk, you got to pay your dues, and you know it don't come easy...bye Imus!

Answer 6

You make some VERY valid points! I'm much more concerned about many other things than this.

other points that seem to be eluding most people:
1. Don Imus apologized.
2. Rappers consistently call women "Ho's", but no one is protesting against them.
3. While I wouldn't say those words, unless maybe I was describing someone that I KNEW behaved that way, this is still America & we are guaranteed Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Speech unless it hurts someone's feelings.

Answer 7

Our media outlets in the USA don't care about what the story is, they just want to be the first to report on it and provide their spin on it first. Imus and Anna aren't newsworthy stories, they belong on Jerry Springer, but tell that to the media moguls. I have stopped watching certain shows this week because of the overcoverage of these two people. I'd rather know about what Al Qaeda is doing to our soldiers in Iraq. That story hasn't gotten more than 2 minutes of airtime!

Answer 8

Watch Glenn Beck on Headline Prime he talks more about the border guards that became prisoner, or the beating of a 100 yr old baby than who had sex with jessica simpson or Don Imus

Answer 9

I agree, but I also understand the psychology behind it. Imus/Smith are each one person. The other issues you bring up are big, seemingly impossible to deal with and even comprehend. It's easier to be outraged or feel an attachment (or revulsion) or simply have an opinion you can defend about one person. In other words, people can relate to scandals and furor over one person. Each of us believe we know what we would do in that person's place. Big (and truly important) issues are far harder to get excited over because there is no feeling of control or power.

Edit: Brian....Imus is way Liberal. You really need to know what you are talking about.

Answer 10

When your media company gets off the ground, you can cover the Iraq war exclusively. For now, we'll just have to struggle along with NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and the rest of them. Bummer!