Imus and ethics?

Question

I just asked this in law & ethics, but I would like an R&S take on it, too.

So they canned Imus. Okay, on one level, I don't care. I've never liked the guy, found him offensive, unpleasant, and annoying. I haven't even heard his show in years.

But here's the thing: for some reason, a large portion of the American populace likes hearing what this guy has to say. Isn't it censorship to deny them the right to hear his opinion based on the fact that he said offensive things? Yes, he owed specifically those women and generally all women and African Americans an apology. I personally think he should be "censored," but not by being banned from the airwaves. the way to censor people like that is to stop listening to them.

Is this any better than banning sex education or non-school led prayer in school? At what point do we have to admit that being offended is a part of living in a society where people are free to voice their opinions?

Answer 1

"Censored" is not the word I'd use to describe not listening to his show. To censor is to deny public access to a questionable material indefinitely. Without a doubt, political correctness is straight up hypocrisy. Blacks say nasty things and get paid but whites get fired if they slip up? However, need I remind you of several other people: Rush Limbaugh got booted off ESPN after a remark about a black football player. You know what? He's still on the air. Michael Savage got booted off the air for his antigay remarks. You know what? He's making money writing books bashing liberals left and right. Ann Coulter called Edwards "a ******". Did she get a boot? As far I could tell, no. Bill Maher got booted off NBC after he made a poorly thought out remark about the military several days after 9/11. You know what? He came back with "Real Time With Bill Maher" on HBO. Just goes to show you, political correctness ain't the only thing that factors into this. So is Don Imus being banned? I'm not so sure about that. Sure, the networks dropped him. But I don't think he's gonna disappear. He'll be back albeit on another station. Or maybe he could take the Michael Savage route and savage the liberals left and right.

Answer 2

For years Imus has gloated as Howard Stern took the hard knocks (and fines) for being offensive. Imus never defended Howard, and in fact, he hated him. Now like it or not, Howard was bullied out of the radio market and went satellite because he had no choice. He was censored right off the air. He's doing really well now on Sirius, but that's beside the point. No one stood up for Howard's right of free speech and he warned that when he left the airwaves, those who did not stand up for him would be targeted.

So Imus, take your lumps. You didn't stand up when it mattered so now you know how it feels to have your rights taken away from you.

Having said all that, I think Imus being fired is ridiculous. I do not believe in censorship of any kind. If you don't like what Imus has to say, it's really rather simple....turn the channel on your radio and/or tv dial. He did not say anything so horrendous that it deserves this much of a response. But I must say that it appears Howard's prediction is coming true.

Answer 3

It's a shame that they ruined a guys career over a mild slight.

1) The only ones he really had to apologize to were the girls. Nobody else was affected. And he only had to apologize for the choice of words, not the intent of what he said. Though, really, I don't think the girls were traumatized by his rank attempt at humor using words he heard from common rap music. If so, then black radio stations are history.

2) Too many people focus on the words used instead of what is said with the words. I can use the F word to compliment someone and say the vilest things with a first grade vocabulary. It's not the words used that matter as much as what is said with them.

3) Imus said nothing that was against any rules.

4) The networks dropped him as he was about to raise money for sick kids. This shows that the networks are more concerned with their stupid political correctness than any real compassion towards people.

BTW, Imus has still managed to raise 2.5 million dollars to help sick kids and his radiothon is still continuing, even though the radiothon has been dropped from syndication.

If you'd like to contribute to the radiothon, the number is:
877-877-6464

Answer 4

Imus sparked a national outrage on April 4, 2007, when during a racially-charged discussion about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, he referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."[7] At 6:00pm that evening, Media Matters for America became the first news outlet to report the remarks, transcribing:
“ IMUS: So, I watched the basketball game last night between -- a little bit of Rutgers and Tennessee, the women's final.

ROSENBERG: Yeah, Tennessee won last night -- seventh championship for [Tennessee coach] Pat Summitt, I-Man. They beat Rutgers by 13 points.

IMUS: That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and --

McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.

IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some -- woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like -- kinda like -- I don't know.

McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.

IMUS: Yeah.

McGUIRK: The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes -- that movie that he had.
”

There were African-American players on both the Rutgers and Tennessee teams. Imus initially dismissed the incident as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing."

However, two days later, amid mounting calls for his firing, Imus issued a statement of apology:

"I want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, which lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday. It was completely inappropriate and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry."

On April 9, Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's syndicated radio talk show to address the controversy. Sharpton called the comments "abominable", "racist", and "sexist", and repeated his earlier demand that Imus be fired. Imus said, "Our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far. Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it."






Don Imus’ behavior has often drawn the attention of the press. He famously called Rush Limbaugh "a fat, pill-popping loser" and Lesley Stahl a "gutless, lying weasel." His exchange of insults ("fat pig") regarding his show’s former news reader, Contessa Brewer, made news as did Brewer's response ("cantankerous old fool"). When Tucker Carlson brought up Brewer on the program in 2005, Imus hung up on him, calling him "a bowtie-wearing pussy." Some of his targets have not been so prominent, and his attacks often display a more vindictive quality; see Other controversies.

Answer 5

I agree with your characterization of Imus. Never cared for him myself. But if you are going to take him off the air you need to remove all the rap music as well. Nothing is more offensive than that. Otherwise let the ratings dictate what stayw on just like everything else.

Seems like if anyone makes a comment that is not politically correct, that is usually casting any light on the deviants of our society (not saying that these basket ball players were that) there is hell to pay but you can say anything you want, or protray anyway you want, offensively Christianianity or moral people and they will even pay you for it and call it the Arts.

No worries though, God is not mocked. He will let them dig their own grave, so to speak, and He will have the last say.

Answer 6

I'm like you, didn't really get into his show but I had a lot of friends of mine that got up early because they enjoyed his opinion. I'm about fed up with political correctness. If blacks say bad things about whites then it isn't even frowned upon. If Snoop Dog had a talk show and said slang things about young white female athletes do you think the press would have had a fit. I'm not saying the girls shouldn't have been mad but geez. Censorship is getting out of hand. An apology was fine, I felt he was sincere, and hopefully Imus will get on with another network.

And another point I want to make is..............
A lot of black men of that age group call their women hos. Ho doesn't mean over active sexually anymore it means younger women who are not married or something like that. Like pimp doesn't mean selling women for sex anymore it has a slang meaning. Heck there is TV show called Pimp My Ride. I know that isn't just for the traditional pimps since its illegal to sell sex in most states. I know they also use nappy headed a lot. I call a guy friend thats white and 46 nappy headed all the time because he has extremely curly hair and I'm not being insulting just playing with him. Blacks are the ones that have changed the english language and its reverse discrimination if we cannot speak it too.

Answer 7

Yes and I don't like Imus much, but just why is it that black people can use the most offensive language all the time and get away with it? But I think Imus will be back without any help from MSNBC or CBS, he doesn't need them.

But liberals think they can control our country and this the way they try to do it. Funny though, Imus, is far from being a conservative, go figure that one. But he is white so....?

Answer 8

Imus was fired because the networks (NBC and CBS) were going to lose sponsors (read money) if they didn't fire him. Given that his remarks were disgusting, and given that the Rutgers players are some terrific girls, what else is going on?

Economic interests are served by those same words (and a lot worse) being aired regularly on BET, MTV, Comedy Central, etcetera. No one raises the issue on those platforms because it's making them money. There is absolutely nothing on earth as demeaning to Black women as some of the best-selling rap videos.

Follow the money.

Answer 9

I don't condone what Imus said, he was wrong & apoligized. I don't think he should have been fired. He has raised lots of money for cancer research & sent kids to his working ranch. There is good in the man.What about the lyrics in Rap songs & gangster raps that degrade black women, where is the uproar about that? How come Issaic Washington(Grey's Anatomy star) got to go to a class on social tolerance, for his slurs about gays,while he works with one. Where was Al Sharpton then? Can't believe Jessie Jackson missed this photo op either, would it be because Washington was black?
There is Freedom of speech, we may not like what they say , but they have the right to voice their opinions.

Answer 10

When I voice my opinion, it isn't heard around the world and I am not getting paid a tremendous amount of money. When I express my opinion, I am not in a position to set race relations back, way back. Regardless of what black people call each other, these young women did not deserve to hear what he said. They were setting a great example for other young people of all races. The real question he needs to be asked is, why did he target this team for this abuse. I think the answer is obvious on a couple of points, race and gender.
He had a powerful tool to use as he saw fit and mis-used it.