Who can say "ho", and who can not, and should Don Imus have gotten fired over it?

Question

Recently, Don Imus on his talk show referred to Rutgers basketball team ladies as "nappy-headed ho's". Now, who gets the call on who can say the term, and who cant? My personal opinion, if Imus can't say it, then no other rapper or comedian can say it either.

And should he have got fired over the scandal? My other opinion, is no. I'm black, but he should have at least got some months off and some public services done in, but not fired.

Answer 1

i think a suspension and an apology would have been enough, i hate the fact that he got fired from cbs because al sharpton said so. i think they were considering keeping him but got bullied into doing otherwise. i dont know why sharpton has to protest everything, i would appreciate it if i felt he was being sincere, but he just likes publicity and to put on a show. i do think the ladies deserved that apology, and imus should have had a suspension with no pay, and donate that money he lost to a charity. isaiah washington got rehab for saying f****t and mel gibson got more famous for what he said, so i do find it kind of unfair.

Answer 2

America is well know for the freedom of speech clause, so the phrase "nappy headed Ho's" is up for grabs, the rappers seem to take no heed in saying them (that is what makes them money isn't it.) I am a black/Hispanic woman and frankly I'm tired of the race card being pulled. I do believe that Imus maliciously said "nappy headed Ho's" but I don't believe we should have fired him for saying so, and if so we need to get rid of lots of celebs; Eddie Griffin, D L Hugely, Seinfeld, and many more. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are for making things better for African Americans but as well their full of S***; they should have been let go along time ago. Honestly in my opinion African American men disrespect their women more by the way they treat and talk to them. This country is all for making things better for the people; but for some things it's just half A** backwards.

Answer 3

Agreed 100%....ia m all for ending the use of the n-word and other derogatory comments against all races. The problem is that no one is protesting the rappers or other entertainers that use this type of language. My wife and I personally do not allow our children to listen to this nonsense and neither do we but on the larger scale no one boycotts the music label for allowing the gangster rapper from using this language.

As long as people are willing to pay for it and the masses will not put a stop to it...there will be a double standard that is created in society. Imus only got fired because sponsors began pulling revenue from the show and the networks responded....if consumers force sponsors to pull their fundign from the so called hard core rappers and other defamists then they would be out of business..

Answer 4

It was his sponsors that walked away with their money that got Imus fired. I personally think he should have been canned anyway. I dont know about anyone else here, but if i were to say the stuff that he did, I would get fired from my job for harassment. I think its perfectly fair that he get fired too. If i cant be a bad joke making jerk, then neither can he. Think about it this way, if you were at work, and heard someone begin a joke with... A nappy-haired black guy......In some places you can get away with crap like that, but I think most people would end up in the managers office or HR department, either getting fired, suspended, or sent to "sensitivity training". Thats just my 2 pennies.

Answer 5

Well, "who can say '"ho"'?" I would think 1.) the lady herself, 2.)anyone visting the lady's place of business (sic), and 3.) the lady's "co-workers", if in fact they ARE all "working girls". Otherwise, at best it's an unbelieveably disrespectful thing to say, and in dear old Don's case, unbelievably stupid, and inaccurate and despicable. He certainly knows better. These women are talented , respected ATHLETES!! for crying out loud! As to should he be fired, I think a looong rest in a psyhciatric ward is an excellent option! He's not new, and he surely apologized quickly enough! He knew better, and I would love to hear what in the !#*%!! he was thinking! As to no other rapper or comedian can say it either...1.) Don is neither one, 2.) I have no problem with noone saying it. I think while we're modifying freedom of speech, the word "b****" needs to be off limits too! Freedom of speech DOES NOT guarantee no consequences!

Answer 6

As a woman I feel he should not have been fired or even apoligized. I can see that there are bigger things to worry over-I don't have tunnel vision. The fact that this idiotic situation is all over the news while real issues are being ignored (like the war, like the Pres latest legal scandal or Bush attacking the House Speaker for going overseas) is just beyond me.

Sharpton and Jackson are grandstanding as always and it cost this guy his job, affected his wife's job (she had a book on links of environmental factors to cancer come out this week and her publisher cancelled the book tour), and landed the NJ gov in the hospital. For what? As one black columnist said today on the the Today Show-this is allowing the team to be victims and play into needing to be saved. They are allowing this to be an issue by not dropping it. I can't speak to being black-but as a woman, I feel like they are making it seem like we can't take a little comment and move on. Like we need the salvation of a bunch of men any time we are attacked. Where are the strong female leaders in all of this? The coach has yet to strike me as that person, she is just feeding into the whole thing.

People say ugly things all the time-as a woman you ignore it and move on, you don't hold a press conference pity party. To me the reaction to it is the worst part. And still, no one says anything about the other celebs doing this-where is outrage at Snopp Dog, 50 Cent, Eminem, Chris Rock, Dave Chappel, the list goes on and on. I have heard absurd defences for them from "younger and in tune with how real people talk" to "it's ok in that culture to say it but not for anyone outside the culture". What? 50 Cent contributes how much to kids with cancer? What good works does he do that I missed? Just be honest with it folks-an old white guy said it so it is ok to attack him. When Sharpton goes after 50 with this same force-then I might listen to the man.

Answer 7

I agree with you too and I am also black however, the fact that he is a white man who made that comment towards the rutgers is alot more painful then rappers saying it.. These rappers are just selling music and no black women has really said anything to make it a big issue if it is that insulting to them.
Most of these women are ho's and sleeping with these rappers because they are on television (groupies).. Rappers are not referring to all black women, just those particular women. Who gives all black women a bad name.. Some of those women are not even black, there are all types of women acting like ho's are being ho's...

Answer 8

i think of what Imus reported replaced right into slightly diverse than asserting: Torain additionally talked approximately as the couple's new child a ``little 0.5 a lo mein eater'' and reported he wanted to ``do an R. Kelly on your seed, on your little woman descendant. i might choose to tinkle on her,'' in accordance to the excerpts. yet ok even if. Imus is long gone, who cares. I also have a miles better concern with Jimmy the Greek and Rush Limbaugh being fired over their comments while Michael Irvin and Bryant Gumble reported issues that have been equivalent or worse. besides it is not suitable, whites will take it on the chin interior the standard public section till they get it collectively and value networks genuine money for his or her duplicity. interior the long-term the Imus firing is a sturdy ingredient for whites.

Answer 9

I call people ho's all the time. What about hollywood, Have you seen 40 Year Old virgin, he says Ho like 10 times in 2 minutes. I wonder if Imus had only said hos instead of nappy headed hos, would it be a different story? I dont know. Poeple say stuff all the time, and who freaking cares, please someone call me a cracker or slut or anything else and it wont bother me, because I coudl care less about most of the stuff that comes out of other people's mouths.

Cheers and have a nice day?

Answer 10

I don't agree at all with what he said, however; Howard Stern can put down anyone he wants and says whatever hes wants, but it's ok. I don't even watch Imus, but I think an apology like he did and suspension would have been enough. Freedom of speech I guess does not take effect.