Imus's "Nappy headed ho's" comment?

Question

Frankly, I don't agree with Imus on most issues, but in my view, people are taking this comment he made way too far. Why isn't anyone scolding the rappers for their foul language, and personal attacks? Also, women's basketball team is acting pathetic in my opinion. I mean, come on! They seem to be giving this man way too much power over them. In my opinion, everyone needs to, as my daughter would say, "GET OVER IT!" What say you all?

Excuse me java, but I do read the news, and the fact that the women's basketball team made an issue of it all was a shame. Most were saying they were, "crushed", "devastated". Come on!!

I'll be 41 next month, and my mother is Native American. Racist? Not hardly.

Are any of you whom disagree with me going to address the rappers, and their outrageous rhetoric?!

John O- Not at all. I know my daughter isn't any of those things, and I have the maturity to rise above it, and so does she. It's nothing to me.

Soulsflow, I don't agree with Paris Hilton's behavior, or lifestyle, but that's not the point. Paris Hilton does get called down frequently by the media. She's often called a "brainless bimbo", "a slut..." I guess it's you that doesn't pay attention to things. Give me a break! You're right, those women have accomplished a lot, and I'm sure it wasn't easy, but yet, they're letting this old man have power over them. Pathetic.

TerryO, aren't rappers always degrading women, calling them "bitches, and ho's"? Yes, indeed they are. Why aren't you outraged at that? This women shouldn't be offended, because indeed, they're NOT "nappy-headed ho's". I think blacks should get over it, whites, women should get over it, and everybody else!

lokisuit, please. My mother is Native American, and has told us nightmare stories about how she was treated as a kid. She got over it, and lets no one get her down. I think maybe you should join the Black Panthers.

Misguide, I agree with you. EVERYONE should be held to the same standards. As for the women basketball team, I still think it's a shame that these women let this man have so much power over them, and made it verbally known. Thanks for the intelligent response with no personal attacks.

ProudAmerican, thanks for the response, and I think you've made an excellent point!

Excellent point, Shawna!

=^..^=IrieGirl=^..^= , The rappers have a powerful voice that reaches millions. Yes, they should be held to the very same standard as Imus was held to, and for you not to think so makes you a hypocrite, with all due respect.

Answer 1

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

This is a chance for 8 girls to play the victim and hit the talk show circuit. And also a chance for Sharpton and Jackson to grab the spotlight again.

I don't agree with what Imus said but like everyone else if I was that offended I could just change the channel on the radio.

Most of the public that are outraged by this never heard of Imus or listened to his show to see that while he makes many off-color remarks he in no way a racist.

I can honestly say Jackson and Sharpton are far more racist than Don Imus. But as always, people need to victimize themselves.

Answer 2

I think you're only looking at the surface of the matter. Imus is only the culmination of an issue that's been getting more and more heated for a very long time.

And although it's not been on the forefront of the issues, a great number of individuals and organizations have been trying to take rappers, comedians and other public figures to task on the same and similar points...it's just never presented itself in such a large, mainstream audience before.

This kind of language does need to be curbed particularly when directed at women who have done nothing but conduct themselves in an exemplary way, such as the team. They did nothing to deserve to be labeled this way and worked hard athletically and academically to get where they are. Also keep in mind that it wasn't the basketball team who demanded Imus' ouster...it was a bunch of so-called reverends who convieniently forgot a few of the principles of the bible they hold in such high regard...judge not lest ye be judged, let he who is without sin cast the first stone, turn the other cheek...the list goes on.

Though it can't be easy for them because they come from an era in which racism and discrimination were much more mainstream and "in-your-face".

Personally, I don't think Imus is a racist...he, like so many other people, are just repeating what he hears in the unfettered media in an effort to be cool, or hip or more likely, to keep his listeners coming back.

Coming back to the team and the terms used to describe them...say you're a little african american girl and you see these women who have worked so hard to get where they are and you aspire to that...they make you think that you can do anything you want...and then some famous guy in the media dismisses them as "nappy-headed 'hos" in spite of all that...that little girl might think, why should I even try to achieve something...they're still going to call me that anyway. Kids are impressionable and that can do a lot of damage on that score.

I do agree with you that they did give him way too much power and all along I've been thinking, they can make this mess all go away and take their glory back by FORGIVING HIM and getting on with their lives, but that's probably not such an easy thing to do, I can't pretend to know how they were feeling. He may still have been fired, but it's well known that the only way you can move on after someone has wronged you is to forgive and continue on. Anything else just feeds the anger.

Answer 3

then YOU get over it....

I played basketball and I have seen how women are treated. They have probably been dealing with this most of their lives, which is why it is so hurtful...

Can you imagine (you can't but okay) playing your heart out and all someone said was how bad you looked while doing it?

You cannot imagine what this means to a black woman in particular.

If someone had said something mean and hateful about the Pope, Paris Hilton, or the someone else you care about, you can bet there would be more anger...especially if he had been black.

They accepted the apology, but the hurt is still there. If you knew the real facts, you would know their meeting with him was not to "give him power" but to try and assuage some of the hateful emotions coming from this incident.

It won't be over now because people in this racist country and world are sad because how dare we speak up when offended. It is the opinion of the land that everyone should just say anything about anyone at anytime and have the right to do it. There is also an underlying mentality that anytime BLACK PEOPLE in particular are offended, we have no right to say anything and how dare we...

Don't tell me what to feel and think. I can be angry even if YOU or the other racists that populate the world don't like.

And BLACK LEADERS can protest whatever they wish. Your leaders protest everything, and kill people to boot.

As for rappers, the same leaders working on this are working on them too. Rap sales are down. And they have a lot to do with that. Rappers said ho, but not "nappy headed ho" which is a different term with different meanings. And most rap is bought by non black people.

Just because YOU are familiar with the campaigns don't say what people should do.

Mind your business and let me mind my own.

Answer 4

I don't like Imus for what he did, and frankly I don't like Jesse or Al for things they've done and the way they exploit racism. But quite honestly what does rap have to do with a radio talk show that has some of the most important political figures of the day and says it has serious political issues to talk about?
Rap is entertainment, and even though I don't agree with alot of the music, you usually have to buy the album to hear "ho" and "b*tch." Comedians like Chris Rock use the N word, but on HBO...you don't hear it being dropped on his "Everybody Hates Chris" sitcom on regular TV. I'm not sure why the knee jerk reaction is to compare a man who has people like John Kerry and John McCain on his show to a rapper like Ludicris. The two are totally different. He was on a show on basic cable that anyone can get (and has to get since you can barely get TV without it) in the morning, calling a group of accomplished young ladies "ho." Not an HBO special or an album labeled "parental advisory."

And by the way there were white girls on the team and black women do not corner the market on being called "ho." He called the whole team rough looking and THEN singled out the black players, and went on to compare them to the other team by using the "jig*boo vs wannabe" fight during a spike lee movie involving black women of darker skin and with natural hair against lighter skinned women who straightened their hair and changed their eye color and wore lots of makeup to stand up to a white standard of beauty. He knew JUST what he was saying.

And let's not forget the other comments Imus made, such as Geraldo Rivera only winning an argument with Bill O'Rilley if he had a knife and the other long list of insults. It was his time.

Answer 5

Since I am not a black female I really do not know how they feel. It is like when I, a minister, get dumped on by a self-righteous atheist for what i believe in----if you are not a gospel minister, then it is impossible to know how it affects me. Yes, I get over it because I realize that that is the way the world is, but I still get disturbed by it. We all get a little out of line every now and then, but it is really impossible to know how the other fellow feels about our comments when we do say or write something that we shouldn't. Imus probably thought that he was being funny, but in this do-not-say-anything-that-might-offend-someone age, it is difficult to be funny without stepping on a person's pride.

Answer 6

I say that rappers are just as wrong for using terms such as these, but, their using these terms is an intra-racial issue. It is totally unacceptable in American culture for certain people to use such terms in certain settings. If George Carlin had said the same thing on a comedy stage, would it have received as much backlash, probably not. Inconsistent? Unfair? Probably. But, the fact of the matter is Imus used a public forum to say something very derogatory and inflammatory not just towards African Americans, but to women in general, and he was wrong.

Answer 7

unquestionably it develop right into a stupid, insulting remark. i do no longer think of it truly is a racist remark, in spite of the undeniable fact that. It wasn't a remark concerning the participant's race yet fairly their collective hairstyles. Being "nappy-headed" isn't the unique area of blacks (in spite of the undeniable fact that there are various that should be called that); there are others who're no longer black who ought to be called such besides. The "ho" remark, i do no longer likely comprehend why that develop into stated, except Imus in simple terms spit it out off the cuff. i comprehend that reviews have been additionally made up of numerous of the ladies human beings being heavily tattooed and performing "tough-finding" yet how that should lead them to "hos" i do no longer understand. That being stated, Sharpton, Jackson, et al are in seek of yet another threat to extra their time table by stressful Imus' firing and putting yet another "whitey", "honky", or however in his/her place, all in the call of political correctness. Imus will proceed his occupation in radio, however if he's fired for this or no longer.

Answer 8

I think he said a horrible thing and his firing was well deserved. The players were right to be upset, and are the bigger people for being able to gracefully accept his apology in the way that they did.

I just think there's this terrible double standard in society. This white guy gets fired for what he said about these women. Fine. But what about Isaiah Washington, a black man, NOT being fired or penalized really in any real way for his very public and very disparaging remarks regarding gay people? And have you ever seen the uncensored comedy of George Lopez, and many comedians like him? He attacks ALL races and ethnicities, calling them stereotypical and borderline racist names and such. Where's his punishment?

I repeat: Imus was fired for good cause. He deserved all he got. But there are PLENTY of other people who need to be punished, as well, for their thoughts, words and actions to make the eternal double standard disappear.

Answer 9

Did people's parents not tell them what mine told me?...."Two wrongs don't make a right." The fact rappers get away with being vulgar and racist does not mean everyone else should act vulgar and racist just to see if they get away with it too. YES, there is a double standard - that still doesn't make it okay to be derogatory.

Answer 10

it was a stupid comment that he had made.. but i dont think he deserves to be fired over it

people are put on the radio to voice their opinions.. although his was stupid, i think people are taking this way out of line

THERE ARE WHITE GIRLS ON THE TEAM TOO. they are not all black and i dont think that people should come with all of this racist crap

get over it, people are trying to make a huge deal out of nothing