Rutgers player Kia Vaughn says she has been ruined by Don Imus' remarks? Has she ever heard of rap music?

Question

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/14/rutgers-kia-vaughn-sues-don-imus-for-nappy-headed-ho-comment/

A friend of mine and I was having a serious discussion about this yesterday. We are both black women and I told her that I didn't care what Don Imus said, because this man offends everybody. I thought him getting fired was a little over the top but a punishment should have been set in place for his insensitive remarks.

My friend said that he was white and he shouldn't have said that period and he deserved to be fired.

I disagreed with her on that even though I understood where she was coming from. Don Imus is an entertainer. A shock jock. Your average rapper is also an entertainer and what he or she says is shocking too.

Black women are looked down upon nowadays and a big reason for that is because of the way we are portrayed in the media, specifically by rappers and comedians. If we are going to start suing people for devaluing us, let's not just sue Don Imus.

Let's go after people like Ludacris and 50 cent who call us far worst things then 'nappy headed hos'.

The 'slandering' and 'defamation' of black women came LONG BEFORE Don Imus' remarks.

Kia's lawsuit is frivolous and I hope the judge sees it. If anything, and I know some will disagree with me and quite frankly I don't care, this lawsuit has just lost her and the team the sympathy they garnered.

And I thought they forgave Don, anyway.......

Answer 1

With all due respect to you, there are a lot of black women who embrace the rappers portrayal of them. Also, look at reality shows that feature black females. I am sorry to say that the public will not reject what is a negative image of black women when there are many who portray that image solely for the purpose of making money.

I don't think that Imus deserved to be fired; he had said insensitive and politically incorrect things about other groups before. I also don't think that he should be sued for his comments; most of America was appalled at his remarks, and did not agree with his statements. Therefore, I don't think defamation of character applies here.

Answer 2

This lawsuit is a major disappointment... I never cared for Imus, I always thought that he was unfunny and mostly boring and when he was interesting he never said anything original. But in spite of what I thought of him I did think his words in this situation were overblown.

At the same time I felt that the decision of whether he should be fired or not was his employer's choice. I didn't lose any sleep about it.

Now someone (an adult) who was labeled as Imus as "nappy-headed" is suing him over saying a questionable word that most Americans don't find offensive... (sorry, but its true).
This adult is trying to project herself as some kind of "victim", over a word or a few words. Does this mean that any commentator or comedian or public speaker can not use colorful language and/or insult anyone? I can guarantee that this woman has been called worse to her face (everyone has)... especially being an athlete in very public competitions.

This is just about money... this has nothing to do with being a victim or racism or civil rights. It is very disappointing that a individual is taking such a charged event immersed in valid racial relations to take money from a wealthy person to enrich herself and her attorney.

Answer 3

If she went out in public, nobody would know or care who she is. The lawsuit is stupid, period. Even most African-Americans think she has gone too far. Rap degrades African-American women a lot more than Imus ever will, but yet, you never see rappers sued for libel.

She is a filthy, greedy, gold digger that is trying to make money off from a man who already lost his job. People need to give Imus a break.

Political correctness is pathetic. Imus may have gone a little too far, but he could have said a lot worse things.

Answer 4

Your detail information is outstanding....and correct. There are far worse images of women spread throughout in the rap music that our young people listen to. I have tried and cannot for the life of me understand how rap is so popular when the lyrics are so demeaning.

The lawsuit filed by Kia Vaughn is her way of bringing closure...apparently she was more sensitive to the remarks than the rest of the team. She has the right to sue...and it will be up to a jury to decide if it is frivolous or not. She's not the first and probably will not be the last person to file such types of lawsuits. This is another area which our country has long gone astray. In olden times (and hell, i'm only 47) I can remember when people sought out a lawyer only when there were justifiable circumstances...but nowadays, lawyers advertise on TV and promote the idea of lawsuits for big bucks.

Answer 5

I don't listen to Rap. I don't consider it music. What I have heard is garbage at best. The African-American community has come up with some great music genre in the past but I think they blew it this time.

Yes, Imus made some insensitive comments he shouldn't have made. He was given appropriate punishment, now let us move on. Ms. Vaughn probably has been listening to someone such as a lawyer who convince her so the lawyer could make a name for him/her self and get lots of $$$ out of it. My hope is the judge refuses to hear the case and declares it frivolous.

Answer 6

I think you make a very good point. It's called entertainment, even if it doesn't entertain. I think Kia is an opportunist trying to get a little coin from Imus via the courts. If words like that have ruined her, then she never had anything on the ball and needs the money that Imus will give her. That is the problem in our society, everyone wants to sue for anything, then they wonder why we have no faith in the courts. If she wins in the court room, (no settlement) it will open the doors to free speech being ripped apart.

Answer 7

I agree and disagree. I think that the parody exception may apply here (see the Jerry Falwell vs. Larry Flynt case). I don't think anyone honestly believed that the basketball players were "nappy headed ho's" so where is her damage? On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt society as a whole to make people who earn millions on such parasitic trash talk give back to the communities on which they prey. If she were willing to give any proceeds from the lawsuit to an inner city charity I think she would get a lot of support.

Answer 8

properly, in her protection for dropping it, i think of that the first public of folk who be responsive to approximately this subject did no longer pay attention to that activity, yet purely heard approximately it after the anger began to flare up. Myself, I had on no account even heard the call Don Imus until this got here about, and that i be responsive to fairly some different people who had the comparable reaction. i think of the factor has been made against Imus, and following up with a healthful isn't mandatory.

Answer 9

As you know, there are differences in how people within ethnic and racial groups perceive comments or works by artists that describe their own ethnic or racial groups. That’s a fact and it has an understandable basis in the long history of discrimination and derogatory portrayals that these groups have suffered.

Some people want to be able to talk to or about other ethnicities and races in exactly the same manner as those within the groups talk to each other. That is not realistic and if they try, they have to take into account that it will not be received in the same way.

Answer 10

apparently Imus as right about the ho part in this case. Here is a person seeking money by screwing him. I dont see how she has a case the courts know his was a comedy act and done in parody. Jerry Falwell lost his case against Larry Flint in a case that was far more offensive than calling some one a ho.