Background

Last Wednesday, the day after the Rutgers University women lost their national championship bid to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Don Imus described the womens basketball team in this fashion "That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that now."

Imus later tried to stem the backlash by saying ""I'm a good person, but I said a bad thing," he said. "But these young women deserve to know that it was not said with malice."

My two cents:

I wonder, can any public figure call a group of women "nappy-headed hos" without malice? In my opinion, this comment is both rascist and misogynistic and CBS / MSNBC should fire him.

Question?

So should Imus be fired, suspender or left alone for his remarks?

You missed on option for your poll, i.e.:

"Who cares? I'm Canadian and he's just another American wind-bag"

By the way, who is Don Imus...???? :cool:

John Donald Imus, Jr. (born July 23, 1940) is an American radio talk show host, best known for his sarcasm and harsh language. His popular radio show, Imus in the Morning, airs daily.

Imus was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2002, Talkers magazine ranked Imus as one of the greatest radio talk show hosts of all time.

Source: WIkipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Imus)

Well another radio host drops a bomb :rolleyes: What is the name of that nincompoop guy that does a talk show on radio and his house keeper told the tale about his drug use? Didn't he make a a rascist comment about Donovan Mcnab?

I don't get why these people always have to touch on the colour thing when a visible minority does something, why can't it just be another person doing something right or wrong?

I wonder if this Imus whatshisface would have made a similar comment if they had all been white? I think the dipstick should be fired and never allowed to work in radio again. There should be no room for this sort of behaviour, you can't say things like that, and then say "Am not a rascist", you flippin' are mate :rolleyes:

It's a shame people like these, pass this onto their kids and they continue the cycle. Look at Mel Gibson and his Jewish comment, he is pretty much done now in the movie business

lets see, I liked his comments on AL sharpten show "you people".

Weather Imus is a racist or not who really cares...Funny how AL can go after this guy..when hes done the things hes done..Especially that guy he lied about back in the eighties.about kidnapping and raping a young black girl. It was all fabrication.That guy then sued Al for 345,ooo USD ..That AL won't apologize for ruining someones life...

Yet he wants krammer and Imus to apologize for some comments..

How about Jesse Jackson and his hymietown comment a few years ago. Racism is a two way street..Yet these 2 men think it's only a one way street...

Mind you they have both lost respect in most peoples eyes.

If am not mistaken.....so you are saying 2 wrongs make a right? The 2 people you mentioned, probably don't speak for most African Americans, and couldn't give a toss about them really.

Next you will be saying because rappers call each other that nasty word, it's ok for other races to use it? Even Eminem with all his street cred won't go there, and rightful so.

Bottom line here is, if someone does something wrong or screw up, look beyond their skin colour to pass judgement. Kramer is a big fool for saying what he did, and I never really liked the guy or the show anyway, and can't understand why most people make references to episodes of the show :rolleyes:

I voted "nothing".

This has been blown way out of proportion for a comment that was made on a comedy show.

Listening to the various opinions it appears that Don Imus radio host for CBS Radio and TV Morning Host for MSNBC has been identified as being enemy #1 in war on Sexism/racism in the media after his mistaken comments last week.

Proctor & Gamble and Staples have pulled all advertising from MSNBC and CBS Radio until Imus is totally fired.

I guess his career is over.

What are your thoughts?

NO 2 wrongs don't make a right...what i said was who really cares...the bottom line is if Imas or AL are bigots, it does not change my opinion or the way i lead my life...racism is in the heart, not in words...

IMo, Apathy against bigotry and racism is wrong. I think it's great that people are outraged and want him fired. Sure he's a blowhard, but a blowhard who can shape public opinion hence why he needs to be dumped!

Rosie O defended him. No surprise since her comments are more shocking than his.

He should do the popular thing and go into rehab for 2 weeks and suddenly be cured.

Don Imus a reflection of our culture (http://thecalifornian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/BUSINESS/704110337/1046)

This really is an excellent article on how I feel.

I like this comment

The "old-fashioned" word graciousness seems to have gotten lost. Too many ex-changes between individuals lack respect and discipline.

Gasp! He said a bad thing, let's have him drawn and quartered and fed to the dogs. "Mommy, he called me a poopyface". OMG, poor little Eggbert will never be the same again. Has society has become so thin skinned and fearful of words? It was said without malice. It's part of his show personality. Whatever happened to sticks and stones? I think it's funny that people get all bent out of shape over schoolyard antics like this. How long before Hitler comparisons enter into the conversation? Already racism and Jews are popping up in this topic which have nothing to do with what some media jerk said. I'm not defending what he said, just think the whole thing is being overdramatized

It was said without malice.

How can you know that? I fail to see how you can say what he said without being malicious. If it was a schoolyard child saying it then I would agree but it was not.

I'm not afraid of words but I am afraid of rascists and misogynists who forment hatred.

I think he should be suspended, even know they guy is a waste of time. Does anyone actually listen to this clown anymore. Heck you can't even understand the guy, sounds like he is talking with Marbles in his mouth all the time. How ever he made a mistake, a very stupid mistake. Suspend him and let time take care of the rest. As some have noted, some companies will not advertise with CBS anymore. His ratings will drop even more now, how they can drop any lower and him still have a job is beyond me but hey. I agree there is no room for racisim. He dug his own grave and time will surly put him in it, it is just going to be allot sooner now.

As for his interview the Al Shithead that is another storey, there is a racist right there. If Don Anus did any homework before that interview he would have been able to blast him back. If Don Imus should be fired for his comments then Al Sharpton should be off the air aswell. Al Sharpton is just as bad, he has said allot of racist comments in his time and if you do some looking you will see that for your self.

Just my 2 cents

Fire him....

If his show is a comedy Comedy show.... than why is he apologizing for his comments?

Sounds like the Kramer thing all over again.

Anyway... I still say fire him. Make him an example of the how the clean air waves should be in the US after all that FCC crap with Stern and forcing Stern to Sirius radio.

Given the uproar over the comments made by this Imus dude, I'm surprised by how little reaction there is to the equally grievous performance of his executive producer, Bernard McGuirk. From this article (http://mediamatters.org/items/200704040011):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.

IMUS: Yeah, it was a tough --

McCORD: Do The Right Thing.

McGUIRK: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I just found a quote from his apology on the air.
What is up with the "we".. ?
He can't even apologize for what he did... He should have said, "I am sorry" not "We are sorry"....

Quote from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036713/

DON IMUS: "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.

It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry."

Looks like this is Imus' second kick at the can. I remember some controversy from a while back but can't recall the details. I agree with the comments that this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Who gets offended is in the eye of the receiver. What is offensive? Just look at the pottymouths on everyday TV. What was once offensive is not considered so today or less so today although others may be extremely offended. Our sensibilities have apparently become refined so much that we can accept cursing, nudity and sex on everyday TV but gasp at the display of a one second breast shot during a halftime football game. This is apparently the age of "political correctness" but is just another phase of society.

The only reason that this has become an issue is because it originates from a legitimized news show expected to be "politically correct". If you listen to O&A on XM and I assume Stern on Sirius (in the same calibre), you would have more to gripe about but there, comments like this are accepted in the context of the cr*p being listened to in the first place.

Have you seen the recent uproar regarding the Toronto woman who purchased some furniture which was described on a label as "n****r brown"? Same thing - look at the history and understand the context.

Imus did nothing wrong and certainly rendered a descriptive phrase which I'm sure is equal to or surpassed by comments made by many when their hockey team loses. I think that Imus' only error was rendering a comment in an improper forum for doing so.

Should he be fired? No. If your husband or wife throws a slur at you, unintentionally, possibly in malice, possibly as a joke but the effect is damaging and in hindsight, the comment would never have been made, do you divorce your partner?

People need to understand that comedy is often offensive and distastefull.

I heard the clip on a news show and the guy was obviously joking around.

People tune in to these kinds of shows for a laugh during their day or their commute.

Some of the funniest things I have ever heard (from all races) is the most offensive and shocking.