Who the f**k is Don Imus?
So it really irks me that radio shock jock Don Imus' inane comments about the Rutgers basketball team have stirred up a big media frenzy. I hate to add yet another stupid opinion to this situation, but since readership on this blog is so low, I figure it can't hurt.
There seems to be a lot of outrage over racial insensitivity here. This is a 66 year-old radio personality who said something stupid while trying to be funny. Was he wrong to say it? Does he deserve to be fired? Is he a bigot? I think these questions might be important to ask if we were discussing someone running for public office or someone who the community looks to set an example for the rest of us. But seeing as how this is an entertainer--a person who makes his living by spouting opinions to his audience--I don't think any of these questions really matter.
To me, this isn't a matter of right or wrong, just or injust--it's just business as usual. Imus wasn't fired because CBS passed moral judgment on him. If that were true, he probably would have been fired long ago. No, his show was cancelled because the advertisers pulled their money, rendering his show unprofitable. That's what happens when you offend too many people. That's just the way the entertainment biz works.
As for what he said....who cares? Whose life is affected by the revelation that Imus is a bigot? Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether or not people should be upset about what he said, given that such language is pervasive in today's pop culture. Again, I think it's beside the point. People get offended by what they get offended by. Why waste breath arguing about this?
I'll end on a pet peeve of mine. On his latest show, Bill Maher saw fit to lament the Imus situation as the latest example of the disintegration of our free speech. Puh-lease. Somehow, people still make this mistake of thinking that free speech means you can state your opinions and no one should fault you for your words because you have the right to say it. Argh! Perhaps the only thing that bothers me more is the frequent and incorrect use of the word "literally."
There seems to be a lot of outrage over racial insensitivity here. This is a 66 year-old radio personality who said something stupid while trying to be funny. Was he wrong to say it? Does he deserve to be fired? Is he a bigot? I think these questions might be important to ask if we were discussing someone running for public office or someone who the community looks to set an example for the rest of us. But seeing as how this is an entertainer--a person who makes his living by spouting opinions to his audience--I don't think any of these questions really matter.
To me, this isn't a matter of right or wrong, just or injust--it's just business as usual. Imus wasn't fired because CBS passed moral judgment on him. If that were true, he probably would have been fired long ago. No, his show was cancelled because the advertisers pulled their money, rendering his show unprofitable. That's what happens when you offend too many people. That's just the way the entertainment biz works.
As for what he said....who cares? Whose life is affected by the revelation that Imus is a bigot? Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether or not people should be upset about what he said, given that such language is pervasive in today's pop culture. Again, I think it's beside the point. People get offended by what they get offended by. Why waste breath arguing about this?
I'll end on a pet peeve of mine. On his latest show, Bill Maher saw fit to lament the Imus situation as the latest example of the disintegration of our free speech. Puh-lease. Somehow, people still make this mistake of thinking that free speech means you can state your opinions and no one should fault you for your words because you have the right to say it. Argh! Perhaps the only thing that bothers me more is the frequent and incorrect use of the word "literally."
2 Comments:
Here's my take, if anyone cares. Don Imus has been doing stupid radio humor for decades, and I've listened to the program fairly often since it's on the home sports radio station, WFAN. He often insults people of any ethnicity with offensive language, as do other members of his radio program. That wouldn't be much of a problem if all Imus did was a silly morning-zoo style radio show. Instead, he also had on many political guests, including politicians, pundits and newscasters, and the show would morph into a serious political interview show. Many people, particularly the guests and sponsors, tried to hide behind the "legitimate" portions of the show and forget about the other absurd bits (like the ridiculous impressions of the Catholic Cardinal Egan, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or Mets GM Omar Minaya). But their appearances on the show to some probably seem to be an endorsement of the entire show, and not just the serious moments. These people were probably fed up with politicians and newscasters showing up on the program without even mentioning these ridiculous bits. So when Imus made the comment about the Rutgers team they felt a moment of opportunity. After all, what politician would condone what Imus said? It was an offensive comment to a group of black young women and completely unprovoked.
Sure, did CBS and NBC have to deal with financial problems from advertisers pulling out? Sure. But Imus was fired for PR reasons. First off, NBC pays nearly nothing for Imus and probably doesn't make a ton of money off the program. Once they fired Imus, CBS had no other choice but to follow. How could CBS justify keeping him on while their competitor, NBC, deemed him "inappropriate?"
The problem for CBS radio is that the radio talent pool is very small. They still have no real replacement for Howard Stern (David Bowie flopped in NYC and now they just air Opie and Anthony, who were previously suspended from NY).
To replace Imus, they're airing an additional 5 hours a day of Mike and the Mad Dog in the mornings to make up for the lack of Imus.
It seems to me there is a question about what the consequences of what you say should be. If someone says something offensive on the radio and is repentant about it, what should the punishment be? Certainly we all make mistakes. If someone makes fun of everyone in an offensive way, does that then make it okay to do so? Who can say what? If Imus were black, would people have reacted at all? Should corporate sponsors dictate what should and should not be said on the radio? After all, the only reason the corporate sponsors pull out is the threat of a negative association with the comments and a theoretical loss of money. I think there's plenty to think about from all this.
I'll comment on your point about Imus being fired for PR reasons. Yes, that's true, but ultimately, it's still a financial reason. CBS and NBC weighed the value of his show versus the value of the PR move to fire him and made their decision. Clearly, the latter was more valuable--perhaps more accurately, the former was less valuable. If it was a pure knee-jerk PR decision, he would have been fired right away (instead of being fired days later after several votes of confidence from the networks).
And if it were the wrong financial decision, someone else would have picked up his show. But to my knowledge no one has.
So getting to the consequences...I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to. I'm fine with corporate sponsors dictating what should and shouldn't be said on their radio program. Free speech is a right, but nationally broadcasting your free speech isn't.
So in the end, I really don't think there's much to think about on this one. It just is what it is.
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