Imus Stepped on a Tripwire

National Review Online ^ | April 13, 2007 | Mona Charen

[dr_who_2]

April 13, 2007, 6:00 a.m.

Imus Stepped on a Tripwire
But oh the lowbrow we love.

By Mona Charen

He supposedly earned about $10 million per year for such delightful entertainment as flinging racist epithets around. America does reward the lowbrow, doesn’t it?

Don Imus’s show was heavily promoted here in Washington, D.C., where I was subjected to the ads because I listen to Laura Ingraham’s show on the same channel. One assumes that the excerpts chosen for advertising were among his greatest moments on the air. One featured Imus complaining about his inability to reach his producers on the phone when he wasn’t feeling well. How interesting.

Others were as follows (I paraphrase): “Shut up and get a stomachache,” “He had fat rolls on his neck that looked like hot dogs.” One more, which I will not repeat, was a vulgar reference to Imus’s sex life with his wife (kids whose parents had the station on in the car would be exposed to it again and again).

Now he has stepped on the tripwire that is guaranteed to excite days and days of hubbub, protests, and demands for this and that. Frankly, he should grovel and beg forgiveness for his foul mouth. What he said about the Rutgers women’s basketball team was vile. I can say without fear of contradiction that the man is a jerk. And let’s not waste time (as we did with Mel Gibson) on probing whether he really is a racist or whether he just said a racist thing. Whatever. He’s mean-spirited and low. How’s that?

But now comes Act II. Perhaps because he is such a shallow fellow, Imus chose to play out his contrition at the feet of the “Reverend” Al Sharpton. If Imus has made a handsome living being a stinker, Sharpton has to answer for worse. And while Imus has apologized (however skeptically such things may be received), Sharpton has pointedly declined to apologize for his many disgusting theatrics, such as falsely accusing several white cops of raping a black teenager, inciting an anti-Semitic race riot in Harlem that killed seven people, and falsely accusing police officers in the Abner Louima case of declaring “It’s Giuliani time” before they tortured a man in custody.

Now Sharpton is playing his role as racial conscience to the hilt, declaring himself unsatisfied with Imus’s cringe and declaring that “a broad discussion” of what should and should not be permissible speech (with himself as arbiter, no doubt) is now in the offing.

Sharpton is not qualified to participate in such a discussion. But serious people who care about the culture may be able to use this spectacle to some good ends. Let’s consider, for example, the absolute mainstreaming of the terms “ho” and “bitch” by hip-hop stars and their corporate enablers and profiteers.

Snoop Dogg has helpfully explained that his use of the term “ho” differs from that of Mr. Imus: “First of all, we ain’t no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them [expletive] say we in the same league with them. . . . [Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We’re talking about ho’s that’s in the ‘hood that ain’t doing [expletive], that’s trying to get a [expletive] for his money. These are two separate things.”

Someone, ideally his father, should have told that degenerate that just because something comes out of his mind and soul does not make it legitimate or edifying. In fact, his principal job in life is to see to the hygiene of his soul. But no one tells the young that anymore. We’re too busy pushing wads of cash into their hands for being “as nasty as they want to be,” to quote a now-passe rap album.

In 2005, the winner of Best Original Song at the Academy Awards was “It’s Hard Out Here for A Pimp.” The level of misogyny and vulgarity in the song is impossible to convey in a family newspaper. Sales of rap music are apparently declining — but it remains a billion-dollar industry. Its influence is far more damaging than the sniping of one radio shock jock.

© 2007 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

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National Review Online - http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmMzNGM2ZWM4M2NhOTliODQ4Nzc5NmU5NTI0NGUxODY=

[mborman]

I was living in New Mexico when this was happening. He was supposed to be using the ranch for waifs. When he told the simpleton Sharpton that “I am a good man,” that was, of course, his opinion. Not very humble either.

[Star Traveler]

You said — “I wonder who does Snoop’s PR. Can you imagine anyone advising a client to respond in this way?”

Well, there’s a lot of double-standard, here with Imus. The fact that these rappers can say and “rap” on stuff that is 100 times worse than Imus and probably make more money than him and also never have the Sharptons and the Jacksons on their case, says a lot.

Also, there’s a lot to be said about the really sad state of our youth, those 13-18 years olds (and also the older ones, into college and out into the workforce).

See this other post that I did...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1817434/posts?page=79#79

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Well, for post #52, I’ll give the *reference* to those lyrics that are 100 times worse than the three or four words of Imus, talking about those nappy headed hoes...

Here’s the link that this came from, you can see for yourself... These are really 100 times worse than anything Imus ever did...

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/i/ice+cube/givin+up+the+nappy+dugout_20066646.html

.

And also, I stated in another thread the following —

Now, this is the kind of stuff that you’ll find the 13-18 year olds listening to, and that’s why our culture has changed so drastically (for that age group), among many other reasons why that’s so...

There was a discussion about these things in regards to Girls Gone Wild owner and his troubles with the law. Many were blaming him, however, the stuff that is going on (out there) with our 13-18 year old group (and afterwards in college) is coming from *that generation* and not from the guys making Girls Gone Wild.

How much listening to this kind of stuff before the entire generation just goes off and does exactly what these songs are saying. Oh..., wait a minute — they’re already doing it...

See some of these other FReeper threads...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1760487/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1814975/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1815779/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1816008/posts

And so the story goes with our younger generation...

.

Now, I wonder, considering that Obama was seen to be chummy with Ludicris (in a picture that someone posted), if the Democrats (or at least one leading Democrat) are for this kind of language — really (despite what they did about Imus).

And — then — if SoS Rice can comment about what Imus said — like she did — why on earth couldn’t she say about *100 times more* about what’s going on with Ludicris and how the Sharptons and the Jacksons are apparently “just fine” with it. They apparently don’t care as long as it’s a “black boy” saying it. But, you better not be a white boy...

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Regards,
Star Traveler

[raybbr]

...spoons shouldn’t be allowed either.

How they going to eat?

[advertising guy]

I want to nominate Tom Daschle....He has the time and the phone numbers to the dc press is the same since the last card swappin.....

[nfldgirl]

Of all the people in this world, Imus is the last one I would have ever thought would grovel at the feet of AS. That’s probably what has surprised me the most in this whole affair.

[THBlue50]

these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel.

The "revruns" Jackson and Sharpton don't seem to care about too many "souls" now do they?

[dr_who_2]

They’re not the sort of clergy who are into saving people’s souls. They’re more comparable to Al Sadr in Iraq, the ayatollahs in Iran, or various Al Qaeda figures.

[Spok]

“We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel.”

So when rappers insult and degrade women, it’s not just mindless banter but sincere, heart felt contempt(?) Oh, that’s much better.

[theBuckwheat]

This is a “have you no shame, sir?” moment that brings an out-of-control popular trend back to reality. I don’t so much object to the language as I do to the double standard that allows liberals to say anything and allows them to retreat behind either free speech or a vapid claim of satire while being hypersensitive when conservatives use language that is too direct or worse, plays directly off liberal code-words.

[popdonnelly]

It was a political power play. That simple. The Dems are laying for their next victim.

[wtc911]

Not all of them were named Betty.

-----------------------------------------

But I bet they all bounced.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“I wonder who does Snoop’s PR. Can you imagine anyone advising a client to respond in this way?”

Yes. Because people are going to say, “well that’s Snoop and he is a brother.”

[driftless2]

"insult comedy"

You are absolutely correct. In no way was Imus trying to be racist or derogatory (although it ended up that way). He was doing what he usually did and that was make crude jokes to get cheap laughs. Not that Imus couldn't be real nasty when he wanted to be. But conservatives like Mona expressing joy at Imus's demise miss the point. His program was not just crude remarks and jokes. His critics want some sort of bland, dull program like Good Morning America or some other twaddle.

Imus's show was basically the only show that simulated adult men talking about (and yes, making crude and vulgar remarks about) the daily occurrences of life in the U.S. But it wasn't all that. I haven't watched Imus for several years because of his attitude towards the president, but at his best, Imus's program was far more entertaining than all the fatuous dogbleep that passes for entertainment on most networks. That includes FOX.

[Nuc1]

As I recall a bouncing betty is a type of land mine. So...he stepped on a land mine.

[Screamname]

Exactly, you said it all! If we are to bow, kotow to every idiot who feels “offended”, the ultimate result can only be fear. And from fear there is only more seperation, more prejudice, more people living in cowardice and what is the ultimate result of that? TRUE offense like physical fighting.

Free communication is what solved civil rights, free communication is what brings people together, and if we can`t talk like normal human beings instead of robots, then all it will bring in the end is fear and rot. We are all brothers, and the day someone tells me I can`t tease my brother, then the anti-human rot of fascism and fear will get it`s foothold.

[Mr. Silverback]

I don’t think people should be allowed to speak at all. In fact, I think all people should have their vocal chords removed and their hands choped off so that their is never another bit of communication... also eyes should be removed....and nerves.... and hair... and skin... and spoons.... spoons shouldn’t be allowed either.

When you can show me what government entity took Imus off the air (or you can show me what part of the 1st Amendment CBS and MSNBC violated) I'll sign right on with you.

[Mr. Silverback]

Can you imagine anyone advising a client to respond in this way?

They probably told him something sane to say, but he was high at the time and didn't retain it...

[Mr. Silverback]

Yeah, Imus never said any racist stuff before...he just made fun of fat people. Riiiight!

Get a CAT scan, maybe they can get to that tumor before it's too late.

[Mr. Silverback]

But I bet they all bounced.

Of course, otherwise they'd get called for traveling.

[endthematrix]

You don’t think the FCC isn’t on notice to do more regarding talk radio in this latest Imus flap? The FCC has become a costly burden in the talk radio - and it’s about to get worse.