Not to beat Don Imus with a dead horse (but come on--how much fun would that be?), but I did want to say something else about the issue. Yes, there's a double standard at play, in that not everyone using offensive terms gets chastised the same way. However, the difference between Don using "ho" and rappers calling women "bitches" and "hos" is that Don used a disrespectful term (and good Lord, let's not forget "nappy-headed," as Anita pointed out--I think I'm more aghast at that term than "ho") over public airwaves. To hear most of the offensive terms used in songs, you have to buy the CD, although I realize plenty slip by on some radio stations and in music videos on TV. As I haven't watched a music video since approximately 1987, I wouldn't know. I don't mean the medium or forum in which something is said should be used as a moral yardstick, but in terms of whether firing someone is justified, it could make a difference. Possibly.
Let's be honest, though: Don was fired not because he used an offensive term, but because sponsors were pulling ads from his show. Money talks, and no way was MSNBC going to lose that much money. So applying the same "punishment" to others who use offensive terms is difficult. How are you going to "fire" Mel Gibson or Michael Richards? As a movie or TV producer, you can decide not to hire them, of course, and as a consumer, you can always refuse to watch whatever TV show or movie they're involved in. I don't know about Mel, but I suspect Michael Richards's career is dead in the water, anyway.
I'm still surprised there weren't any major repercussions for Isaiah Washington. Did any sponsors threaten to pull commercials from Grey's Anatomy? I don't recall hearing about many people threatening to stop watching the show, either (but that's probably because they HAVE to know what's going to happen after George and Izzy sleeping together). What bothers me is that his use of "faggot" was motivated by hate, whereas Don was downright ignorant. Not that ignorance is an excuse, but hate-filled epithets seem worse somehow. I don't know. Being that ignorant is pretty appalling, too!
So that's my 42 cents worth on the topic. Should have been 2 cents, but I'm incredibly wordy.
9 comments:
You bring up a good point about the sponsers pulling their ads. Of course no station is gonna stand for that, too much money at stake.
And I just heart Don Ho died. Kind of a strange coinkydink, eh?
ahem....should read "I just HEARD", not "heart". That'll teach me to proofread next time.
sponsers?? SPONSORS Kathy.
Honestly. I need a drink.
Of course, I MEANT to misspell coinkydink and gonna.
Just sayin'.
Hehehe I am done hogging the comments section now, I promise.
I've long accepted Americanised misspellings as a fact of life ;-)
MSNBC pulled its simulcast of the Imus show because they were losing sponsors. And CBS cancelled his show for the same reason. The question is, why were they losing sponsors? No, it wasn't because of Imus' remarks. It was because those sponsors were pressured to pull their support, in response to those stupid, thoughtless, hateful words.
When Imus made derogatory comments about Jews (which he did quite often), no sponsors pulled ads. When Imus ranted on at the Clintons and others for some 25 minutes at a Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner in 1996, no sponsors pulled ads. Why? No public outcry (or at the least, insufficient outcry to move sponsors to action). You see, it really isn't about black or white: it's all about the green. You didn't think corporate America gave a rat's patoot, did you?
To add to Greg's comment, I do think it's more of an issue of WHO was offended. I really do believe that there are just fewer people out there willing to make an issue out of the "fag" thing than those willing to fight the "nappy-headed ho" thing. Strength in numbers, maybe - and honestly, how many people (at least relatively) are going to be upset enough to cause Washington to lose work?
Fewer people even still, if someone famous was to insult fat people. Just had to throw that in. Heh.
Anita
I think too that everyone is just looking for anything they can latch onto and claim outrage. Look at the Alec Baldwin thing. That is such a non-story but it just flat out dominates the Faux News Channel. In particular H & c (small "c" on purpose). Do you see coverage like that on Gonzo not knowing 71 times? Nope.
If you get a chance next week, tune in to the former Don Imus timeslot on MSNBC to see Stephanie Miller. She will be filling in Monday - Wednesday.
Stephanie hosts a hilarious morning radio show that is syndicated nationally. This is the only podcast I pay for!
Stephanie's tagline is "Too liberal for conservatives and too politically incorrect for liberals. She will interview Russ Feingold or John Conyers and then we will hear fart jokes ten minutes later.
You must hear the "lying sack of crap song".
Check out her website at http://www.stephaniemiller.com and you can hear clips of their daily "Right Wing World".
What the heck happened to you? You seem to have disappeared off the face of cyberspace! Hope all is well...
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