CBS has canceled Don Imus’ radio show, effective immediately, after uproar over his racist and sexist comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team.
CBS released a statement:
“From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent,” said CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves, in announcing the decision.
Amid the outcry over his on-air racial slur last week, shock jock Imus said Thursday that he had “apologized enough” and that he will not go on “some talk show tour.”
He has repeatedly apologized for those remarks. Team members have agreed to meet with him privately, but so far no meeting has taken place.
“It gets said. Kids get hurt,” he said. “At some point — I’m not sure when — I’m going to go talk to the team and that’s all I’m interested in doing.”
Meatloaf, Imus is not history. He will be on satellite radio. I’m not happy about it, but he’s a cashcow.
Also, yes, white kids buy rap albums. Black kids still listen to it or watch the videos. White kids watch BET. I babysat for my neighbors years ago and it was MTV and BET all day, every day. What message does that send to white kids about how women, specifically black women, are to be treated?
People clearly don’t know what to say and not say. Imus has been saying racist, sexist and homophobic things on the radio DAILY for the last 1/4 century!
Yes, there are black female entertainers who exacerbate the problem.
I am 24 years old and I cannot watch music videos on MTV and BET because so many are so insulting. I use to watch that stuff daily all through high school. What is shown or said in a public forum represents the standards of a society. Ours are very low. Basically, there’s a list of words you can’t say. You can’t show genitalia. You can’t show women’s nipples (unless it’s the Discovery Channel shooting indigenous people).
You don’t just support this by buying albums. By watching these shows, we’re bringing advertising dollars to the network. If the show stops getting advertisers, the network will change the content or drop the show.
Also, there are far too few positive black characters in the media to counteract the effects of the many negative images of black people. Why do so many of my black, latina and asian friends watch Girlfriends? Because even if they can’t relate to the characters, they see the rare positive (but not impossibly perfect) depiction of black women. Why do all my family members and I watch Run’s House? Because it shows a close, loving black family unit.
Why did Halle Berry take a role in this bad movie with Bruce Willis? Because there are so few strong female leads that come along, esp. not for a black woman, Oscar le. or no Oscar. She won the award for playing a negative role and I think she’s at least attempting to remedy that.
157. Sandy said: “…I totally agree with Jamie E. –
We need to boycott rappers/r&b/latino’s or anyone in the entertainment industry that uses this type of language. They make their money off of us and the white community.”
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There will always be a market for porn rap music! Why you think Penthouse and Playboy been around so long? I’m sure you already boycot the filth! It didn’t take this incident to get you to stop buying smut rap!
The rap producers are ready for that war, and they will endure like Iraq! However, there is something that decent people can do:
Stop repeating everything we hear! Imus had no business speaking that crap from his mouth! That’s nobodies fault but his…not the rappers! Why do white folks always want to blame black people when they screw up??
It’s not what goes in a man that defiles him…rather it’s what comes out of him! (sm) The tongue is a unruly evil and people who talk for a living need to set their limits before they go on the air and they should also retire before they get old and senile like Imus, O’Reiley and Bill Cosby!
White kids and their parents are the ones behind the rap movement! Its funny, white people don’t patronize black businesses or churches, but they’ll buy the hell out of some negative rap! Its so no wonder that Snoop and 50 cents often perform their concerts before all white audiences! WTF???
Imus been listening to that ish!
181. ethiopian_princess, satellite radio is where he should be! Do you realize the step down from his public forum to a pay to listen satellite! He won’t have access to presidents and heads of state on satellite! They don’t do satellite! And, the ones that do, don’t get heard! No sweetie, this is a major fall!!! On satellite, he’ll be at the mercy of the First Admendment! It’s like going from the NBA to the D-League! His professional career as we know it is over! He even said, he’s fighting for his life, now! Three months!
I’m glad you see the truth about Halle’s past! That being said, parents have to be responsible for what their children are exposed too! And, sitting them in from of MSNBC should be a safe bet, but Imus proved that’s not the case! MTV, VH1 and nem all have to meet FCC standards for public TV. They push it to the limit, and parents know this! These programs have a impact on young minds, but that’s no excuse for old ass Imus! The negative limits on BET can be used to teach right from wrong! What parents sits there and lets their children watch these shows without giving them any guidance!
Nonetheless, Imus will probably walk away before he does satellite. As long as he’s off of public forum, he’s history in my book, because I ain’t spending one red penny on that stans!
Very well said, Jamie E. #4. I agree 110%. We have to build up ourselves with positivity and help each grow, instead of remaining like sitting ducks. We encourage “Open Season” on the black race when we don’t react and pro-act to injustices in a constructive manner.
Well, Snoop isn’t the greatest person to ask, but it does bring to discussion some of the issues that this incident will shed light upon.
Will youth understand why this was so wrong, and even further will those that produce these so-called “artists” begin to think twice about “what” they are producing. Preaching your lifes’ experience and souls interpretations are one thing, but when you demoralize a whole generation, and youth adopt this attitude, you are not serving those around you, artistically.
Shock sells, no doubt. We all see how much of a hip-hop nation this has become and hip hop is a great outlet, but when it is at the cost of our youth, it begs for responsibility in publication. And I mean from black producers! Are we really excepting those that bankroll the degradation of our people, only because they are black?
So, here we go again, is it ok to say the “N” word if you’re black? Hell no! And it definitely isn’t ok to say it, if you’re NOT black! We can’t have it both ways. But folks we all know it is not “us” – the few people that are outraged – that understand what this is all about, aren’t those who patronize this media – for the most part.
Again, is it about our youth, the lack of strong role models, positively active parents, and our sense of self. Discuss it with young folks around you. Teach the deeper meaning of self-respect (by earning it), share your life experience with them. Hopefuly at some point, it’ll sink in.
185. Hillari, you’re on to something! Please continue!
All that black leaders can do is encourage the “sellouts” to stop with the negative message! All the people can do is stop patronizing it! No one, especially Imus, should be repeating it!
Now, the FCC can place tighter restriction on the rating categories, so that nothing has to be bleeped and the sexual nature of videos is controlled! Once we clean up public TV, everything else can be censored!
The N-word usually comes up in R-rated or higher! If it has to be bleeped, it shouldn’t be on public TV! We can’t force “deadbeat” parents into raising their children to read books and clean house! There will always be a negative element in this sinful world!
But, civil people can vote to control what appears in their livingrooms as oppose to what they pay to see! That would protect the First Admendment rights and clean up the public forum! MSNBC and CBS did their part in firing Imus! Now, the FCC should do their part along with parents!
We can’t close down every strip joint, but we should be able to keep them out of our neighborhoods! There’s enough air space to let the wheat and the tare grow together!
Developing…!
185. Hillari said: “…We have to build up ourselves with positivity and help each grow, instead of remaining like sitting ducks.”
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The Rutger women weren’t sitting ducks….they were soaring eagles! They were building themselves up with positivity! I just love it when y’all make general statements!
Making it to the NCAA finals shouldn’t encourage “Open Season” on the black race! Don’t lose sight of the issues! The Rutger team were innocent victims! How can you be any more pro-active when you’re five star, straight “A” and at the top of the class?
Imus goes duck hunting like Dick Chaney did when he “accidentally” shot Harry Whittington face, neck and chest with bird shot! No excuse!
uncle jed, really needs to check him self next time. maybe he will think twice before he speaks cause this aint the sixties, and he just may git his ass whooped next. lolololol we all make mistakes and life goes on.
# 187 thats the best comment ive heard on here in a long time. to the point AMEN
Meatloaf…
I’ll ignore the rest of your addresses to me after i correct your obvious inability to read. if you read my posts and statements you’d see where i made the statement we and us in conjunction with black people, combining that with my name you might have figured out i am BLACK! thanks…have a good day…
Actually…
i will comment on your question about what’s wrong with 106th n park….1) its NOTHING like AMERICAN BAND STAND. Its content is as degrading in terms of the videos it plays as Imus’ comment….
Political commentator, comedian ,etc…what they do isn’t as important as what they say. what gets said, be it out of black, white, red or green mouths, be it a president, a doctor, a lawyer, a public figure period, or a private citizen…racially discriminating against people is wrong. We can’t complain about the very thing we do to others.
And if we’re going to attack a situation let’s hit it at the root. Imus is nothing but a branch steeming from a tree implanted by ignorant black entertainment venues talking and acting crazy in the public sector.
I guarantee you if white and hispanic folks started coming after us for our discriminatory behavior the way we go after them we’d be confused as to what we did wrong and think it silly…
Either we need to learn, as a group, to be sensitive, or stop being so sensitive…can’t have it both ways…
And regardless of your preconcieved notions of what is allowable and not allowable on the basis of career paths (ie. Steve Harvey is a comedian so its okay for him to be racially insulting but IMUS is a political radio personality so he should be censored), freedom of speech knows no color and that argument wouldn’t stand in a court of law.
You know what? With all the hate mail and hate blogs from I-Mess fans and those who are not, true colors are going to be flashing from the black and white community. Reminds me of the movie “They Live”. Dayum
I know that dude isnt talkin about someones hair!!! Dude looks like a damn Corpse!!!!!!!
First of all, how many people feel the presence of leadership within the Black Community? Al Sharpton? Jesse Jackson? They like attention…..I have never seen either one of them in my neighborhood….until channel 9 news shows up. Then it’s “WE are outraged!!!! WE will not rest until WE have justice!!!!! Please……they just like to complain…. To be honest, I was under the impression that we were deprived of leadership after the 50′s and 60′s. Then the 70′s came in with “the every man for himself” mentality and the rest is unfortunately our history.
You can’t blame rappers because there is a WEALTH of CONSCIOUS HipHop Music out there and if YOU don’t know about it,and the TRUE music artist that support the elevation of HipHop then YOU don’t have the right to complain. Just like Porn movies, ridiculous music exist but you don’t have to buy or watch them because there are movies that fit every lifestyle. As far as what you see on TV? Name something on TV that IS intelligent? Besides a few things on the Discovery Channels. It is AMERICA!!!!!!!! SEX, MONEY, VIOLENCE!!!!!!!!! AMERICA LOVES IT!!!!!!! It’s not a black thing. It’s an American thing. The problem is control. We are letting people outside the culture define the culture and on top of that, SO CALLED BLACK LEADERS WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE AND DON’T WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE, CHOOSE TO GO AT THE CULTURE!!!!! But thats a whole other blog…….
But most of us don’t truly know our history beyond the American slave era. Most us aren’t cognizant of an era that took place before immigrants of Britain THOUGHT they discovered america. For thousands of years, mediterranean whites intermittently came in contact with African blacks in commerce and war, and left a record of these encounters in art and in written documents. The blacks–mostly Kushites, Ethiopians, and Nubians–were redoubtable warriors and commanded the respect of their white adversaries. The overall view of blacks was highly favorable. In science, philosophy, and religion….. color was not the basis of theories concerning inferior peoples. Some in early Christianity saw in the black men a dramatic symbol of its catholic mission.
For those who want to know more about their ancestry beyond slavery in america, an author by the name of Frank Snowden, Jr. would be a good start. However he only talks about the Greco-Roman interactions. But the point is research, research, research. Learn about the history of the blood that flows through your veins. The research of ones true history is essential in defining ones path to acheivement and success in ones future.
The Don Imus issue is a complicated one. For those of you defending him, let me remind you all that people lose their jobs every day for much less than what he did. One of the broader issues this raises for me is how many people feel like what he did was “no big deal”. Had he called a group of white young ladies “fat sluts”, all kinds of groups would be calling for his head, from women’s rights groups to the CEOs of Jenny Craig. However, we need only look at Linday Lohan’s movie “Mean Girls” to see an example of how often whites, both males and females, refer to white females as “sluts” and “skanks” in the realm of enertainment. Do you think the same people blaming hip hop would blame equivalent forms of entertainment in such a case? I THINK NOT!!
I feel like this situation, and the rather cold and unsympathetic response among so many non-blacks in this country, is a reflection of how many of them don’t perceive the same level of humanity in us as they do in others. Something that happened at work today truly bothered me, and while I hate to risk my anonymity, I feel that it must be shared. I am a physician, and I have seen countless examples of how blacks just don’t get the same “benefit of the doubt” in situations that sometimes mean life or death. Once case at hand today involved a black college student, about my age (yes, I finished school VERY early), who presented with symptoms that CLEARLY warranted certain treatments for a potentially life threatening condition. Instead, several precious hours were wasted, because, in the words of the primary treating physician on the case, my COLLEAGUE, “alot of times when these people come in this way you just chalk it up to drugs.” By the grace of GOD this patient survived, but the potential consequences included permanent paralysis, speech deficits, and a very HIGH likelihood of death. This could have been my little cousin, or my baby sister, or ME. Because of his condition, this patient was not in a position to speak for himself and give any indication that he was something besides the stereotype they felt comfortable embracing and expecting. I see too many instances of these types of assumptions made by some of the most highly educated and intelligent individuals on this Earth, and it equates to lives in danger. Blacks come to the ER and are tested for drugs for no reason, when non-blacks with similar presentations are not, and the acutal underlying conditions are ignored. I have taken a stance by cancelling many of these tests when I feel they are not warranted, but this should not be necessary. I can tell you about a patient who had a heart attack in front of one of the senior physicians who did NOTHING because he mistakenly assumed it was “cocaine-induced chest pain.” I have seen so many black men and women, from teenagers to 80 year-olds, have to suffer at the hands of some of my colleagues who refuse to provide appropriate pain medications that are given freely to white patients, because the black patients “just seem like drug-seekers.”
Now I must be honest. I can’t imagine that anyone would see me and use the word “nappy”, and I would hope that they would not use the word “hoe.” Nevertheless, I am highly offended because his insult was disparaging to my race and my gender. Maybe the firing of Imus was drastic, but we cannot allow the underlying message, that it is okay to disregard our humanity, to go unchecked.
190. ladonna said: “…I guarantee you if white and hispanic folks started coming after us for our discriminatory behavior the way we go after them we’d be confused as to what we did wrong and think it silly…”
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When is the last time you saw a black person refuse a job to someone white or hispanic? You have to hold back something or show preferential treatment to discriminate!
You can’t discriminate if you to control nothing! Whites have America! And, Hispanics have Mexico! They have the power, so the standards are different!
Whites and Hispanics don’t even patronize black busineses! And, we buy their $#!T everyday! Same for Asians! Every black person on here eats, pizza, tacos, pasta, shrimp fried rice, steak house and hamburgers! But, soul food resturants close every 6 months! Now, whites and mexicans will buy black rap music!
So, don’t preach to me about discrimination until you know what it really is!
194. cafeaulait529, Thank you!!!!!
I hope some of these black people take the time to read what you said! Unfortunately, anything over 5 lines does not get read by most CL scholars!
Ladonna, I especially hope you read post #194! Black doctors don’t discriminate!!
193. Damien, why are y’all still trippin on Al and Jesse? All they do is articulate the problem! We need people like that! They’re preachers, not Gods! Nobody’s expecting them to walk on water! They’re not the ones on trial here…Imus is the perpetrator!
Let Al and Jesse do what they do best!
I do believe that one has to the right to believe in there own opinion! But when we sit here and call these women ugly, it shows how superficial and materialistic our society is!
They are playing basketball…..who dresses up for that!!!!?
# 145-forgoodnessakes i see you like to cute & paste from other sites….i’m flattered
CAN’T PLEASE YOU LADIES HUH IF SHARPTON OR JACKSON DIDNT SAY ANYTHING EVERYONE WOULD OF BEEN SAYING WHERE’S JESSE JACKSON AND AL SHARPTON ON THESE MATTERS THEY DONT CARE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN.CAN ANYONE ANSWER THIS ? WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING AL SHARPTON HASNT CONDEMED RAP ARTISTS’ FOR THEIR LYRICS,HE’S BEE DOING IT FOR THREE YEARS,JUST BECAUSE THE WHITE MEDIA WASNT GIVING HIS CAUSE NO AIRPLAY DOESNT MEAN HE WASNT DOING IT.AND FAR AS THE GANGSTA RAP ARGUMENT IS CONCERNED YOU HAVE TO BE RETARDED TO FALL INTO THAT TRAP,WHEN SNOOP DOGG SAYS HOE IN HIS RECORD WHY DO BLACK WOMEN ASSUME THAT HES TALKING ABOUT ALL BLACK WOMEN HE’S TALKING ABOUT HO’S AND IF YOU ARE OFFENDED YOU MUST BE ONE.IF DON IMUS CALLED DIVINE BROWN A NAPPY HEAD HOE NO ONE WOULD OF CARED BUT HE CALLED A GROUP OF PROGRESSIVE EDUCATED BLACK WOMEN HOS SUGGESTING THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH IF YOU ARE A BLACK WOMEN YOU ARE STILL NOTHING BUT A NAPPY-HEADED HO.ITS NOT THE FACT THAT HE SAID NAPPY HEADED HO THAT CAUSED THE UPROAR ITS WHO HE CALLED A NAPPY HEADED HO
Is it just me..but why is everyone including the media summarizing hip-hop as the definition of what the African-American community is?? Just so I am clear..it seems that anyone that views hip-hop seems to think that all black people are exactly what those videos portray…I do not think the African American community as a whole deserves to be blamed for what rappers or other ignorant individuals feel the need to say. In my opinion no WOMAN should be called a bitch or a hoe… I only read 75 of the comments posted so if someone had already pointed this out.. forgive me..no harm meant..I got upset after reading post after post that African Americans are to blame for what the world feels about us….I am an African American woman and I do not listen to alot of hip-hop for the very same reasons IMUS used those FU**** UP remarks!! I do not say the N* word because I think it is just as worse!! I try explaning these things to some younger African American individuals and they do not listen.. so until people can start growing a brain and realize these words are hurtful I dont know what to say..But AGAIN WHITE SOCIETY and everyone else needs to STOP saying a WHOLE community is to blame for a few STUPID expressions!!! ANY insight Jamie E ???
196. Meatloaf said
“193. Damien, why are y’all still trippin on Al and Jesse? All they do is articulate the problem! We need people like that.”
I agree…….They make excellent spokesmen. But spokesmen can’t be considered leadership. They have the gift of Gab, but to be a leader you have to have solutions and direction as well as charisma. You have to be willing to sacrifice. Be willing to give everything for what you believe in. You’re right, they are not gods. But I’ve seen Al Sharpton in action and he ain’t on the level of the black leadership we had during the rise of the civil rights movement either. In terms of his views about rap? His mission should be to bring to light the intellectual music of the culture. Not to bring more attention to the irrelevance in it. A lot of youth consider themselves HipHop and leadership must be apart of that community. To be honest I feel these gentlemen are too old to be leaders. They’re are not intouch with the youth. That is why they identify the young black community as a whole through what they see on TV. Anyone who does that…..Anyone……”Is articulating the problem” and not coming with a solution……..The future of the black community is the youth. You must start there.
This is horrible!!! People seem to be relishing in this attack on this old guy, who if you check his resume has done the following:
Donated MILLIONS to create a camp for children who lost their families in Hurricane Katrina.
Donated MILLIONS to sickle cell research (a disease that afflicts blacks in LARGE numbers)
Hmmm I don’t ever recall Sharpton OR Jackson doing anything like that…
Also who the hell delegated Sharpton as the voice of “the people?”
Now what?? Are we also going to demand that:
Snoop, Jay Z, Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Lil’ Kim, Dr. Dre, Cam’Ron, Lil Wayne (shall I go on?)
get fired from their record labels for calling women.. BLACK women… bitches, ho’s, big and black (Lil’ Kim said that) … these are word smiths paid for their so called talent and they coon dance in front of white folk on a daily basis calling their women every derogatory name under the sun!
I doubt seriously there would be posts demanding they be fired…
We’d rather comment on Jay’s relationship or Ludacris’s hair or Lil’ Kim’s outfit last night.,…
People need to pay attention to a PRESCEDENT being set right now… we are supporting an end to this man’s livelihood???… why??
and for the record.. I am a black woman.. I think what he said was disrespectful,but I accept his apology… he’s a bigot? “BIG SHOCK” shit at least NOW he is out with his… (I an bit really sure he is) the true VICTIMS were the women he specifically targeted and that was the basketball team… at the end of the day… THEY should determine the punishment… THEY were the ones who were wronged…
Long Live Imus and PREE SPEECH…
yes this is a small victory in a war on people who dont respect black women, and that includes black men
Why do we need to wait for Al, Jeese and Louis to make moves?? Like Ghandi said, ” YOU must be the change that you want to see in the world.” Until we take responsibility of what is going on in our communities then we can’t point the finger at anyone not even these “defenders” of the Black community…
201. DAMIEN said: “…But I’ve seen Al Sharpton in action and he ain’t on the level of the black leadership we had during the rise of the civil rights movement either.”
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You should get a copy of Al Sharpton’s speech at Rosa Park’s funeral! He may not be everybody’s leader, but God is definetly using this brother to deliver some strong messages!!
I know you want to short change Al and Jesse, but my beliefs fall in line with them on many occasions! Al has that “by any means necessary approach” and Jesse tries to be the great orator!
Listen, the day of civil rights leadership is long gone! The leader today is anyone who will stand for civil justice! And, for me that could even be someone with blonde hair and blue eyes!
Martin’s dream was that civil rights be given to all people! Since his great speach, there have been many white men and women who have devoted their lives to his cause! If Jimmy Carter wants to build houses in poor black communities…then he’s my leader! If Oprah uses her money to build schools in poor countries, then she’s my leader! If Hillary Clinton wants to insure health care for all citizens, then she my leader! And, if Al and Jesse want to call for the dismissal of someone who calls our sisters and daughters “nappy-headed hoes”, then their my leaders!
In other words, the modern day leaders are those who stand up for the cause of justice!
All you napy headed idiots relaize he didn’t do anything wrong. Al napy headed Sharpen is the one who does nothing to help anyone but himself, same goes for Jessie Jack__f. We will never eleminte Racism in this country until we quit talking and seperating the color of People when it comes to statistics and crime rates and everything else used to Seperate US. We are all the same, just some ass heades mixed into it, which are all colors…….
I am referring to #164 Foxxy380
I don’t care about Imus statement because I know who I am and I know my self worth.
As for his statement effecting children. We as parents have to raise our children to know BULLSH** when they hear it and to be comfortable in their own skin and to know their own self worth. Then when they hear statements or any other derogatory words concerning their race then they will know how to handle the BULLSH*%. Just like when we send our children to school to get an education well its job to make sure that they are educated about racism.
You can not change the way people view you no matter how you dress it up you will always be a nappy headed, colored, n-word, & etc. in their eyes and mind. You being from the SOUTH should know that.
No I’m not saying you sould be humiliated over and over again. I’m saying that this SH#! will still be going on as long as we live. No matter how much we protest against it; It will still exist. Rather they are saying it out loud or in their minds. The mentality is here to stay and you being the person you are have to raise above it and just be you.
Imus being suspended haven’t prove anything and no matter what a person says or do, you should never wish bad on anybody rather you agree with their views, behavior, or whatever the case maybe. We have to be the better person to LET GO and LET GOD.
I watch videos all I see is women doing what they have a right to do, is make their own decisions to participate in those videos. I’m not here to judge what anyone chooses to do to survive, have fun, or get exposure.
I love TUPAC, TI, UGK, NELLY, LUDACRIS, RICH BOY and a few others. In reality what they say about some women are true. There are women who are bit%$es, hoes, and etc. I know many women who are like that and that is their CHOICE to behave like that. What a woman chooses to do is her right. Who am I to look down on her and say she is not to do that. That WOMAN is GROWN. Just because women do and say things that other people CHOOSE not to do doesn’t mean their being degraded.
No I’m not dumb I’m just a woman who believes that no one is holding a gun to these women heads making them participate in videos. Let us not forget that MEN are bit$*es and hoes too.