Just Because He's Imus

Just Because He's Imus

by Mark Luedtke

I have never listened to or watched Don Imus' program (but, with his hair, I know he should never make a hair joke). I don't know anybody on the Rutger's women's basketball team. I'm no expert on black culture. And this is a scary topic to write about. I don't want to end up like Imus. I doubt I have as much freedom on this subject as my counterpart on the left, just because he's liberal, but he doesn't have nearly the freedom to talk on the subject as a black writer either. Unfair as it is, that's the reality in modern America. Life is not fair for anybody.

Those disclaimers out of the way, I'll just examine some of the claims I've read in the media on this subject.

I've read many claims that Don Imus' freedom of speech was violated. Between her vicious assaults on Christians, comparing fundamentalist Christians to suicide bombers, Rosie O'Donnell invoked the "thought police" to describe Imus' problems. But Imus got in trouble for what he said, not what he thought, and he merely lost his job, he wasn't arrested. The first amendment doesn't restrict employers from firing employees over speech. But Rosie hasn't lost her job over her repeated, nastier comments. Imus isn't Rosie.

Many have condemned Imus' comments themselves as racist and misogynist. Since Imus was attempting to humorously emulate black culture, I think the best way to judge Imus' comments is to look at the idols of black culture and see how they address black women. I won't quote the lyrics to the top 5 songs on the rap chart here because I'm afraid I'd get accused of being racist just for quoting them. Needless to say, the icons of black culture invariably use the same words and worse to describe black women. Imus didn't use derogatory terms rejected by a minority, as has been done with prejudice in the past – Imus' terms are glorified by the minority. An observer from Mars would conclude that Imus should get a raise for using humor to reach out and embrace modern black culture. But Imus is no black culture idol.

Unfortunately Martian objectivity has no place in this emotionally charged discussion. MTV did an interview with black culture icon Snoop Dog that sheds some light on this double standard. From http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1556803/20070410/snoop_dogg.jhtml:

"It's a completely different scenario," said Snoop, barking over the phone from a hotel room in L.A. "[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 sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC [which announced Wednesday it would drop its simulcast of Imus' radio show] 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 mutha----as say we in the same league as him."

Snoop Dog later compared Imus to NFL star Pacman Jones, who was suspended for a year, not fired, for multiple arrests and his recent involvement in a shooting in Las Vegas. But Imus is not Pacman Jones.

Some have said that Imus hurt the Rutger's women's basketball players. Whatever happened to sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me? Thick skin is still a virtue, but we pretend otherwise when Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson ply their trade. These CEOs of the phony outrage industry promote real income disparity – Al and Jesse rake in the dough at everybody else's expense when it comes to feigned outrage. The Rutger's basketball players reached the pinnacle of achievement in a tough sport, and they didn't get there without thick skin. Imus' comments couldn't damage them in any way. They've brushed off worse from opponents' fans and listened to worse on their iPods. But Imus isn't a fan.

The Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape were kicked out of school and had their freedom threatened by the government. That's real harm. How come Jesse and Al aren't playing the outrage card for them? Because of who the lacrosse players are.

So if Imus wasn't attacked for his comments, others are rewarded for saying worse, or for hurting the basketball players, then he must have been attacked for who he is. Imus is an old-ass white man. Many call him a free thinker and rugged individualist. He carries a handgun. Worst of all, he's successful at talk radio. Liberals want to destroy all those things.

Imus' comments provided an opportunity for a pack of liberals to attack and take down a white, free-thinking, talk radio host. Flush from the fresh kill, Kieth Olbermann called for Jesse Jackson to go after Olbermann's favorite targets: white, conservative, male, talk radio hosts. The New York Times went after Ann Coulter. Afraid to compete on the field of ideas, the wolves of political correctness are on the hunt to silence any opposition.