Imus fired by CBS

Source: MSNBC.com front page

It was just announced on Randi's show and is breaking news at top of MSNBC.com.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

But only a start.

Im more concerned about the $$$ he could have raised for sick children then the feelings of a bunch of "so called" adults.

I put the needs of those kids above everyone elses.

Inappropriate comment ... sure ... but the same goes for CBS's reaction and timing.

including college kids -- ahead of his own damn MOUTH.

Yours is another form of racism/sexism. You're saying to all those members of the classes he targeted with his sexist/racist comments that, once again, their concerns just aren't as important as something else. THEIR concerns have to wait. That's what we've been told for generations upon generations.

Maybe it was IMUS'S responsibility to think of the kids -- INCLUDING those black female kids at Rutgers.

IOW: instead of making women and blacks "put up with" and endure that kind of bigotry, and the discrimination that stems from it so that "the kids" benefit, maybe the responsibility for the kids falls to Imus alone.

and finish off the week? he's fired from cbs, but starting when?

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but way, WAY overdue.

..

n/t

the way this came down. Happened too fast. Driven by the wrong people. No transition period. No forgiveness. I think he should've been given another chance. But even if he wasn't, would not have hurt anything to give it two weeks for everyone's emotions to at least cool, so that the decisions could be made in the right atmosphere.

Reminded me too much of a mob-like thing. Distasteful.

I'm also seeing and hearing hints of a hit list. If people don't see what's wrong with that, well.....

He's HAD other chances. They meant nothing to him. He's made other promises. They meant nothing to him.

Just how many chances does he get? Just how much anti-woman, anti-black bigotry is too much in your view?

True, he's done some other things in the past. Some things I was unaware of until I started reading about them lately. But nothing like what he said about this basketball team. That was waaaay over the top.

So, yeah...one chance.

But even if he had to go, not in this mob-like hysterical atmosphere. It was unnerving to see a massive group of people go after the blood of one person, when the person was begging for forgiveness. I've never seen Imus do THAT. Which is worse? What difference would it have made to wait for a two week cooling off period?

I'm a woman. I've been offended by him. But I still say he should not have been canned in this type of atmosphere. It was wrong. Because Imus was wrong doesn't make the wrongness of dumping him in this heat right. (Even if he can be a jerk....but remember, he's a jerk on one side, and a good person on the other. He's not evil or totally bad. A little compassion is a good thing.)

are public figures, just like Gwen Ifill and William C. Rhoden and the long list of other people who Imus has directed his venom at are public figures, there is no problem at all.

Imus wasn't begging for forgiveness, he doesn't care at all about how he hurts people. He was doing whatever he had to do to keep his job and his comfy rich and famous lifestyle, doing what he has done many times before, going through the motions, whatever it takes. You said you've done the research, then you should know that he has been here before, he just managed to do a better job of sucking up previously.

have low post counts.

Sounds like an exclusive club to me? Imus said something stupid on a radio show that was way out there. We better watch out where this all ends up because it may terminate a lot more than just somwe washed up shock jocks rantings.

and yes, you will get the horns, as Imus has found out.

You have a problem with that?

You don't have very many posts yourself.

I belonged to DU years ago and had lots of posts. I got disillusioned with it and dropped out. I rejoined recently after lurking for awhile...became an Obama supporter and all.

Not that I have to explain anything. But just so you know. I was here looooong before you probably even knew it existed.

BTW...the Imus experience? I am rethinking my support of Obama. And if Sharpton endorses him, I'm definitely pulling my support. I'm not likin' the mob mentality I saw this past week. I wouldn't like it, if it were happening against Imus or Sharpton or anyone.

If you feel the need to support a bigot and a sexist pig, there are plenty of GOP candidates lining up for your support. Mitt Romney thinks you're cute.

Also, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? A-one? A-two? A-three?

I hate these types of posts that try to prove something by pointing out post counts. They prove jack shit. We all at one time had low post counts.

So at what count does one become an accepted sage of the DU community?

Respond to the content of the post, not to how many times a person has posted.

(And before you start, I'm not defending Don Imus. I'm just tired of post counts being used as some kind of cudgel here all the time.)

Fact of life that some freeper lurkers try to infiltrate DU with misinformation and ad hominem attacks. Lots of opposing posts with low post counts to a thread topic point to the obvious. We can't be naive in these dangerous times.

Wow. So P&G GM Amex etc. have a hit list? And they are, let me guess, targeting rightwing hate radio? OH MY GAWD! THIS IS HUGH! IM SERIES!!!!!!!!11!11!11!

Imus certainly didn't show any class when he disrespected the Rutgers Women's basketball team.

They haven't had an Architectural Digest spread in a couple of years.

Do some research.

Rush.

Glenn.

Sean.

Bill.

To name just a few.

Let's get on with it!

:evilfrown:

I'm just hoping that the other hate radio people are resting uneasy after this.

NOBODY would deserve being "Imus'ed" more than some of them.

BET
Continued suuport of gangste rap labels

It puts the terminology in the lexicoon of the society.

Just as some people say that it doesn't matter if Imus maybe is not racist or said the remark w/o malice. It's the words themselves that do the harm.

Same thing with music. "Artistic freedom" and "creativity," my eye. Same words. Same society. People repeat what they hear in songs. Hip hop is now a part of the culture, including its language. Calling a group of people a name is just that...even if it is in a song.

now. As to terminology, anyway. Terms used to call women and African Americans and other minorities.

bring up rap.

This is a liberal website; maybe you don't belong here.

Go read some of my posts and see if you still consider me to be a right wing shill.

You can start with this one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=615755

I'm Black and I have a problem with the way some of music depicts us. And so do a lot of other Black folk.

I love how people automatically bring up a knee jerk response when they hear something they don't like.

This is a DISCUSSION board. Maybe you should learn how to engage people rather than call names

Just because you don't agree with it doesn't make it a right-wing position only.

It is a valid point...that Hip Hop music has put these denigrating terms about women into the lexicon of everyday social life. If it's the language that's offensive, then that needs to be considered. If that isn't considered and dealt with, then that shows the object was the person, not the language.

As a woman, I've been offended by Imus a few times, incl. this latest horrible slur. I can't imagine why his brain would even think it. But I'm also offended by Howard Stern (even more so), Hip Hop language, some terms I've heard in movies, and the like.

ever since Tipper Gore went after the Record Companies back in the 80's cd's, records and cassettes have had this little label that says:
Parental
Advisory
Explicit Content

So it is up to the parents if they think it is o.k. for their kid to listen to this kind of stuff. Now what gets me is that Imus was slamming these young women and for what??? If Imus wants to talk his trash then he should be on Sirius or XM just like Howard Stern and not on our Public AirWaves!

But I'm looking at this from a slightly different perspective. We need to have this conversation within the Black community and I make no apologies about it.

One of the more aggravating things top me was hearing people call in to a lot of Black talk shows and still try to make the case that it's ok to continue to use this language in our communities because the meaning is "different". And a lot of us can't understand how "Ho" or "Bitch" takes on a different meaning when uttered within the context of our community.

I agree that parents play an important role in this. But so does the Black community at large and I think we need to be having conversations about how we want ourselves to be seen as a people.

just like I belong to the "Hispanic Community". I don't teach my 2 boys to act like jerks and I will tell you all that if I ever heard my boys use Ho, Bitch, The N word or any other term to put down others I will be on their rear-ends so fast. So like I said parents have a big roll to play on this. But it is easy to turn the talk from Imus and what he said. Again Imus was using our Public AirWaves that you and I pay for. If the man needs to talk trash then he should be on XM or Sirius.

and the thought of a mob going after an individual in the heat of an angry group of people, while the guy seems truly sorry and begs for mercy.

It's wrong. And it's time for some leaders to step up to the plate and say so.

Discussions should've happened. Suspension should've happened. Things calm down. THEN address the person himself, after discussions about how this happened, why this happened, effect on the young women, etc.

I would think the same thing, even if it had been a group of people in the heat of a comment going after Sharpton's head before the dust had settled. It's wrong.

then it is time to take a hard stand on the offender. Imus should have thought about what kind of trash was coming out of his mouth. And I think that from now on even if it is some one you like and they say something to put others down aka(skin color, sexual orientation, nationality, sex or religion) we should all speak up.

There are a few more that need to go...

How ironic that Randi Rhodes helped break the story, and how typical of her to be ahead of the curve. Since Day one of I-Mess, she took the stand that as bad as it was, there were right-wing radio jocks who have done far worse, since they're in the business of entrenching right wing dominance by dividing the citizenry. Punishing Imus will amount to nothing if nothing is done about them.

:headbang:
rocknation

time to light a fire under sponsors of Fox hate language shows as well.

This is a start, and there are other efforts underway. In General Discussion, I started a thread about targeting Glenn Beck by contacting his advertisers.

n/t

Who? How? Oh wait, you mean Imus got his sorry old ass fired because he lost all of his sponsors because they didn't want to sell their products on a show that called the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team "nappy-headed ho's"?

What is the end goal?

...What ever happend to the "I may disagree with what you say but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it"? This thing got way, way, waaaaaaaaaaayyyy out of hand.

:thumbsdown:

I'm certainly a free speech advocate, but I'm all for returning back to the Fairness Doctrine, since THE AIRWAVES BELONG TO THE PUBLIC, not to corporations, and not to the wingnuts.

I used to host a talk shows on small town radio stations, and never had a problem with finding articulate and *reasonable* spokespersons for almost every issue, and for those that didn't I had no problem playing devil's advocate.

But I never buy Rembrandt mouthwash or Hot Pockets because they sponsor Rush, for instance.

Boycotting sponsors of hate radio is not censorship, it's putting your money where your commitment is.

commitment is."

EXACTLY! Despite the very eloquent statement by the CEO of MSNBC, the ONLY REASON that Imus was fired by either them or CBS radio was *the bottom line* = the sponsorship of his program bailed in droves leaving an empty shell.

Yes, you are correct. This is one of the few times that "the people" influenced the sponsors to truly support social justice.

TRUST ME: If we would not have reacted (as a society of individual consumers), IMUS would still be doing his sexist and racist show. :hi: :applause:

has been wielded many times in the history off mass media. Ironically those most successful art doing so have been conservatives and religious types when dealing with TV shows.

You make a very good point about what vehicle was used to do Don Imus in. But just because it was effective, that does not make the results the right ones, nor guarantee justice was done in this case.

And believe me, a climate of hate, bigotry and misogynism definitely interferes with my rights to liberty, freedom, equality. This isn't about some fucking OPINION, like who's the better presidential candidate, this is about LIVES, opportunities, economic advantages or lack thereof, healthcare and legal climate, and on and on and on.

RACISM KILLS. (See: Katrina)

SEXISM KILLS. (See: epidemic of violence against women)

HOMOPHOBIA KILLS. (See: Matthew Shepherd)

But Jackson was forgiven for his anti-Semitic remarks in 1994, and Al had an oops in that department himself recently.

I don't believe in the death penalty, I hate it. A corollary to the "kill them all" mentality that creates a penalty making the state as bad as any murderer is overkill in the punishment department.

Imus should have had his feet held to the fire to show he meant his apology, but this all should have been weighted in the full balance of things that man has done in his life.

A firing from is CBS show was over the top. He is far from the worst of the shock jocks and other commentators out there, many off whom would never ever apologize for what they have said.

I stand by my opinion. But I appreciate your good input.

If you're not going to do that maybe you don't belong on DU.

Free speech has nothing to do with Imus; free speech involves government interference in expression. The canning of Imus is about the market.

Thanks for the red herring, though.

I made a short while ago on another forum. I speak off standing up to racism:

#25. To: Jethro Tull (#24)
With all due respect, you should have given him a verbal reality check. I do that when I hear racism, even if it feels uncomfortable doing so.

I find projecting a firm, polite well articulated rebuke is not something people will go to fists over.

People actually know what is right or wrong and will accept requests to remain civil, and it sounds like you were near an overgrown child who was pushing the limits anyway.

I look at it this way, It is my responsibility to make the next victims of the insufferable bully in question have an easier time dealing with them. Relentless public pressure does have an effect on people.

In any event, I'll long die speaking my mind then ever to suffer the thousand deaths of being censored by fearing to say something. So don't bother saying "I told you so" if I ever come in here complaining About some racist punching my lights out. ;-D


Ferret Mike posted on 2007-04-12 21:06:15 ET Reply Trace Private Reply Edit

http://freedom4um.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=50009&Disp=29#C24

You are correct KD, you have to stand up to racism. But one also must be realistic that as a church is full of sinners and not saints, some people - including people in the media -- need to be dealt with with patience and with all other considerations weighted in taking action on something bad they have said.

Being draconian, inflexible and merciless discourages dealing with problems like this in the media and elsewhere, it doesn't help end the problem.

If it's just a start, what's next? I don't argue with him being fired from both his jobs--it's an industry run by money and the advertisers were jumping ship. But I don't understand what else people expect to be done to the man. I suppose if he's in a home owner's association the other members could try to get him evicted. His wife's book could be pulled from the shelves. Doesn't he have some kind of ranch? Maybe that could be run out of business.

Talk about a stereotype. Who is that? Bill Gates? Warren Buffet? The plumber down the street that expanded his business? Bill Clinton, George Soros? George Bush? Dick Cheney? The computer geek who decided to open a nationwide business fixing computers? Rush Limbaugh? Al Gore? Sean Hannity? The Hiltons? Jesse Jackson (the swindler)? Perhaps The Kennedys? How about The Rockefellers? Let's put down anyone who has wealth.......we can all be the same little peons.

The fact remains this was all about feelings and nothing about racism. Imus got canned because Proctor and Gamble, Bank of America, Jet Blue, etc...decided they didn't want to deal with it. Iy was a market decision. Damn, captialism sux!

too.

Consider that we are dealing with a multi-millionaire. He didn't really do all that much. In comparison, it's like many of us who volunteer for stocking the local shelter or giving time to help the homeless with counseling.

Imus is no more special than the senior citizen who I am blessed to volunteer with. The only difference is that she is NOT a multimillionaire like Imus. :shrug:

Wake up and stop glorifying "the ruling class" of the arrogant political elites and filthy rich. :thumbsdown:

He owned Imus Ranch, where he and wife took in, rotations, terminally ill children. They didn't hire custodians. They themselves picked the kids up at the airport, fed them, taught them to ride horses, held rodeos with them, etc. Kids of all races, of course.

Then he almost singlehandedly was responsible for raising the millions needed to build a veteran's hospital. We all know how we need more vet hospitals right now.

Then he ran and did fundraisers for his Fallen Heroes charity. I believe that charity gave money directly to wounded soldiers. (Imus is a former Marine.)

Then he and his wife personally pursued pet issues usually dealing with children. Last I heard he was working on an autism bill in the U.S. Congress, and something to do with funds for sickle cell anemia. He personally badgered politicians for these causes...and he wasn't shy about it.

Those are just the ones I know of. There were others.

He spend a lot of time and his personal money on them. He was, in fact, a compassionate man (apparently not overly compassionate about everything, or he wouldn't have gotten himself into this mess). Still, it's not fair to paint him as a rich white racist uncompassionate and narcissistic guy as if that's what he was. That is not accurate.

While I greatly admire the work that he did, that in no way excuses what he said. And this is not the first time he has made off color comments on his radio show.

Now that he is off the air, he can focus on his charities full time. He is far better at that anyway.

One side of his mouth he's a compassionate philanthrophist, and the other side of his mouth he's a bigoted intolerant dunderhead. Why was it so hard for Imus to be compassionate 100% of the time and talk like he loved people regardless what they looked like or what his politics are? Is that too difficult?

I don't think compassion and philanthropy gives anyone a free ride to also be a bigot. It's a personal ethical incompatibility.

so the sick or disabled kids don't get money via Imus! (That is a REAL suggestion from a poster yesterday.)

The last week has been a world gone mad. I can understand it in a way. Can't understand that some reasonable leaders weren't able to put a clamp on it, to calm things down for just a short while. Never a good idea to act hastily like that, with a group of angry people. Just my opinion.

:rofl:

I've missed you!

It's been a week full of meetings at night. I'll be in the clubhouse tomorrow night. I was there last night, but you weren't.

:hi:

yesterday but was too lazy to post. See you then -- if we don't meet before. :)

He is good friends with Mel Karnazan of Sirius, but I see him on XM.

so it really doesnt matter which one he starts on.

I think Imus might just retire. prior to signing his current contract (Which he was fired from) he had said his previous one was his last one, but then decided he was having "too much fun" to quit eg was being paid a shitload of money. but that being said, I think he might jsut retire to New Mexico and be done with it all.

But he should get his ass to satellite.

advertisers got nervous and bailed, and that's all she wrote.

Picking on a bunch of high achieving kids and reducing them to body parts and a slur is not smart, I guess.

He's stinking rich and 65. He could retire easily.

Or he could hope for a contract with Pox (unlikely) or XM or maybe a standup gig in Las Vegas.

I am very happy that Bernard is out of a job. He is a real pig, and I'm not shedding any tears for Imus either. He is such an egomaniac.

Apologize? Not from the likes of you. We are coming after all of you and your families too.

If "destroy fiflth like you" is coming out of your mouth (fingers.)

You sound like Michael Savage.

His "trophy bride" is a right winger and his brother is just ... well, like Neil Bush. :shrug:

They'll be just fine on old Imus's Multi-Millions.

WIPE THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
^Sarcasm

I never have liked her. Now I understand why she has always rubbed me the wrong way.

Wouldn't we all want more money if our employers offered us more? Since when is it wrong to be rich in America? Alec Baldwin is rich. Bill Maher and Jon Stewart are rich. Keith Olberman is rich (by my standards, anyway).

That's part of the American dream, isn't it? You work hard, you pursue certain endeavors, in the hopes of recognition, self-esteem, and monetary gain.

Earning money because you do something well is a good thing. Not a bad thing. IMO.

Cause honestly if you were addressing a different target that is the same thing a FReeper would say about say Michael Moore for example. I love that part about coming after all of you and your families too, what do you plan on doing, leaving a horsehead in their beds?

But the forces that drove Dan Rather off the network are just too strong at the moment.

forces. Nothing to do with what's going on right now, that I can see. If you'd like to try to make your point have some actual coherence, go ahead. But at present it doesn't.

atmosphere.

Like Hannity or Limbaugh. Imus has actually called for Bush to be tried for war crimes.

She's Republican, but she seems somewhat apolitical, really. She cares about certain causes, and that's all she seemed to care about. She badgered both sides of the aisle for research for autism, environmental things, and such. And was appreciative of whoever came through for her.

She and Don Imus mercilessly railed far-right wing Texan congressman Joe Barton for going back on his promise to vote for funding some bill (autism I think). They exposed that he was funded by the companies that were polluting the stuff that had been linked to autism.

Tony Blair can co-host a show on race relations for Faux nooz and Skynews can franchise it.:sarcasm:

I find no joy in seeing a small incident being blown up into a McCarthyistic witch hunt.

Shame on CBS for this Fox network grade action.

"Have you now or have you ever been a cragged-out bigot and a sexist pig?"

And my son works in trauma medicine in North Carolina. I found Don's comment bore-some and stupid, just as I found 'Hymie town' comments by Jackson idiotic, and Sharpton's recent hateful comments about Jews insufferable.

These men were forgiven, and I supported Jackson in the primary season when he ran for. I have forgiven and made friends with people who once hated me for having a African American wife and kid, and nothing is gained by going Cotton Mather on Don Imus.

I am not impressed with the lack of compassion with Imus, especially considering how vanilla his comments are in comparison to Reich-wing talk radio jerks, and a one Ann Coulter who once called for Muslims to be conquered and converted to Christianity or killed.

-Michael Joseph McCarthy

and I appreciate your viewpoint coming from real life experiences. But this is DU and thoughtful and intelligent posts such as yours are such a rarity.

Which is why I lurked for years before posting here to any degree, and is why I still have only around 700 posts after all this time after deciding to take a leap off faith to join in.

I have mixed feelings about this forum. II generally like it, but I much prefer open forums to choir venues. Tough to be fair DU is more tolerant of opposing views then Café Paranoia (FR).

I have long enjoyed being a thorn in the side of Free Republic and am amused by the extra effort JR's son takes to weed out my influence there.

One thing I will say in strong defense of this site however, at least it does not censor those who post about the truth concerning 9-11 being an inside job. I have zero respect for the KOS for doing just that and do not even bother lurking it as a result.

No need to stick around in this pathetic old place. WE'LL certainly not notice your excellent contributions missing if you go.

and overtly thumped by being banned at conservative forums like LibertyPost.org and the Free Republic. Nothing about your post is new to me.

Your interogeratory here is interesting and quite amusing. But not worth taking seriously enough to answer.

I was nearly killed when a security guard pulled my rope precipitating my fall from a tree in Eugene, Oregon on July 24th 1998 while I was protesting them cutting trees down in Eugene for the Nike store. I have saved trees and lost them in other sits and have been bullied in the Forest by the Forest Service both in trees and on the grown getting around a forest closure aimed at stopping out protests and designed to close our tree villages.

Posting in forums is mild compared to real life activism I have been involved with in my life. I don't live or die by what people on forums think of my honest and carefully though opinions on things. Nor is posting online as stressful as facing deadly ruthlessness while in the commission of real life activism.

I merely try to remain civil and to avoid ad hominem attacks. Nothing else is worth worrying about.

Nice to meet you by the way, we have a woman with a very similar nick to yours' on Freedom4UM.com. Should you have the mind to, feel free to visit us there.

Thanks for sharing by the way. ;-D

What did your wife think of Imus' comments?

She hates him and supports the firing, I don't, so it goes. ;-)

I must have been too unduly influenced by the album 12,000 hamburgers to go by Imus as an impressionable youth I guess.

That's just sick and has ZERO in common with McCarthyism. :crazy:

Methinks you may just not care for Title 9 - but show your prejudices in more covert ways? :shrug:

There is something inbetween saying, "Hey, that vile thing you said is a-ok" and firing him in the midst of a hot feeding frenzy.

And if what he said is so vile...why is everyone intent on repeating it over and over and over and over. If it was not everyday language last week, it sure is, now. Jon Stewart did a comedy bit vido-editing thing showing all the people repeating the term, over and over, when supposedly it was so awful that you'd never want to hear it again.

so brain-dead Imus apologists who fail to recognize sexist, racist slurs get it beaten into their thick skulls that THE FUCKING PHRASE WAS TOTALLY WRONG.

Of course, I'm not counting you among that group.

Source: MSNBC video crawl

Looking for link now

Link added ..... AP confirms story

Link from CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

My Grandma was just telling me "Well, he can take comfort he still has his radio show" just a few moments ago . . . . damn.

Of course, he wasn't fired for his racist remarks.. he was fired cause he was losing his sponsers. I mean, gone is gone, but they waited to see what, if anything, would happen in the after math before taking action.

Of course Glen Beck, Limbaugh etc. etc. are still out there . . so . . . yah.

is the current president of the US not this former coke-head disc jockey. it's by far more ignorant and dispicable that the man didn't even know the differences between sunni and shia before going to war. we should direct all this heat towards them and not let go for a second. just a suggestion, i realize no matter what i say people still gonna do what they feel.

Keep the furor going on to other hosts now. And soon, like next week or next month.

Imus was a pretty weak guy. 67. On MSNBC at 4:30 in the morning on the west coast. Heard on one station in San Diego.

Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage all are on multiple stations lying about current events and injecting *actual* hatred into the culture.

Stop going after Imus now. He's done all he can. He's apologized. he's been fired. He's asked for forgiveness. Now it's your duty to forgive. (Not forget. Not reinstate him. But let it go. Forgiveness is *always* in the hands of the person forgiving, there's little to nothing a person asking forgiveness can do other than to ask for forgiveness.)

Keep it going to other problem radio and TV hosts and pundits. Otherwise this will just be a lame show of power.

...at least for now. Good start, though.

I think he's gone.

Wouldn't it be nice if people could muster this type of outrage over the shit guys like Limbaugh say on a daily basis.

:wtf:

From what I understand, they despise Imus. His support for Kerry really sent them over the edge.

It will cost the forces of good more then is gained by it as long as we see much worse people then Imus ever was continue to work to promote their brand of hatred and intolerence like Rush, Mikie Savage, Ann Coulter, and Sean Hannity.

Imus cannot be classified as purely liberal or purely conservative. He wafted back and forth from one extreme to the other, and as a result he didn't have anybody (other than Rosie O'Donnell of all people) who was willing to go to bat for him. Like the parable Jesus said about being neither not nor cold, and therefore he spews you out of his mouth.

Who in this country has supported the returning troops like imus? I dont condone what he did although I believe in forgiving, Does him losing his livelihood fit what he did? I refuse to join in on the pile-up.

Maybe we can start with Sharpton and Jackson apologizing to the Duke Lacrosse players. Oh wait, that's not the same :sarcasm:

Don't let PARTY POLITICS trump issues of social justice. I didn't burn my training bra in the 1970s for nothing. Many young people don't fully embrace the sacrifices professional women have made since then. Back in the 70s WOMEN were called GIRLS even in the business community. Further it was a rarity to consider that a woman could be a medical doctor.

The times they are a changing ... but PLEASE don't forget where we came from and the struggles of your grandmothers and other ancestors before you WHO knew both RACISM and SEXISM - prejudice and discrimination "up close and personal." :patriot:

Did I miss the calls here at DU to go after his advertisers, or launch email and phone campaigns??

Of course there has been an organized effort to go after his advertisers and make phone calls demanding he be fired. Al Sharpton et al. have been campaigning nonstop on this. I have no idea if any DUers were part of the campaign, though I've read some posts from people who apparently see this as a milestone in the history of feminism and race relations.

to go to the head of studio and demand Imus be fired. He organized effort to go to the advertisers. After getting Imus fired from NBC, Sharpton organized effort with CBS corporate and its advertisers to end Imus' career.

It was an overreaction, IMO. It was wrong to go after someone's blood like this.

It was also a good diversion for Sharpton...since the decision was coming down that the Duke college guys, who Sharpton had called guilty, were, in fact, innocent. This effort against Imus would have gone down much better, if it had been someone who had the character to really be indignant over language.

aside from Sharpton, et. al., and you give me a lecture.

You got any details of who these "activists" are, or not??

And I'm one who see this as something of a milestone for blacks and women -- but that isn't the same as saying "we did it."

I want to know who these activists are.

What do you want, the names and social security numbers of everyone who called MSNBC? :wtf:

And if you really think this is a "milestone for blacks and women", then I feel sorry for you, because getting rid of Don Imus, jerkoff though he may be, is going to have precisely zero effect on American society.

{edited for spelling}

Part of the Imus schtick was for him to play the moderate to his two McGoonies. I am truly sorry that you too fell for this nonsense.

But does it really mean that the guy has to be fired? How much damage has Imus really done? Does he even compare to a guy like Limbaugh, who has made a career out encouraging his millions of listeners to fanatically hate their fellow Americans? How many people have called into Imus' show and told him that he is responsible for teaching their home-schooled children everything they know about political science? (I've actually heard dittoheads say stuff like that) For that matter, how many people even take Imus seriously, the way the dittoheads take Rush seriously?

Again, I'm not defending Imus' bigoted remarks, but I'm taken aback by the hysterics some people have worked themselves into over this whole tempest in a teapot. Imus is a cranky old shock jock who mumbles offensive jokes; guys like Rush are polished hatemongers who spend every day stoking the flames of racism and getting nostalgic about the good ol' days when women and minorities knew their place.

maybe where he has more freedom of speech.

I didn't like what he said, but Howard Stern says much worse on a daily basis. And who cares?

I dont listen to talk radio at all. My radio is for listening to music, but I do believe in freedom of speech.

it seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate.

You believe in "freedom of speech" or ABUSE of free speech?

I used to listen to him occasionally before he moved to satellite and I don't remember any vicious racial slurs like Imus's.

on the racial thing, but darlin', I'm a woman and he LOVES his woman jokes. God, he is horrible on that count....and on gays.... FYI, his comments do not offend me, I just don't take them that way, but I can see where people do.

Thing is, if I am listening to a "shock jock" I take things as they come. I tune out if I do not like it.

if you're going to say it, you better be ready for the ass-whupin' you're going to get for saying it. Apparently Imus wasn't.

Although I think there is enough "free speech" out on those airwaves already.

Imus didn't get fired for his comments, which were way out of line. He got fired because the networks were seeing advertisers bail.

Isn't this what happened to the dixie chicks? They were banned from country radio stations for their freedom of speech.

the advertisers, hence the company(ies) dropped him. The hypocrisy is if he still could make them money, he'd still have a microphone.

The same could be said with the dixie chicks, and from what I've seen there are some in this forum that were defending their right to free speech, and condemning those that didn't.

Just like the conservative talk show host were doing today, by defending free speech with this, but did not speak up on behalf of the dixie chicks right to speech, instead they condemned their speech with intent to harm the speaker, the same thing many of you are doing here in this forum. To hurt , to cause harm to the speaker.

Imus represented MSNBC and CBS when he made sexist/racist remarks. The Dixie Chicks represented themselves when they made political remarks.

That said, I do have compassion for Imus as well as the Rutgers team. I hope there is a national resolution in the works as we need to pursue these issues beyond Don Imus.

I'm still trying to figure out what ANY of this has to do with Sharpton.

Imus is an asshole...don't get me wrong.

my guess he's constitutionally incapable of doing so.

:eyes:

The news was coming down that the Duke Lacrosse guys were innocent, the charges trumped up. And Sharpton had gone down there and done a big PR thing about the young college men were guilty, etc., etc.

Imus shot himself in the foot, for sure. But I'm sure Sharpton was glad to see a diversion come along.

maybe you don't belong on a liberal forum.

There is no chance of Imus going to Sirius. Karmazin and Stern are close friends and Stern rightfully dislikes Imus intensely. Stern rules Sirius.

Why was it so hard to fire this offensive jerk when it was so easy for C*rcuit C*ty to fire a few thousand innocent employees?

Good riddance! Imus has had a reputation of being sexist and racist since the late 70s.

Too funny! = Chris Rock and Bill Maher defending Imus. Have you EVER seen either comedian show one moment of respect to the feminine gender? In fact, have you ever seen any warmth toward women other than their snide comments to the effect that they'd "like to nail that one?"

Please, it's been a long time coming. For a change, capitalism (advertisers pulling out) worked to promote social justice.

God Bless America! ;) :patriot:

That's what I'm hearing on the news on several stations by several people. People are getting disturbed after getting familiar with Hip Hop lyrics. Some are thinking it's unfair to go after one, if you don't get at the root of the problem....what is really putting the terminology in the lexicon of today's society. (It certainly wasn't one old white guy.)

but I don't think it's fair to say "it's all hip-hop's fault that Imus said what he said," either. (Not to jump on your case, indie_ana_500; I'm thinking in more general terms of the hip-hop defense.) I think it's better to go after the other right-wingers who are using hip-hop as a smokescreen to justify their atrocious behavior...

My experience from teaching high school was that many many young white men buy up the rap music and it no doubt affects their attitudes toward black women.

In the context of most rap songs the word "ho" is used like "gal" or "doll" used to be used in white youth culture. I really do think it changes meanings when paired with the hair comment and used by somebody like Imus.

Not that I approve of everything rap music says and what it does to our society, but I do think it is two different things when you talk about Imus and when you talk about rappers.

if people had to go specifically tune in the Imus station, or click to get his shows stream or podcast, or buy his show on CD - that's different, he can say whatever, but on public airwaves there are limits, and commercial sponsors need to consider what they're supporting. As the 'fairness doctrine' needs to be brought back, we also need some sort of anti-'hate' standards. Always remember that in Rwanda and other similar incidents, broadcasting/radio was always long used before hand to prep the way and pull the trigger to start the show.

whether it's on airwaves or not. You still can't call private citizens derogatory names, whether it's on the airwaves or not. Your rights end where another's begin.

Sharpton knows this...he's been hit with a civil judgment before for name-calling.

He is hardly the bastion of proper language, whether it's on or off the airwaves.

All I'm saying is...it wasn't right to go after someone in the heat of a situation with an angry mob. Some things are right. Some things are wrong. What Imus said - wrong. Going after him with an angry group, when he is apologizing and trying to make amends and asking forgiveness - wrong.

Shoulda waited a couple of weeks. Shoulda followed some other leader besides Sharpton.

His show sucked anyway.

I wonder what new show will replace his.

Too bad getting rid of Bush isn't as easy.

Hmm, Imus vs. Limbaugh.... refresh my memory, who was it that regularly called the bush administration on its bullshit?

Imus was an asshole, but at least he was an equal-opportunity asshole perceived by his audience as a moderate. If he makes a comeback, it'll be as a bitter openly-racist rightwing asshole who will be perceived by his audience as a moderate.

No reason for gloating or celebration, CBS "set up us the bomb" on this one.

Good to see a homey on one of the big boards. Glad to see you back. Now, as far as Imus:

Frankly, he is just an old ph*ck DJ playing his final years of what he believes to be glory. I don't like what he said, but I also believe he should not be the only one to go down for racial and cruel comments, otherwise this whole last week is just another news diversion from the real issues of he day.

Shawn Insanity, Rush Oxyboy, Savage, and even that Michael von Steinhoff Nazi that comes on WDTW on Sundays say stuff that is just as bad, if not worse.

I haven't been away! I'm around somewhere on DU everyday.

:hi:

Goodness, obsession is just not OK. Randi is just the cat's ass.

You are pretty OK too. I just don't get on the boards as much as I should I reckon.
Anyway, this Imus thing shoud make us all take a deep breath on what we as a nation considers acceptable in terms of major media. If anything, ole' cowboy wannabe might have helped to wake up the sleeping fense sitters in terms of talk radio. Gosh, those young women on that Rutgers teams reminded me of my niece that played for Eastern, and Imus kidd of crossed Unka Mad Dog's line in the sand.

Will she be hired and hired and hired and hired?

Networks?

he sucks twice as much as imus..although imus is a bigger asshole!!

Whatever.


Gross over reaction if you ask me.

While I think Imus should never have said what he did and was just plain stupid to have done so and is worse if he really thinks that, censorship of ANY person in this country for ANY reason short of clear and present danger ie fire in the crowded theater is the first step on the long road to facism and totalitarianism. I may hate what he said, but I will defend to death his right as a free citizen of the United States of America to say that.

Source: USA Today

Don Imus has been fired from his radio show by CBS.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-04-12-cbs-imus_N.htm?csp=34

How many left to lose?

This was big news yesterday...

And sadly, has taken all the oxygen out of DU for other stories since then...:shrug:

I see that MSNBC is replacing the Imus show with wall to wall Imus coverage.

because, really, how much more can you say. I guess it's a slow news day - just because Iraq is blowing up and the WH is not cooperating with all legitimate Congressional inquiries - there's nothing more important to cover.

not the news but the thread

not breaking news......

This thread has been combined with another thread.

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I'm hoping this week's events re: Imus are a catalyst for change. I'm hoping that the end result of this will be me telling my grandkids in 30 years...

"Yeah, I remember that day fondly. Before the end of the year, all the shock jocks and radio talking heads were removed by a mandate from the marketplace and replaced with civility. Limbaugh, Beck and Stern were the next to go and it just took off from there. I was there the day Class returned to the airwaves..."