On Don Imus and Racial Slurs
I’ve been biting my tongue and slapping my hands ever since the flap with Don Imus and his comment about the Rutgers women’s basketball team hit the news. Well, okay, I haven’t been biting my tongue, as my wife will surely attest. But, the time has come when I’ve got to speak my mind through my fingers–so here it is.
I don’t agree with or approve of Don Imus’ put-downs, either of the Rutgers team, or fat people, or any of his other targets. His radio show isn’t (make that wasn’t) on in my market, and if it were, I wouldn’t listen to it unless it was on one of my stations and I was working out a problem that required me to listen. After thirty-five years in the radio business, I know that’s the most effective way to deal with offensive radio hosts–don’t listen. When people don’t listen, radio programming changes. It’s one of the laws of the broadcasting universe.
Should Imus be fired? I don’t think so, at least not for this particular infraction. It was fairly mild compared to some of his shtick.
But, now that Imus has been fired for racially insensitive remarks, does this mean that other radio hosts who make racially insensitive remarks are on the chopping block? For example, the well-known, nationally syndicated black guys whose programs routinely contain insensitive racial slurs toward white folks? Probably not. It seems that we live in a land that openly supports racial double standards. It’s okay for a black radio host to make fun of white folks. If white hosts make fun of black folks, that’s different. If a white person complains about the racial slurs made against them, we’re told that our complaint is racially insensitive, and we are called racists. I speak from experience.
The other day I heard Harry Smith of the CBS Early Show interviewing a representative of the National Association of Black Journalists. He asked a fair question–the term “ho” is common in Hip-Hop culture, so how do we define who is permitted to say that and who is not? The NABJ representative non-answered the question–twice. Why? It was a legitimate question, and as a journalist the interviewee should have been prepared with an answer. My question is even deeper:
Why do we even have a “National Association of Black Journalists” in the first place?
It is by definition a racially discriminatory organization. If someone formed a “National Association of White Journalists,” it would be branded as a racist organization before the ink was dry on their charter. Why is it that the “National Association of Black Journalists” isn’t considered a racist organization? It’s simple, really: it’s a racial double standard. Apparently, some people are allowed to be racists in America.
Jesus had simple, straightforward attitude about racial discrimination: He would not tolerate it in his disciples–period. Racism in any form is wrong. What Don Imus said was wrong. Treating any person in a different manner than someone else because of their race is wrong.
Racism in any form is wrong.
Period.
In any direction.
Hello Dan,
I am the person you saw in the CBS morning show. You wondered why I avoided answering a question about other people who have used bad language. Allow me to respond. I had two minutes to get the message across …and I didn’t want to spend 30 seconds on a subject I was not there to talk about. Grant it, more should be said and done about the BIG picture regarding these types of remarks….but on that particular day I was scheduled to talk about our groups position on Imus and I was determined not to be distracted by sidebar topics. That said, I don’t think it’s right for anyone to say those words. That has been my position for years. It’s funny, not in a ha ha kind of way but when the women in our group walked out on a rapper who was using bad language at our convention almost ten years ago it was on the inside page below the fold. Timing is everything and I think the outrage that has been expressed over the last nine days is a signal in this country that most people of all colors are tired of the assault on our ears.
Why do we need a National Association of Black Journalist? As a group we have members who are white, asian, hispanic who are working with us to increase the numbers of African American journalists in our nations newsrooms. If you look at the number of newsroom managers, senior editors, General Managers of color you too would agree we need to work harder to achieve diversity.
I hope that answers some of your concerns. Try not to make this a race issue, most of us are trying to reach the same goal.
Barbara, thank you for your thoughtful response. A couple of thoughts to ponder:
1) You could have shut Harry’s line of questioning down in five seconds with the same response you gave me . . . “It’s not right for anyone to say those words.”
2) Your explanation of the mission of NABJ describes a good and noble cause. Why not call the organization the “National Association for Diversity in Media” or some similar name that is racially neutral? Such a name would seem more consistent with the stated goals.
3) I agree that this should not be a racial issue. Someone should pass that thought on to Al Sharpton. He’s done more to drive racial groups apart than to unify.
Thank you for your comments. I used to work in Norfolk. Nice market.
D.
One of these days, some Christian commentator will be discussing what the Bible says about homosexuality, and that commentator will be punished for ‘hate speech’. Once censorship starts, who gets to decide how far to take it? What if praying ‘in Jesus name’ is offensive to someone?
I’ve never really understood why people continue to listen to/watch programs that offend them. Watching and being outraged on air or anywhere just adds fuel to the fire and keeps it going.
I agree with what was said above: if you don’t like it don’t listen.
Listeners = advertising money = show stays on the air
It doesn’t matter to advertisers if the listeners agree or disagree. Only that people are listening…