Don Imus was suspended for 2 weeks for calling the women rutger's basketball team "nappy headed hoes"

article:
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=10247

Original comments that got him in trouble:

Heres Don on Al Sharpton's show. Sharpton calls for his firing:

Imus calling sharpton + listener "you people:"

Sharpton + Don on the today show later:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E5JdJnltdRg

What do you guys think about? Was the punishment appropriate? Too lenient? Too harsh? Were the comments even racist at all?

Sadist

United States7291 Posts

April 10 2007 08:27 GMT

obviously they had racial undertones, but the point was they were jokes and they werent particularly funny and who cares? I mean people today are way too sensitive its disgusting, that guy cracks on everybody so whats the big deal? If no one made such a big deal about it everyone wouldve forgotten about it already because it wasnt a good joke. Al Sharpton is like the boy who cried wolf, no one even takes him serious anymore because of his hyper racism shit, its disgusting.

However, the people who side with Imus and say its free speech? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? If i called my boss an ugly black gorilla Id get fired, or made a comment about something inappropriate id get fired, (not that its exactly the same as his job, where hes paid to make comments like this) The radio station can fire him for whatever the fuck they want. If you have shitty ratings theyll fire you? Free speech? You dont have free speech on the radio, you cant be thrown in jail (unless theres some crazy FCC law or something) but you can get fired.

Dumbasses, stop being Giant Vaginas and take a joke

micronesia

United States24740 Posts

April 10 2007 08:32 GMT

I agree that people take the racist words too seriously. "Anyone who allows himself to be insulted, deserves to be."

rawrx

United States380 Posts

April 10 2007 08:34 GMT

when i first heard about this i actually laughed out loud

~AreS]

Canada2170 Posts

April 10 2007 08:36 GMT

Too many uptight people in this world.

Hot_Bid

Braavos36379 Posts

April 10 2007 08:39 GMT

what? are people seriously saying that people who are offended by this are "taking his comments too seriously?" are you fucking joking? it's clearly and obviously racist and he should be fired. cal ripken was scheduled to be on imus' show but canceled his appearance, i would too.

amazing.

rS.NonY

United States286 Posts

April 10 2007 08:40 GMT

Sharpton is an idiot

Sadist

United States7291 Posts

April 10 2007 08:42 GMT

On April 10 2007 17:39 Hot_Bid wrote:
what? are people seriously saying that people who are offended by this are "taking his comments too seriously?" are you fucking joking? it's clearly and obviously racist and he should be fired. cal ripken was scheduled to be on imus' show but canceled his appearance, i would too.

amazing.

you act like he called them niggers or something.

OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE RACIAL JOKES BUT THEY WERENT RACIST

he makes fun of EVERYBODY hes SUPPOSED To make jokes, he made a joke (It was weak as fuck anyway) big deal.

People need to lighten up, take a fucking joke.

Tadzio

3340 Posts

April 10 2007 08:44 GMT

I won't pretend to know what thoughts were going through Imus' head that morning, but as far as racism goes, "nappy headed hoes" and a poor comparison to a theme in one of Spike Lee's films is nothing. Comedians in the vein of Carlos Mencia would be much better targets for Sharpton's outrage, but I guess he doesn't want to build a reputation as a humorless asshole. An old, established, and decidedly white broadcaster is a much better target for racial outrage, even if the slurs being used are innocuous compared to what you'll hear in any rap song or comedian's stand-up.

There's a lot of racism in this world still, and it's a problem that should be taken seriously, but Imus' goof is small potatoes.

Hot_Bid

Braavos36379 Posts

April 10 2007 08:47 GMT

#10

On April 10 2007 17:42 Sadist wrote:

Show nested quote +

him calling them nappy headed hoes isn't a racist joke? what the fuck?

so if he called a group of asians slanty eyed rice pickers, or a group of hispanics greasy bean picking border jumpers, those aren't racist because he didn't say "gook" or "chink" or "spic"?

are you fucking kidding?

Hot_Bid

Braavos36379 Posts

April 10 2007 08:49 GMT

#11

i mean i understand if you want to argue about the magnitude of his racist joke but to call the jokes not racist at all is ridiculous

funkie

Venezuela9376 Posts

April 10 2007 08:49 GMT

#12

On April 10 2007 17:36 ~AreS] wrote:
Too many uptight people in this world.

Word.

lil.sis

China4650 Posts

April 10 2007 08:51 GMT

#13

upon further analysis of the evidence at hand, i have determined independently that rutgers women's basketball is, in fact, composed of nappy headed hos

lol @ al sharpton

"Do you think calling people "nappy headed hos" is funny?"

Haemonculus

United States6980 Posts

April 10 2007 08:51 GMT

#14

On April 10 2007 17:42 Sadist wrote:
OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE RACIAL JOKES BUT THEY WERENT RACIST

"He's not racist! He just hates black people!"

Seriously calling black people "you people" doesn't make him any more racist than me punching you in the face would make me violent.

Sadist

United States7291 Posts

April 10 2007 08:51 GMT

#15

On April 10 2007 17:47 Hot_Bid wrote:

Show nested quote +

racial jokes are not racist, they are simply racial jokes.

Denying someone service because they are black or calling someone a nigger is racist, not what imas did, please, the way you are acting is typical of the problem of big ass overreaction in todays culture (especially in america) . Watch any comedian and youll hear shit way worse than what Imas said.

Tadzio

3340 Posts

April 10 2007 08:54 GMT

#16

On April 10 2007 17:47 Hot_Bid wrote:
him calling them nappy headed hoes isn't a racist joke? what the fuck?

While I think what Imus said was racist, I think it was alot more sexist. Maybe some feminists will attack Imus to advertise their plight after Sharpton's moved on to his next outrage.

Sadist

United States7291 Posts

April 10 2007 08:54 GMT

#17

On April 10 2007 17:51 Haemonculus wrote:

Show nested quote +

"He's not racist! He just hates black people!"

Seriously calling black people "you people" doesn't make him any more racist than me punching you in the face would make me violent.

you people does not qualify him for being racist, it qualifies him for choosing his words poorly.

It doesnt show hes prejudice or anything. Seriously, first of all he comes from a different generation and secondly al sharpton wouldnt get called "you people" if he didnt act like the stereotypical uppity always claiming racism person (of ANY RACE, not just black people, theres people like this for every race gender etc.)

~AreS]

Canada2170 Posts

April 10 2007 08:55 GMT

#18

I could make a joke about how the government should DIAF, but that doesn't make me an anarchist.

fusionsdf

Canada15390 Posts

April 10 2007 08:57 GMT

#19

On April 10 2007 17:42 Sadist wrote:

Show nested quote +

Oh. So as long as we dont use the word nigger, we aren't being racist? How enlightened.

Sadist

United States7291 Posts

April 10 2007 08:58 GMT

#20

On April 10 2007 17:55 ~AreS] wrote:
I could make a joke about how the government should DIAF, but that doesn't make me an anarchist.

exactly,

theres very little racism imo nowadays, its way more to do with classism.

For example if you felt uncomfortable because a group of highschool-early college black kids were dressed in hoodies and tims walking up behind you would you be racist? What if they were white, wearing the same clothes would you feel any more comfortable? Id be willing to bet the same people who felt uncomfortable wouldnt think twice about a few black males in suits carrying brief cases, it has nothing to dow ith the color of their skin but their tax bracket and clothes.