Blogging Black.Com on the Don Imus Situation

Blogging Black.Com has a great article on the entire Don Imus incident! Enjoy the read!

ESPN.Com and ESPN the Magazine’s columnist Jemele Hill has written a sensational article demanding the firing of Radio Shock Jock Don Imus. This sister is sensational! She is going places! Her awesome article is below! I am with you my sister! Exceptional Job!

The oversexed Jezebel. The welfare mother. The mammy. And now the latest catch phrase to be added to the lexicon of stereotypes about black women: the nappy-headed ho.

Thank you, Don Imus, for your valuable contribution. If it were up to me, security would have escorted the longtime radio jock out of his CBS Radio cocoon with belongings in tow days ago. But for now, I’ll have to settle for a two-week suspension that doesn’t begin until next week. That’ll show him.

Days have passed since Imus, executive producer Bernard McGuirk and sports announcer Sid Rosenberg took turns taking cheap shots at the Rutgers women’s basketball team, but I’m still boiling because too many people continue to defend Imus behind lame free-speech arguments — remember, speech is free, but consequences are not — and the idea that black women just don’t know a good joke when they hear one. Tell you what, if this “nappy-headed ho” comment is as harmless as some of you say it is, say that phrase to your wives and girlfriends tonight (or even a woman on the street). If they laugh, I’ll write an entire column about how humorless I am. Imus’ comments were harmful to all women — especially for female athletes who still struggle to gain acceptance in our society — but they really cut black women deep. Our looks have been the subject of ridicule for decades. While history has kindly portrayed white women as bastions of purity and decency, black women have been characterized as hypersexed and indecent since the 17th century. So the phrase “nappy-headed” didn’t bother me nearly as much as the “ho” part. In case you’re wondering, I would have been equally outraged if Imus were black, Asian, Latino, Portuguese or Italian. The ethnicity or skin color of the perpetrator matters none. And since some of you — actually, a lot of you — have done the predictable thing and used Imus’ predicament as a platform to hold African-Americans responsible for hip-hop, I’ll briefly address that. Although I hope you know hip-hop didn’t become the No. 1 music genre in the world because only black folks support the music. For the record, I am equally offended by the rappers who make music videos and songs that demean women — although hip-hop artists didn’t invent the concept of objectifying women. Many African-Americans have been outspoken about those destructive elements of hip-hop. Instead of just taking his lumps, Imus tried to challenge Al Sharpton on his stance on hip-hop when Imus appeared on Sharpton’s radio show Monday. I don’t stick up for Al Sharpton often because I consider him an agitator, but Sharpton’s views on “gangsta” rap have been consistent and clear. Last week, Sharpton and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons held a public protest against rapper Tony Yayo — who is associated with 50 Cent — for his alleged assault of the 14-year-old son of a rival record company executive. Sharpton even called for a 90-day, FCC-mandated ban on all gangsta music. But that doesn’t air on CNN and Essence magazine’s Take Back the Music crusade — a nationwide campaign that promotes up-and-coming hip-hop artists with positive values — and it doesn’t make the front pages of newspapers. But none of this has anything to do with Imus, whose apology I can’t accept or take seriously. Imus has become a Hall of Fame broadcaster using race-baiting, offensive tactics. He is routinely offensive to people of color and women, and if he needs to lose his job to understand that there is no place for that, so be it. As a society, there are times when we need to stand together against indecency and cruelty. Jemele Hill, a Page 2 columnist and writer for ESPN The Magazine, can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.
8 Comments

1.
manOF war said,

April 14, 2007 at 4:50 pm

Racist>>> Al Sharpton
Hypocrite>>> Jesse Jackson

An old white man says something that Rappers and Blacks have been saying for 30 YEARS, and he is fired. So the “nappy” part didn’t bother as much as the “ho” part? Then why aren’t you banging down the door to the recording studios of rappers like 50 Cent? Hmmm??? He also calls his “homies” , niggas … is that OK with you too?

Blogging Black.Com
The old white man got fired like he should have! It was a ridiculous comments laced with racist imagery. Master, I am sorry but for the most part we are totally off the plantation. We will not tolerate Mr. Imus or anyone like him who chooses to degrade our people in this hour!
2.
midsouthblack said,

April 14, 2007 at 11:56 pm

It is what it is! They are wrong also and I think that this incident will make it harder for rappers to get away with what they have been getting away with. Imus was stll wrong and he brought the severity of his punishment on himself with his less than desirable comments!
3.
manOF war said,

April 15, 2007 at 1:00 am

oh, pleeeeezzzzzzzzz, that means all these years of ridicule is OK? “let’s start now?” Bullshit. I don’t care for Imus, but double standards need to cease in EVERY case.

Blogging Black’s Response
The profanity will cease or you will be banned! I will entertain your comments, but the profanity must go. What are you so angry about? Is it because they fired your boy? No he can not get away with what he did!
4.
manOF war said,

April 15, 2007 at 1:04 am

Where’s “White College Fund”?
Where’s “White History month”?

ooooh, sorry, that was racist………..

Blogging Black.Com’s Response

White College Fund and White History month occur the other 11 months of the year. The History books in our schools are filled with “his story” and that his is certainly not African American history. Man of War don’t be a hypocrite, your people built this nation off of the backs of slaves. Virtually every institution in this nation is based on a Euro-American principles. So you give us February(the shortest month of the year) for Black History Month and now you ridicule that. We will not be the folks that you want us to be anymore. We are a new people who are undergoing a Genesis of sorts, and we we being again we will no longer tolerate the crap that you would have us to stay in our place and tolerate!
5.
manOF war said,

April 15, 2007 at 1:39 am

If Black women can enter the Miss America Pagent …. WHY do we have the Miss Black America Pagent???

Like I said…….Double Standards.

You are as much African-American as I am Polish-American, unless, of course, you were actually BORN in THAT country. But, come to think of it, Africa is a continent …hmmmm?
Blogging Black.Com’s Response
We reserve the right to call ourselves what ever we want to. Man of War if you think that you are dealing with a novice in these matters, i would assure you that you are not. Please refrain from the profanity or I will exclude you from this site!
6.
Anonymous said,

April 15, 2007 at 5:19 am

This whole incident is so disturbing, I don’t even know where to begin. Let me just start with this, I have been reading the message boards and they really have my stomach in nots. Imus’ defense is that ‘they were saying it so I thought it was OK for me to say it too’. Imus didn’t your mama teach you if someone was jumping off a bridge, that it didn’t mean that you should do it too. That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a while. Rap music has nothing to do with this situation. If he was really “sorry”, he should have stood up and took responsibility instead of pointing the finger elsewhere. Also, the comments on the message boards really make me sick. This situation has really brought out all of the closet racists out of the woodwork. Lastly, with all the negative feelings this scenario has brought out, there have also been some positive. I applaud the advertisers for taking a stand and pulling out the way they did. Their actions give me hope!
P.S. Good luck censoring rap…it won’t happen. There are much deeper issues underneath the surface that need to be tackled first. Once those problems in our community are solved the music will follow.

Blogging Black.Com's Response
The Racists were never in the closet. Racism is flowing in this nation at an all time high!
7.
midsouthblack said,

April 15, 2007 at 9:54 am

I agree it is disturbing. However; there will be valuable lessons learned in the interim. Racism is percolating in this nation at an all time high! We are hardly ever the aggressor (did I spell that right?) but we will not roll over and play dead with actions like these in the future!
8.
manOF war said,

April 16, 2007 at 12:09 am

>>

My “boy”? I find THAT offensive. And get away with it? Rap music has been getting away with it for close to 30 years! Go read some lyrics from 50 Cent at lyrics.com. So, then, it’s OK as long as there is rap music in the background? …Double Standard.

Blogging Black.Com’s Response
I apologize for calling him your boy, but I stand by my earlier statement that he should have been removed for his comments. Rap Music will have to reel in some of their lyrics because of this. Stop trying to play lawyer we are not falling for it!

I beg to differ about building this nation. How many Pilgrims died from Indian attacks? Didn’t they try to make frredom for all? And true, I don’t want you to be the folks you use to be, but I also don’t want you to think that ME or anyone else OWES you anything. Talk about being a hypocrite!

Blogging Black.Com’s Response
This nation was built on the back of slave labor. Who couldn’t get rich when one has laborers who they don’t have to pay! I don’t want anything from you or anyone like you. How dare you or anyone like you to have enough nerve to tell an oppressed people how to hurt! It aint working! I did say aint didn’t I?