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This post is not about Don Imus’ right to say anything he chooses. Nor is it about freedom of speech.
I am going to tell you why I watch “Imus in the Morning” on MSNBC every weekday morning.
In my opinion, Don Imus is the best interviewer in the business. He is the “Eveeryman” who asks the questions which need to be asked and actually listens to what the interviewee has to say.
I always come away from his program better informed.
If the outcry calling for Imus’ head over his recent remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team prevails, the “Imus in the Morning” show will cease to exist.
And, every news or talk-show program, producer, anchor or host can ask the question, “Will I be next?”
I watch Imus because the show is entertaining, informative and philanthropic.
That the I-man and his crew make “offensive” remarks about anybody and anything is part of the format – the schtick – of the show. Anyone who watches on a regular basis would recognize this. Sure, I find some comments distasteful, but they do not detract from the overall impact of the show.
There are a lot of people in this country who would like to see Imus silenced.
All weekend the blogosphere has been abuzz with “Fire Don Imus” posts, and I would bet the farm that 90 percent of these protestors have never watched his show on a regular basis.
I find it awfully hard to discern the difference between what Imus said and the vulgar and crass remarks about him on some of these blogs.
CNN seems to be leading the charge against Imus, running a videotape of his remarks every few minutes – all weekend. So extensive has been the coverage, one can only conclude this might be an effort to eliminate the competition.
“Imus in the Morning” is among the top 20 cable shows, according to Neilsen. His radio show via WFAN, New York, has 10 million listerners nationwide. He is one of the most powerful and influential media figures in this country.
The message not being conveyed: he has used his power and influence to help his fellow man – from kids with cancer and autism to returning injured veterans – and to point out corruption in your government.
On Friday morning, the I-man apologized for his remarks – calling the Rutgers team “nappy-headed hos.” Again, only regular viewers would understand that such comments are just part of the “schtick” of the show. The whole crew calls Mrs. Imus – Deidre – “The Green Ho” because of her tireless efforts in behalf of cancer research and removal of toxic chemicals from household and hospital cleaning.
Don Imus is neither racist nor sexist. Same here. What you are not seeing or hearing in this witchhunt are the many comments he has made against racism and sexism.
One thing is certain: Don Imus is a “no-nonsense kind of guy” who might just tell the suits to “take this job and shove it.”
You might agree or disagree with this post. Express yourself in “Comments,” or go to the CNN link below, scroll down the far-right column and vote on the CNN Quick Vote of the Day:
QUESTION:
Should Don Imus be fired for his comments on the Rutgers women's basketball team?
Here’s the vote as of 3:30 a.m.:
Yes: 53 percent, 21,396 votes
No: 47 percent, 18,956 votes
UPDATE: Imus issued a “mea culpa” on his program this morning, saying “I’m a good person who said a bad thing.” Watch the VIDEO.
11:30 a.m. The CNN question has changed:
Should Don Imus' apology be enough to end the controversy over his remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team?
Yes: 54 percent
No: 46 percent
Vote here: LINK
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2 comments:
In the effort to amuse, Frodo once did something similar to Don Imus. The reaction was similar. Frodo can truly say that he feels Imus' pain.
That does not excuse Imus however, from the tasteless reference to young women. It was wrong.
Frodo e-mailed Imus this morning, and said much the same as here. He also told Imus that offering to face those whom he offended, and to apologize is the only appropriate course of action.
Frodo told Imus that he would be there tomorrow, watching, as usual.
There are times when the characters of Lewis Carroll abound, and "Off with his head," is all that anyone seems to say.
I think people are forgetting all the time Imus spent on the air drawing attention to the egregious conditions being ignored after Katrina hit New Orleans. He spent countless hours letting his listening audience know they were being ignored because the people hit the hardest were the poorest black people.
The loss of their loved ones was no less painful than for any other race of people. Not to mention that they also lost every tangible item they owned. So I don't think Imus had any racial intent behind his words. I think he has been very humble in his apologies, along with this willingness to meet with the team he joked about.
Concerning the media: Me thinks they protest too much! Perhaps they should check out some of the vulgar, violent, vile language in rap music.
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