Prometheus 6

Nothing to Do With Don Imus

I'm perfectly happy for there to be a wider conversation about racism and misogyny in all of its myriad forms in our media and popular culture, including but certainly not limited to hip-hop culture, but this wider conversation has almost nothing to do with Don Imus and the fact that he thought it appropriate to call the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team "nappy-headed hoes" and whether or not this is a firing offense.

Specifically, the fact that rap contains misogynistic lyrics has nothing to do with what Don Imus said. Absolutely nothing. Zero. Zip. If the Imus affair goes on to inspire this wider conversation, great, but this isn't about Fifty Cent lyrics. It's about Don Imus calling the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team "nappy-headed hoes."

Hopefully coming from a white guy makes it all clear.

I'm so pleased with that, I think I'll steal some more.

Ana Marie Cox sez no more Imus. Good for her.

As I wrote before, the problem with Imus is largely a problem of his large list of guests which make him "respectable," thus reasonably raising the bar for what should be expected from him. Arguably, calling the Rutger's basketball team a bunch of nappy-headed hoes should be a firing offense for anyone on the public airwaves, but it's certainly one for the guy who's simulcast on a "respectable" news channel and is a regular destination for all of Washington's elite.

It's not that I think politicians or other major public figures should always shun such outlets, it's just that in Imus's case everyone has agreed that he's one of them. "Part of the gang." Peers. Cut from the same cloth. Pals. In spite of Imus's long history of this stuff.

Too many of the gang will defend him, and oddly that's precisely the reason he needs to go.

-Atrios 14:11

Oh, what the hell. Though it has to cut into my allotment for 2008.

Imus Mania

Clinton says no Imus for her.

Obama says no more Imus for him (he was on two years ago), and that he should go.

(On CNN) Dodd still unsure what he thinks.

...and, advertisers keep bailing. Sprint, Amex, GM, Ditech, P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, Staples ....

-Atrios 17:06