Imus fired from CBS radio- so enough already!

We''re done with this self-important, racist, sexist, libertarian carbuncle; who, in the end is- and long been- irrelevant.

CBS said the cancellation of "Imus in the Morning" from 61 stations is effectively immediately.

Time to turn our attention:

To the lost war where a suicide bomber made it into the "secure" Green Zone in Baghdad despite best surging efforts. 

To a bumbling president desperately shopping for a "war czar" upon whom to delegate his operational responsibilties as commander-in-chief in a war he lied to get us into.

To the already over-extended troops extended even further in a war already lost.

To countless e-mails deleted illegally by the White House's Karl Rove to avoid congressional subpoenas.

Comments

[Duffman]

Older gentleman thinking he would be 'cool' and use language that he probably didn't really understand to begin with. Good riddance and may many more follow!
Rev's Jackson and Sharpton are right in their efforts to rid the air waves of such trash. Keep it up fellows!

[Duffman]

Yeah, let's see an independent counsel appointed to 'look into' the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of these 'E-Mails'.

[Pilgrim]

While I shed no tears for the departure of Mr Imus I would be hard pressed to give any kudos to jackson and Sharpton.

[Recife]

“It’s not about taking Imus down,” Sharpton said. “It’s about lifting decency up.”

I think sharptounge and jackass were trying to jew up the numbers somehow.

And you wonder why I listen to Art Bell

[Andrew]

I've read some people complain that it's hypocritical to fire Imus because rap "artists" use similar language, but rap "artists" are generaly black and Imus is white so that's an apples and oranges comparison. White people used to own black people.

What is realy gay and girly about the whole thing is that Les Moonves had to talk to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in order to decide that he should be fired. It reveals that he was fired because of the backlash and not because of the act itself. It defeats the purpose of firing him on principle if it takes them six fucking days to figure out their own principles.

[sparky]

Congress should get a court order for all the hard-drives in computers in the White House and Justice Department, hand them over to an 8th grader who is an expert at hacking, and I bet those "lost" emails would turn up. We are always told that our files really never go away...

[Mr Redmond]

I dislike Imus for many reasons but I can't see how you can consider a man "irrelevant" when he generated 20 million a year in revenue for his employer, ya know?

Guffy, I know you aint serious about what you said about Sharptongue and Jackson, okay?

[blathering michael]

replace irrelevant with w/anchronistic, then. You're right- you're from Redmond- the ability to generate revenue should be the only standard by which we measure relevance...

[ryder]

I guess when we all get rid of everyone on air that offends us or someone else we can all tune our radios to KBSG.

[blathering michael]

yeah, but then guess who'd be spinning the platters? Frank Shiers!

[Steve]

Imus was fired because CBS was afraid that Obama might not book any appearances on any of its stations.

What happened Mike, couldn't find a picture of an African American named Imus. His first name is Don, why didn't you put Don Kings nappy headed picture in this thread.

[blathering michael]

Bad example, Steve. Of all black people, Don King's head is the least nappy I can think of. send me your picture, Steve- you can be my Imus.

[King Kameamea]

I say here, why all these crackers bitching about Imus, ya know? There will be another jackass on the air soon making a fool of hisself, okay?

E pili mau nâ pômaika`i me `oe!

[Recife]

Michael, Don King does have nappy hair. How would I know? Way back when I was in charge of a bunch of folks. I used the term "Nappy Head", "Nappy Ass", and "Ashy Motherfucker" often. And wasn't considered racist. It was the venacular (sp?) of the day, but bill was in office, so it was okay.

[Recife]

You folks do know what "Ashy" means right? I didn't think so, just like Dave Ross has never heard the term "Jigaboo" and I suppose that "Pickaninny" does not ring a bell.

[SeattleJew]

The irony.

Imus done in by a smarmy, greasy haired, fraudlent preacher.

Next thing ya know, Bill Clinton will take offence at Limbaugh's crude comments about Hillary's legs and El Rusho will go way with two cigars stuffed up his nose.

[Duffman]

"I COULD get upset and things COULD get out of hand".

"Well how do you measure yourself with other golfers? By height."

"I know you are but what am I."

[Duffman]

"... I know you aint serious about what you said about Sharptongue and Jackson, okay?"

Mr Redmond:

Is this any way to refer to these men of the cloth who are trying to clean up the air-waves in this country. Your apparent lack of respect for these fine gentlemen is not welcome and could (to some extent) be compared to statements by Mr Imus. Get on board the progressive movement and honor your talking points. Disgusting!

[Steve]

Michael, tell me thats not a nappy headed Don King.

[Duffman]

I see no one with a nappy (napkin) on their head?

[sparky]

Please, God, let this story die now.

[Duffman]

Sparky: Isn't nappy a noun?

[Mr Redmond]

replace irrelevant with w/anchronistic, then. You're right- you're from Redmond- the ability to generate revenue should be the only standard by which we measure relevance...

Posted by: blathering michael | April 12, 2007 at 07:47 PM

If Imus was "irrelevant" his radio show wouldn't have been syndicated, he wouldn't have had a national TV show and he wouldn't have just signed a five-year multi-million-dollar contract four months ago.

BTW, I have never found Imus entertaining or informative, but I would think relevancy for talkers in the radio business is determined by the ratings they receive, the revenue they generate, and the guests they can attract to their show, and Imus didn't seem to have any problems in these areas.

Personally, I don't see how anyone who has--or in Imus's case, had--a morning-drive show in the biggest radio market in the US can be considered "irrelevant."

In the end, maybe you're correct: Hell, I considered Anna Nicole Smith to be irrelevant, and now Imus, the new poster boy for irrelevancy, has taken the spotlight away, at least temporarily, from the deceased golddigger on all the 24-hour cable "news" networks. So I guess that's today's lesson: if you're given intense coverage on cable news, your popularity is waning.

[JDB]

Since CBS and NBC fired Imus for his obscene comments, when is FOX going to fire O'Reilly for saying of a molestation victim:

The situation here for this kid looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200701170009

That is by far more offensive than anything Imus ever said.

[John]

Why is it okay for Michael Savage to go on the air everyday and make homophobic and/or racist comments about Gays and Mexicans? Imus doesn't even compare to Savage's level of hatred and intolerance.

[Duffman]

You must spark the interst and ire of Rev's Sharpton and Jackson, ya know. They are the power, and rightly so.

[Pilgrim]

Despite the spin MSNBC and CBS put on why he was fired...the real reason was advertisers started bailing (jackson/sharpton are irrelevent). Limpbaugh, Hannitty, Savage, and O'Reilly aren't going anywhere til their advertisers start fussing.

So, don't tie yourself in knots about so and so said something far worse. Its about the $$$$. CBS records will cont. to have no problem selling certain 'offending' rap artists as long as the white kids keep buying them.

[Duffman]

Pilgrim, I must respectfully disagree. As portrayed leaders of my AA community I feel they have immense power and are certainly NOT irrelevent. Do you not think that they can influence the advertisers?...of course they can and DO. They are keeping watch on America's values and like the Rev Sharpton said this may only be the beginning of the dismissals.

[Pilgrim]

Duff,

How did their boycott of BP work out?

[Pilgrim]

Jesse's boycott of the 7th Season Seinfeld DVD?

Sharpton's boycott of KFC?

Yeah, that there is some "immense power".

[Duffman]

"Yeah, that there is some "immense power"."
I'm not sure I like your inference in the above statement, but your points are well taken. True, they do not always succeed, but I'm sure you'd have to agree that making MSNBC and CBS(Viacom) move off the 'dime' (pun intended) is no small feat.
Imus could be the 9/11 of racial denegration in this country and awaken civility toward all. Let's hope!

[Mr Redmond]

Now that Sharptongue got what he wanted, is someone going to go after him and make him pay off the $345,000 he owes from the slander lawsuit brought on by Tawana Brawley debacle? They obviously know where to find this deadbeat. Ya know?

[chucks]

Don who?
Oh yes, he is the guy you would listen to in the AM when Fox and Friends went to commercial break. Now to hear him a fan will have to got to one of the pay for radio outfits (within a few months certainly). But he shall remain a jackass.
Sharpton and Jackson are not irrelevant at all. They will have many more years of success exploiting black Americans unfortunate situations and blackmailing corporate America.

[Duffman]

Your apparent disrespect and prejudice toward the honorable Rev Sharpton is duly noted. Are you sure that some or all of this wasn't paid?

[Mr Redmond]

Duff 'n stuff, regarding your second-to-last sentence.

People were saying that sort of thing after Jimmy the Greek got fired....Al Campanis got fired....Mel Gibson... Michael "Kramerica" Richards...

All these events do--now--is give 24-hour cable news and talk radio something to drive into the ground, raise the profile and make "stars" out of a few ambitious political/social/cultural commentators, and make people like me even more cynical.

Get back to me in a few months and we'll revisit the current state of racial relations. I bet by then all the rap videos will be sanitized or banned and America will be a united country.

Dream on.

[Duffman]

"Dream on."
...and yes, Mr Redmond as an infamous AA once urged..we should 'dream on', and one day that dream will become a reality and folks will be judged by the 'content of their character'.

[sparky]

Was it Sharpton or Jackson that made the infamous "Hymie-town" comment? Both gentlemen have had numerous instances, Duffman, where they do not walk their talk...we can all agree with them on how terrible the things are that were said by Imus. But there are a lot of people out there shaking their heads that these two gentlemen have used this opportunity to tell the rest of the world how they should talk, yet both are on record ( and on videotape) of committing the same offenses.

Probably all of us do it to some extent from time to time, either consciously or unconsciously, but it always seems that the people who yell the loudest about other people's personal behavior have their own pretty bad track record.

Mr. Kettle, Mr. Pot is on line 1 and wants to speak to you....

[Duffman]

With all due respect Sparky, I'm sure you will agree that the dial goes to '11' (so to speak) with my african american community. And, why shouldn't it after all the inequality endured. A small price to pay, a small allowance (if you will) of tolerance - relatively speaking. Indeed we have all 'sinned' but let's go foward in a positive way and not portend a path of negativity. We have a couple of leaders who are willing to step out and take the slings and arrows thrown at them to fulfill this dream. More 'power' to them.
BTW Sparky - I am excited by Seattle's new school superintendent; she seems like a tiger.

[sparky]

I dont know anything about her because I dont teach in Seattle...

Leaders of the black community are much needed and deserve respect...but respect is earned over time. I teach with two Black women and both of them have stated loudly that neither man speaks for them..ever. They think they are hipocrites. I dont know either man, have never met them, so I can only go by what I have heard them say on television.

Just like all the evangelical "leaders" in our country..anyone who takes it upon themselves to lecture the world about morals should probably make sure there is no videotape out there of them breaking their own rules. You just know that those transgressions will end up on some show narrated by Rita Cosby...

[Pilgrimp]

Duff,

I will be the first to admit I tend to be overly cynical, but...you are sounding more disingenuous every day.

[Mr Redmond]

Duffaluffaguss--

We are Americans. We have the attention span of a ferret on espresso. If we won't stage an uprising over $3.00-a-gallon gas, I doubt anything Imus has said will effect change in American culture.

As I have always said, they only way you will effect change is to close all the Starbucks shops or ban cable television. Then, as my fellow American Chuck would say, you would have a revolution in 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES! Comprende? BINGO!

[Duffman]

Sometimes when one speaks from the heart it can be interpreted that way, but life is too short to worry about that. Disingenuous implies not taking account of known information and that is not what I'm doing. I fully realize the imperfections of Rev Sharpton and Rev Jackson, but in my mind that doesn't trump the potential good that they will help achieve.
I'm sorry if I give you that impression - I can assure you 'my heart is in the right place'.

[Pilgrim]

As a tribute to the late great American writer:

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."

Kurt Vonnegut, "Mother Night" (1962)

[Pilgrim]

Duff,

My sincerest apologies if I have misread your heart.

[sparky]

The women's basketball team at Rutgers has forgiven Imus after meeting with him. So, can we all move on to the actual news of the day----

* Last week, Bush administration officials invited senior congressional reporters to the White House and pressured them to increase their coverage of how Iraq war critics are "divided" over legislative strategy. The sources say White House officials pointed to examples of national political reporters who have highlighted such "division" and pressed the congressional reporters to follow suit.

* Paul Wolfowitz's future as president of the World Bank was in jeopardy on Friday after the bank's board issued a damaging finding of facts on his role in the Shaha Riza affair and pledged to "move expeditiously to reach a conclusion on possible actions to take." ( his girlfriend, who got a salary increase that is larger than what Condi makes.)

* Bad news for Gonzales: An e-mail released today contradicted testimony last month in which the attorney general’s aide said that no successors were considered before the attorneys
were fired.

* A group that includes Al Qaeda in Iraq today claimed responsibility for the attack on the Parliament building inside the Green Zone.

* And because this is a radio blog...Jones Network and Air America are parting ways. Media America will no longer represent Air America's ad sales as of May 31. Um..... Bla'M. What does that mean??

[Duffman]

"If we won't stage an uprising over $3.00-a-gallon gas.."

Why would we when other areas of the world pay much more...why would we when we won't stage an uprising over this unjust war...yes, you are right we are Americans...but we will achieve and overcome despite ourselves.
And bottom line is Thank God we ARE Americans - what else would you want to be!

[Duffman]

No problem Pilgrim...speaking of character - you obviously have it!
Peace!

Indeed Sparky, let's move on.

[Mr Redmond]

Hey Duff:

The reason why we should be mad at the current price of gas is because the cost-per-gallon has nearly doubled since that idiot oilman took over in the Whitest House.

I don't care what they pay for gas in other countries. I live in America.

Join the Team! Help us crush the Republicans!

[Chad Stanley]

How ironic that when Howard split for the greener pastures of Sirius, the main rationale (apart from cash) was continued bullying tactics from the FCC. As if turns out, the biggest threats to freedom of expression are the clown princes of class warfare - Rev'nd Al and Jessie.

I'm not a fan of Imus (consider him dull and a mumbling cowboy), but I'm quite concerned when the minority can ramrod personal agendas upon corporations that should know better.

And before anyone accuses me of 'you ain't black - you wouldn't understand', consider that some of the greatest examples of comedy, such as Pryor and Chappelle cause us to look at ourselves and recognize our human absurdities. Yeah, and I'd include Dennis Leary and Lewis Black in that as well. WAIT - they're white, so I guess I better tread carefully. Fuck that.

You know, the CBC has a program called 'this hour has 22 minutes'. There's a character who plays a sweating newsman with an exagerated Indian accent. Just last week, I saw him do a short comedy segment on 'Hockey Night In Canada' - giving a bumbling, sweating, summary of the NHL playoffs. Is that racist? Maybe - but it was hee-larious. And no one died, and no one's feelings were hurt.

The upshot of all this Imus grandstanding is now we've given power to the self satisfied; people that have nothing to offer the black community besides soundbites and class warfare. The whole thing is pathetic and bogus.

All the more reason to drop some coin and install the Sirius in my Mazda.

[Duffman]

"Join the Team! Help us crush the Republicans!"

Agreed! I can assure you they won't get my vote, and I'll do my part as I see fit...as a free naturalized American!