Imus has mick, spick and Chink jokes, too
Don Imus: the good-natured racist
The shock jock was only mimicking rappers and comedians who make millions at the expense of black women.
By Constance L. Rice
CONSTANCE L. RICE is a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles.
April 11, 2007
'THAT'S SOME nappy-headed hos." When white radio shock jock Don Imus dropped this little gem about the Rutgers women's basketball team onto the airwaves, he couldn't possibly have imagined that it would trigger a two-week suspension of his top-rated radio gig, the "Imus in the Morning Show."
On the Imus insult meter, "nappy-headed hos" wouldn't rate above a 3. It doesn't even come close to one of his meaner riffs. Regular listeners of the show expect racist and sexist banter. As Imus explained to Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes" in 1998, his show has someone specially assigned to do "nigger jokes." But rest assured, the Imus crew has plenty of kike, wetback, mick, spick, dago, Jap, Chink, redneck and unprintable Catholic priest jokes too. Not to mention the rabid homophobia and occasional Islamophobia.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, the NAACP, NOW — the whole civil and women's rights establishment — are up in arms, and they should be. Imus' remarks were racist, offensive and, given that these athletes are not fair targets, out of bounds. There is no excuse for what he said.
But there's also no basis for firing him or ending his show. Firing Imus for racist riffs would be like firing Liberace for flamboyance. It's what he does.
(Continued here.)
The shock jock was only mimicking rappers and comedians who make millions at the expense of black women.
By Constance L. Rice
CONSTANCE L. RICE is a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles.
April 11, 2007
'THAT'S SOME nappy-headed hos." When white radio shock jock Don Imus dropped this little gem about the Rutgers women's basketball team onto the airwaves, he couldn't possibly have imagined that it would trigger a two-week suspension of his top-rated radio gig, the "Imus in the Morning Show."
On the Imus insult meter, "nappy-headed hos" wouldn't rate above a 3. It doesn't even come close to one of his meaner riffs. Regular listeners of the show expect racist and sexist banter. As Imus explained to Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes" in 1998, his show has someone specially assigned to do "nigger jokes." But rest assured, the Imus crew has plenty of kike, wetback, mick, spick, dago, Jap, Chink, redneck and unprintable Catholic priest jokes too. Not to mention the rabid homophobia and occasional Islamophobia.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, the NAACP, NOW — the whole civil and women's rights establishment — are up in arms, and they should be. Imus' remarks were racist, offensive and, given that these athletes are not fair targets, out of bounds. There is no excuse for what he said.
But there's also no basis for firing him or ending his show. Firing Imus for racist riffs would be like firing Liberace for flamboyance. It's what he does.
(Continued here.)
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