ABOUT THE IMUS THING.......

[durdy_souf]

First of all Sharpton and Jackson brought national attention to this issue. Without them, there would be no press on this at all. Not saying that they're saints or even people that should be looked up to. BUT when one of them has a strong opinion about something, people listen. NOBODY CARED BEFORE THEY SAID SOMETHING!!!!!
Secondly, what were to happen if say.....idunno Tom Joyner got on the air tomorrow morning and called the Yale softball team a bunch of "Trailer park bitches???"
He'd probably be fired. Imus got 2 weeks off with pay. It's called a vacation.
As broadcasters we're supposed to entertain, not offend.

 

[mostb1]

First of all Sharpton and Jackson brought national attention to this issue. Without them, there would be no press on this at all. Not saying that they're saints or even people that should be looked up to. BUT when one of them has a strong opinion about something, people listen. NOBODY CARED BEFORE THEY SAID SOMETHING!!!!!
Secondly, what were to happen if say.....idunno Tom Joyner got on the air tomorrow morning and called the Yale softball team a bunch of "Trailer park bitches???"
He'd probably be fired. Imus got 2 weeks off with pay. It's called a vacation.
As broadcasters we're supposed to entertain, not offend.

You are wrong. Neither Sharpton or Jackson started this. In fact, bloggers and the New York Times were the first to bring this up last Wednesday.

Well, Imus offended (and I'm not saying that, the Rutgers "family" said so). And he has a history of it http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3082 and it isn't entertaining. It's RACISM.

 

[jackandcoke]

First of all Sharpton and Jackson brought national attention to this issue. Without them, there would be no press on this at all. Not saying that they're saints or even people that should be looked up to. BUT when one of them has a strong opinion about something, people listen. NOBODY CARED BEFORE THEY SAID SOMETHING!!!!!
Secondly, what were to happen if say.....idunno Tom Joyner got on the air tomorrow morning and called the Yale softball team a bunch of "Trailer park bitches???"
He'd probably be fired. Imus got 2 weeks off with pay. It's called a vacation.
As broadcasters we're supposed to entertain, not offend.

If Joyner called the Yalies "trailer park bitches," it would be so completely out of character that his biggest fans would be so alarmed they'd call the medics to see if he was having a stroke. But, yeah, he'd get two weeks off, too--just like Don.

A factor that I haven't seen discussed, yet, is the unusual environment that talkers like Imus work in. Basically, he (and others) sit in front of an Open Mike for about 20 hours a week and try to be funny, provocative, compelling, interesting and entertaining. No songs to fill 50 minutes an hour. Minimal scripted material. Just ad lib, with millions of people watching and listening to every word that falls out of your mouth. Pretty easy to step off that tightrope.

For the average citizen, this is extremely hard to fathom. The (roughly) 20 hours a week equates to half of the average person's work-week. Stick a mike on them for half the work week and see how many thoughtless, inappropriate--even slanderous--comments pop out. Try it yourself at home.

Imus' situation bears striking resemblence to the experience of DC's Doug "The Greaseman" Tracht, who has essentially been blackballed from the industry for the past decade-or-so, because of racially inappropriate comments made on one of Washington's major rock stations. In Doug's case, it was his second slip. Those who know him know that he is an extremely nice guy--very bright, articulate and incredibly talented. But he created a situation where he had to be extremely funny/provocative/interesting/compelling for 20 hours a week with an Open Mike--and he made it work for about 20 years. (Doug is now back on-air in DC, but only by "buying the time" on a brokered AM with no ratings). The guy is in the same league as Imus in terms of sheer talent, but the radio oligopoly controlling our industry won't touch him.

Don managed to avoid stepping off the tightrope for about 40 years. That's remarkable.

Should he apologize? Yes--and he's spent the last week doing that, and will continue to apologize for years, most likely.

Should he be fired? Probably not. His employers share the burden of responsibility by providing the tightrope and encouraging him--implicitly or explicitly--to play fast & loose on it. Hey, that's Entertainment!!!

Yeah, a suspension is appropriate. Two weeks. Four weeks. Six months. Then let him come back and do what he does.

Millions of us like hearing him walk that tightrope every day. It's great radio (and TV). And it's great business for CBS & MSNBC.

Oh, yeah, and this is America, too. Free Speech and all that.

 

[mostb1]

First of all Sharpton and Jackson brought national attention to this issue. Without them, there would be no press on this at all. Not saying that they're saints or even people that should be looked up to. BUT when one of them has a strong opinion about something, people listen. NOBODY CARED BEFORE THEY SAID SOMETHING!!!!!
Secondly, what were to happen if say.....idunno Tom Joyner got on the air tomorrow morning and called the Yale softball team a bunch of "Trailer park bitches???"
He'd probably be fired. Imus got 2 weeks off with pay. It's called a vacation.
As broadcasters we're supposed to entertain, not offend.

If Joyner called the Yalies "trailer park bitches," it would be so completely out of character that his biggest fans would be so alarmed they'd call the medics to see if he was having a stroke. But, yeah, he'd get two weeks off, too--just like Don.

A factor that I haven't seen discussed, yet, is the unusual environment that talkers like Imus work in. Basically, he (and others) sit in front of an Open Mike for about 20 hours a week and try to be funny, provocative, compelling, interesting and entertaining. No songs to fill 50 minutes an hour. Minimal scripted material. Just ad lib, with millions of people watching and listening to every word that falls out of your mouth. Pretty easy to step off that tightrope.

For the average citizen, this is extremely hard to fathom. The (roughly) 20 hours a week equates to half of the average person's work-week. Stick a mike on them for half the work week and see how many thoughtless, inappropriate--even slanderous--comments pop out. Try it yourself at home.

Imus' situation bears striking resemblence to the experience of DC's Doug "The Greaseman" Tracht, who has essentially been blackballed from the industry for the past decade-or-so, because of racially inappropriate comments made on one of Washington's major rock stations. In Doug's case, it was his second slip. Those who know him know that he is an extremely nice guy--very bright, articulate and incredibly talented. But he created a situation where he had to be extremely funny/provocative/interesting/compelling for 20 hours a week with an Open Mike--and he made it work for about 20 years. (Doug is now back on-air in DC, but only by "buying the time" on a brokered AM with no ratings). The guy is in the same league as Imus in terms of sheer talent, but the radio oligopoly controlling our industry won't touch him.

Don managed to avoid stepping off the tightrope for about 40 years. That's remarkable.

Should he apologize? Yes--and he's spent the last week doing that, and will continue to apologize for years, most likely.

Should he be fired? Probably not. His employers share the burden of responsibility by providing the tightrope and encouraging him--implicitly or explicitly--to play fast & loose on it. Hey, that's Entertainment!!!

Yeah, a suspension is appropriate. Two weeks. Four weeks. Six months. Then let him come back and do what he does.

Millions of us like hearing him walk that tightrope every day. It's great radio (and TV). And it's great business for CBS & MSNBC.

Oh, yeah, and this is America, too. Free Speech and all that.

Where do you all get the IDEA that there is FREE SPEECH in America? There isn't. Many things you can say will get you arrested and maybe convicted and jailed. And our PUBLIC AIRWAVES are regulated. And you can not say or do anything you want. You've even citied an example of that.

Imus has stepped over the line one too many times. He is a racist. So easy to tell from his Sharpton show debacle.

Al Roker says it best why Imus should be fired...about what I've been saying but he sums it up better. READ IT http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/10/116906.aspx

 

[jackandcoke]

"Where do you all get the IDEA that there is FREE SPEECH in America? There isn't. Many things you can say will get you arrested and maybe convicted and jailed. And our PUBLIC AIRWAVES are regulated. And you can not say or do anything you want. You've even citied an example of that.

Imus has stepped over the line one too many times. He is a racist. So easy to tell from his Sharpton show debacle.

Al Roker says it best why Imus should be fired...about what I've been saying but he sums it up better."

Thanks for the Roker link. Yes, I read it. Al is a gentleman who has dealt with an Open Mike & Staring Camera in two-minute intervals reading TelePrompter scripts his entire career. Let him do it for 20 hours a week--with outlines instead of scripts & the charge to be funny/provocative/interesting/compelling (at the risk of getting fired for either saying the wrong thing or not saying enough funny things) for a few decades and then ask his opinion.

You know, it's that old saw about walking a mile in someone else's shoes. Most people can't do it. Just like most people can't do what Imus does, while most of us--you & me included--can do what Roker does.

 

[mostb1]

"Where do you all get the IDEA that there is FREE SPEECH in America? There isn't. Many things you can say will get you arrested and maybe convicted and jailed. And our PUBLIC AIRWAVES are regulated. And you can not say or do anything you want. You've even citied an example of that.

Imus has stepped over the line one too many times. He is a racist. So easy to tell from his Sharpton show debacle.

Al Roker says it best why Imus should be fired...about what I've been saying but he sums it up better."

Thanks for the Roker link. Yes, I read it. Al is a gentleman who has dealt with an Open Mike & Staring Camera in two-minute intervals reading TelePrompter scripts his entire career. Let him do it for 20 hours a week--with outlines instead of scripts & the charge to be funny/provocative/interesting/compelling (at the risk of getting fired for either saying the wrong thing or not saying enough funny things) for a few decades and then ask his opinion.

You know, it's that old saw about walking a mile in someone else's shoes. Most people can't do it. Just like most people can't do what Imus does, while most of us--you & me included--can do what Roker does.

What kind of EXCUSE are you trying to give Imus? I know plenty of people who have done or do talk including my best friend. He has had NO PROBLEMS doing 20 hour on air with NO RACISM (and top market ratings).

Imus even made a pledge ON AIR back in 2001 to Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune not to do this kind of stuff again. Imus LIED. FIRE HIM NOW.

 

[talkjim]

Get it straight--this is not a free speech issue. Yes, Don Imus has the constitutional right to spew this crap on the streets if he is so inclined (which is where he may be doing much of his talking soon), but he has no constitutional right to a talk show, and talk hosts get fired every day of the week for much less than this.

Imus has pledged to end the racism on his show on prior occasions, only to continue--and in this latest case, has made victims of exemplary and defenseless young women at their moment of near-triumph.

Yeh, his moment should have been over years ago. Time to end it now.

 

[durdy_souf]

OK, so AFTER he apologized, he (voluntarily)went on Sharpton's show and used the dreaded "You People" phrase.
Imus is toast, but I'm sure Fox will pick him up after its done. They love racist personalities.

 

[mostb1]

OK, so AFTER he apologized, he (voluntarily)went on Sharpton's show and used the dreaded "You People" phrase.
Imus is toast, but I'm sure Fox will pick him up after its done. They love racist personalities.

Please support your statement. Who is racist at Fox?

Imus won't end up on any tv news channel. Period.

 

[durdy_souf]

Bill O'Reilly for starters.

 

[mostb1]

Bill O'Reilly for starters.

Not a chance. And what is your support behind your "claim".

You'd be better off mentioning Geraldo. His rant about the Minuteman having guns and ready to shoot people is enough to give him the title of a racist.