I'll be the one person to stand up call call bullsh*t.
We all know why he's gone. And it has nothing to do with what he said. It's how he handled himself afterwards. He displayed the bitterness, and insensitivity that brought this to an unavoidable end.
What Imus said was not racist. It was certainly sexist. And it cost him his job not because of the content of his show, but because too much money came off the books as a result of pressure. Money is the lifeblood of society, and if CBS and MSNBC could still profit from his failing show, they certainly would've taken the heat. Imus is gone because he's no longer able to generate revenue greater than expense. That's it. Calling it anything else is simply viewing this through rose-colered glasses.
Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson have both made racially insensitive statements. The difference is, they remained apologetic. Sincerely, or not. Imus signed his termination papers with his "I've apologized enough" statement this morning. Apologies mean nothing. It is the political agenda that must be met. Every time. Imus put a limit on how much he would take, and then went out on his shield. I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying he refused to grovel. And it cost him. It doesn't harm him at all...he's got f-you money anyway. He'll truck off to Arizona and live out his remaining years as the bitter old man he is today.
Shame on America for buying into this crap. This incident ensures that the fires of racism remain sufficiently fueled. There are those who will use this event to blame Black America for using their skin pigment for preferential treatment. Which will keep that wheel turning in a never-ending cycle of stupidity, and ignorance. And White America needs to stop blaming others for their own ignorance as well. I only use skin pigment in this because that's apparently where the media has chosen to draw this line.
Sharpton & Jackson need to take a good look at who made the phrase "nappy headed ho's" commonplace in America to the point of an over-the-hill broadcaster using it in a futile attempt to sound hip and relevant in 2007. Take a good look at "Hip Hop Culture." It is that diversity that's so often "celebrated" that made words like "ho" an alleged acceptable part of the American lexicon. Take a gander at the top of the music, or movie charts, and tell America why "Barbershop" isn't racist, or why it's OK for certain artists to denigrate races, and sexes? The mirror sometimes shows a truly ugly face.
America is supposed to accept certain facets of ethnic cultures, but not to the point of true equality. If you look deep inside, you'll find this to be fact. When "we" (Americans) use certain words or phrases "they" (Americans trying to segregate under the guise of "it's our culture") say it's wrong. But if "we" ignore those same cultural traits and attempt to consider all Americans equal, "they" claim we're insensitive to individuality.
Are we a melting pot, ot not?
I believe it was Bob Grant who said (paraphrasing): "This country will not stop using race as a litmus test, until this country stops using race as a litmus test."
