Zach said:
You make a good point, but keep in mind he didn't say "I think we ought to do our best to murder all of you?" He merely implied it. Supposedly, his was a 'joking' manner. I'm sure that in a face-to-face meeting, one would notice the facial expression, gestures and tone, and conclude appropriately.
Since I didn't hear it firsthand, your supposition is definitely worth considering.
However, the OP quoted Mr. Layton as saying "I think we ought to shoot them," and then responding to a caller by asking "Would I get points if I ran some of them down with my truck?" Planning in advance to kill one person, or a hundred, by the misuse of either a Smith & Wesson or an F-150 can be categorized as a joke, but it's far removed from being funny. Michael Richards was trying to be funny, as was Don Imus.
Speaking of what's funny, I'm reminded of a story that's told about Lorne Michaels. When he began
Saturday Night Live, Mr. Michaels gave notice that
everything and everyone in our society was fair game for a joke, a lampoon (pun intended), or satire. Everything, even death, could be funny. A few years later, after the death of John Belushi, a reporter who was there for that declaration sat down again with Mr. Michaels; in that interview, he was asked when
SNL would begin to tell jokes about Mr. Belushi's death--since everything, even death, could be funny, surely the death of a great comic actor like Mr. Belushi would make great material. Unleashing a spew of obscenities, Mr. Michaels threw the reporter out.
Some things aren't funny. If Mr. Layton's response will consist of "Hey, it was a joke," it will be indicative of a real problem.
I would like to note that I think what he said was completely boneheaded and stupid, but I'm latching onto this because of the larger issue at hand. Layton's comments were decidely in poor taste and inappropriate, but this will empower other organizations to take a harder look at the radio landscape as a whole, and the next target will probably be someone who really didn't say anything all that harsh.
The best way to avoid a slippery slope is to stay away from what's slippery.
What may be an ever bigger problem to me is how these radio companies so easily cave in to outside pressure. Whatever happened to saying, "I'm sorry," getting suspended and then going back to work? I bet Doug has already been fired, no questions asked.
According to published reports, Mr. Layton hasn't had much comment, other than to say he has not been suspended, nor has he been fired.
From what I understand, he hasn't apologized, either.
If this were an isolated incident, I could see the reasoning more easily. But considering how stupid the whole Imus debacle was (considering he said nothing more offensive that day than any other show he did in the last 30 freakin' years), I'm worried about talk radio in general.
As am I. Juvenile, pugilistic, and otherwise irresponsible performances have permeated the field, and it would be refreshing to see a counter-wave of grownups being funny, entertaining, and compelling without being purposefully offensive.
Maybe Layton's situation is a no-brainer (suggesting killing someone? Ouch.) Imus' was iffy (really, who should be offended outside of the ladies and family/friends of that basketball team?) But then there's JV & Elvis, another popular CBS talk show, who really shouldn't have gotten canned... What did they do that was so offensive? They dared to play a bit where a computerized voice talks to an Asian person on the telephone, enunciating in a stereotypically Chinese-y way of talking... Nevermind the bit's been aired more than once before (and it was from back in their San Fran days, where Asians are a large percent of the population) but all the sudden some group felt empowered, post-Imus, to bitch about it and bam - they're indefinitely suspended.
The matter of Mr. Imus' remarks to the Rutgers ladies shouldn't be a matter of offense to society at large as much as it should be a matter of Mr. Imus' talent. If using ethnic and gender slurs against young women is his "A" game, he deserved to be benched; as far as I'm concerned, he never had a real "A" game in the first place. I'm less familiar with the context of JV & Elvis' difficulties, but they seem to be individuals who go for cheap laughs as opposed to, again, more grown-up material.
The same company that lovingly ferried them to market #1 didn't hesitate to pull them off the air immediately for something they apparently condoned months ago on another of their radio stations.
Do we know that their bosses approved of all their gags?
Lest I forget to mention 'the kicker' to all this: Milwaukee has this certifiable talk show host who recently said, on air, that he was happy his competitor's mother died in a house fire. He went so far as to suggest her son killed her, and that she had what was coming to her.
Why no outrage on this one? The one saying the mean things: he's black.
Michael McGee, Sr. also suggested that Charlie Sykes killed his mother for the inheritance--don't forget that.
The relative lack of outrage has more to do with influence than with race, though that double-standard cannot be ignored completely. Mr. McGee's program is brokered, and airs on a station with a very small reach and a very small listenership. His shtick is, and has been, bigoted ethnocentrism.
As a radio industry outsider, I see an industry that is stumbling towards a bleak future at the hands of iPods, the internet and satellite radio. While not always a ratings winner, the Hot Talk format is bringing new ears into the fray, and now it's being cut off at the knees. It won't be long before sports commentators and political talk show hosts are in the sights of half-baked advocacy groups looking to make a name for themselves.
As someone who has been a radio industry insider since 1989 (and who is looking for a gig in Birmingham by the way, ahem...), radio is an industry which has upsides that iPods, satellite radio, and even the Internet itself cannot compete with: It can be live, interactive, and basically free all at the same time. Remember,
television, fad that it is, was supposed to be the death of radio.
Heck, political talker Neal Boortz, no stranger to saying stupid things, has been feeling the heat lately for some insensitive comments on the VT shootings. At least Cox is standing behind him (no doubt because he's a ratings winner over there in the ATL), which is more than I can say for some other companies.
Sorry for the rant, but this issue really bothers me.
I would hope that Cox stands behind Mr. Boortz for deeper reasons that just ratings, but that may be my altruism flaring up.
Mike, I hope this doesn't detract from your points, because you make some good ones... It's just I believe that there's room for the childish radio along with the intelligent, because some of us still have immature sides that like to be entertained.
Not in the slightest, Zach--I always appreciate a good, thoughtful discussion.
And I think our immature sides can be entertained--they just shouldn't be entertained immaturely, if that makes sense.
Oh and welcome to Birmingham, if that's the area you're new to. ;D I sure miss my hometown!
It is, and I'm missing my hometown of Memphis. When I get a gig here, though, I'll have less time to be homesick.
