The Imus ‘Saga’

Don Imus

Everyone invariably knows about the ‘controversy’ surrounding Don Imus. He made a comment about The Lady Rutgers basketball team (on a side note, one most of the media shuns him for saying, but repeats it every chance they get). Now he’s been on Al Sharpton’s show and has been suspended for two weeks. Many are calling for him to be fired. And why? Because it was offensive? It was wrong? Maybe. Because they are too sensitive? More likely. In a politically correct world, everything is offensive to someone.

I’m not saying what he said wasn’t wrong. Sure, it was kind of racist and a little sexist. Should he be fired? NO. People make comments like that all the time. Sure he said it on the radio. But it’s nothing people haven’t heard before. And it’s his job to do the whole ‘shock jock’ thing. Imus getting fired would say a whole hell of a lot about our freedom of speech.

And I can see it now. People will say I don’t understand. These girls were attacked. So is everyone. I get called out for my weight all the time. I’ve even been called a ‘greasy haired Italian.’ What do you want me to do? Get all upset? Round up all the fat Italians in America and protest? Those people aren’t worth my time. I fire some comment back at them and leave. And granted, this is a different situation. Imus is in the public eye. So is, for example, every rapper and pop artist. And they say things much more offensive than ‘nappy headed ho.’ I hate to break it to you, but Kelis’s ‘Mikeshake’ is not a dessert. Fergie isn’t singing about the architectural structure. Eminem isn’t sining about kill….O wait. He really is sining about killing his wife. So why crucify Imus?

Do Sharpton and Jackson really feel victimized by Imus’s comments? Probably not. They just play the race card…A LOT. That is indisputable. Should Imus apologize to the girls? Sure. That was kind of a shitty comment. I don’t think he should have been suspended. And if he gets fired, well then that’s something to protest about.