MSNBC to Imus: You're FIRED!

[Nova]

And what astounds me is all the outrage over this and none over that stripper accusing men of gangrape.

You must be new to WebSleuths. Welcome. There are pages and pages of outrage over the false accusations in the Duke case.

 

[IdahoMom]

You must be new to WebSleuths. Welcome. There are pages and pages of outrage over the false accusations in the Duke case.

Actually, cynpat has been posting here for awhile.

I think cynpat feels like many people do about this whole mess- there is sooo much hypocrisy, it's unreal. The Duke case does come into this because Al Sharpton was front-row, center on that, too.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

There was some speculation that the O.J. Simpson verdict was payback for the Rodney King beating. Perhaps having this D.J. fired was payback for these young men being found innocent.

 

[Nova]

Actually, cynpat has been posting here for awhile and I think she knows her way around the forum.

I think cynpat feels like many people do about this whole mess- there is sooo much hypocrisy, it's unreal. The Duke case does come into this because Al Sharpton was front-row, center on that, too.

Oh. How odd, then, that she thought no one was outraged by the Duke case.

 

[IdahoMom]

Oh. How odd, then, that she thought no one was outraged by the Duke case.

People are outraged, but there was ZERO urgency in the Duke case. Imus' head was lopped off within about a week. The Duke kids twisted and twisted while Jesse and Al and Nifong got their play off of them.

I think Jesse and Al ought to do what Imus is planning to do with the Rutgers players...they should meet with the boys and their parents and apologize. Oh, and then, everyone can sit back and scrutinize the apologies to determine if they were heartfelt and humble enough.


imo

 

[Nova]

People are outraged, but there was ZERO urgency in the Duke case. Imus' head was lopped off within about a week. The Duke kids twisted and twisted while Jesse and Al and Nifong got their play off of them.

I think Jesse and Al ought to do what Imus is planning to do with the Rutgers players...they should meet with the boys and their parents and apologize. Oh, and then, everyone can sit back and scrutinize the apologies to determine if they were heartfelt and humble enough.


imo

We're comparing apples and oranges here.

If we must compare, then we should admit the system eventually worked in the Duke case (albeit too slowly), where the defendants were white. As the Innocence Project and other inmate-advocacy groups have shown us, HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of inner-city, black defendants have not only been falsely charged, but falsely convicted and imprisoned for many, many years.

 

[nanandjim]

This is about money....the advertisers left.

It may come as a surprise but TV and Radio networks don't get one dime from us listening or watching. It's all advertising dollars and when the advertisers speak, the networks listen. Had the advertisers not pulled out, he would be on the air after his two week suspension.

I never cared for his show and his comments were just stupid arrogance, much of what I have seen from his show previously. Plus, I never liked the long haired corpse in a cowboy hat look myself.

Anyway, that's that. Sharpton the and Jesse Jackson the super have taken out another whitey.

I'm all for equality and wouldn't ever treat another person with disrespect because of their race. But I am really just sick of the double standard that is allowed in this country where blacks can call whites what they want because they have been oppressed....... I drive to work and I am in a minority with many of the blacks around me driving much nicer cars than I am. They aren't oppressed and it is time that they get on with their lives and quit using the black crutch. The problem is that many cannot or will not and have to rely on it. You think Jesse Jackson could survive a day at my company? Think not.

Cal

Ditto.

 

[Nova]

There was some speculation that the O.J. Simpson verdict was payback for the Rodney King beating. Perhaps having this D.J. fired was payback for these young men being found innocent.

Based on my experience living in LA during those years, Jeanna, I think the speculation (which I've heard as well) is one of those too-simple sound bites. Many inner-city blacks (and Latinos) in the early 90s had come to believe the justice system (police and courts) was stacked against African Americans. The ensuing Rampart scandal showed this view to be largely correct.

Thanks to the magic of television and a video of (mostly) white men whaling away on an unarmed black man, the Rodney King incident came to symbolize that view.

In that context, it shouldn't surprise us that an inner-city jury was extremely, even overly, skeptical of evidence that came mostly from the police and police labs. (The jurors were wrong, of course, but there were reasons why they viewed the evidence as they did.) Not exactly payback for King, but certainly out of a related context.

I can't speak for the motivations of black activists in the Imus scandal, but to me, they seem to be doing what they always do (and did before the Duke case). But we should keep in mind that the firing of Don Imus was effected by mostly white executives at mostly white corporations.

 

[nanandjim]

White people are well on their way to being the minority.

White people are currently the most discriminated against, especially white males.

 

[Masterj]

White people are currently the most discriminated against, especially white males.

According to who?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Based on my experience living in LA during those years, Jeanna, I think the speculation (which I've heard as well) is one of those too-simple sound bites. Many inner-city blacks (and Latinos) in the early 90s had come to believe the justice system (police and courts) was stacked against African Americans. The ensuing Rampart scandal showed this view to be largely correct.

Thanks to the magic of television and a video of (mostly) white men whaling away on an unarmed black man, the Rodney King incident came to symbolize that view.

In that context, it shouldn't surprise us that an inner-city jury was extremely, even overly, skeptical of evidence that came mostly from the police and police labs. (The jurors were wrong, of course, but there were reasons why they viewed the evidence as they did.) Not exactly payback for King, but certainly out of a related context (

I can't speak for the motivations of black activists in the Imus scandal, but to me, they seem to be doing what they always do (and did before the Duke case). But we should keep in mind that the firing of Don Imus was effected by mostly white executives at mostly white corporations.

I'm sure you're right. I'm just saying what I've heard.

 

[mjak]

I think its very disconcerning that Imis had been fired if it has been done as punnishment or retribution. As freedom of speech needs to be protected and there should not be punnishment for using ones right to free speech. However, if he has been fired because the advertisers have pulled there backing and a radio station can not afford to have a show with no backers then I think it is wonderful. That is a wonderful statement about the American people and their ability to stand for what they do and do not believe in. It says a great deal if we can impact infromation dispersion and show our dissatisfaction with a product and have that product removed. That is a wonderful example of democracy working. I am sad that for him that he finds himself in this situation at this point in his life.

mjak

 

[SadieMae]

Actually, cynpat has been posting here for awhile.

I think cynpat feels like many people do about this whole mess- there is sooo much hypocrisy, it's unreal. The Duke case does come into this because Al Sharpton was front-row, center on that, too.

Seems he didn't learn his lesson from way back...anyone remember Tawanda Brawley..(I thinks that's her name)

 

[Nova]

White people are currently the most discriminated against, especially white males.

Evidence? Didn't think so.

 

[Nova]

I'm sure you're right. I'm just saying what I've heard.

Understood. And of course I'm not an inner-city African American. But all of this was much discussed in Los Angeles (as you would imagine), and the above is my impression based on what people (of all colors and classes) were saying.

 

[Nova]

Seems he didn't learn his lesson from way back...anyone remember Tawanda Brawley..(I thinks that's her name)

Doesn't Rev. Sharpton do what we all do?

He forms an opinion based on what he reads in the press.

In both the Brawley and Duke cases, the early press reports were wildly inaccurate, of course, but some would say the same about the Ramsey and Holloway cases. Nonetheless, most of us formed some opinion (and in many cases, quite a heated opinion) about those matters based on what was reported.

Now one may well argue that a public figure with as much media access as Sharpton has an extra duty to get the facts straight. But the fact he doesn't always do so successfully doesn't make him any different than most of the talking heads we discuss here every day.

 

[shopper]

Imus was fired by white executives because Jackson and Sharpton weren't going to ever let this go. IMO

Isiah Washington has yet to be fired or given a suspension for calling his gay "Grey's Anatomy" co-star a f*gg*t. Why is that? We all know what would happen if IW had been called the n word. The offending person would've been fired immediately and could kiss his/her career goodbye.

 

[IrishMist]

Imus was fired by white executives because Jackson and Sharpton weren't going to ever let this go. IMO

Isiah Washington has yet to be fired or given a suspension for calling his gay "Grey's Anatomy" co-star a . Why is that? We all know what would happen if IW had been called the n word. Fired immediately and could kiss his/her career goodbye.

I'm not defending Washington by any means, but from what little I've read and heard about the Imus firing is that this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. More of a cumulative thing.

 

[NK57]

As unpopular as this may sound, I'm glad he's fired. Mean spirited comments have no place anywhere. Back in October, my best friend became involved witha a man he met online. And, as dumb as this sounds, without even ever meeting me, he called me a "big titted drunken *advertiser censored*" . I can't believe how it felt. I don't drink, I've been married for 20 years and yes I've got some ginormous *advertiser censored*. However, it was such a slap in my face, such a blatant form of misogony, that I knew exactly how those girls felt. And like them, it was "blown off" as "just a playful joke".

Its unfortunate, I know my relationship with my best friend as changed because of it. His new boyfriend didn't feel it was worth apologizing for, and as far as Don Imus is concerned, I found his apologies rather hollow as well.

Nancy

 

[shopper]

I'm not defending Washington by any means, but from what little I've read and heard about the Imus firing is that this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. More of a cumulative thing.

True. But the Isaiah Washington thing was as big news as Imus' and there was plenty of outrage. Double standard again.