One Racist Shock-Jock to Go...

(For those of you born after 1986, the title is based on the title of one of Imus' comedy albums from the 1970's, One Sacred Chicken to Go)

Today would've been the last day that Don Imus would've been on the air before his 2 week suspension. Of course this is before he got fired from CBS radio on Thursday, so his wife Dierdre filled in for him on his radio telethon. Imus was fired just before he met with the Rutgers basketball team. He still kept the appointment, which I feel shows genuine concern and remorse for his actions.

Now this does not mean that his comment should be excused. I for one blame him for not having enough self-control and awareness that this is, in fact, the 21st century, and people tend to be a bit touchy when you call them "nappy-headed hos." His shock-jock schtick got old in the 1970's.

That being said, you know how some people when they're not paying attention repeat the last thing that was heard, then hurriedly continue with another train of thought? I think that's what Imus did. It was his executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, that said that the team was full of "hardcore hos," which initiated Imus' comments. McGuirk further commented that they were "jiggaboos and wannabes," referencing a Spike Lee film. These comments were very racially charged, as McGuirk has had other run-ins with racist comments in the past. Therefore, McGuirk deserves some of the blame.

Then there's MSNBC and CBS Radio. They knew what they were getting into when they signed up to broadcast and simulcast Imus in the 1990's. He's a shock-jock, for Christ's sake. It would be as if ABC Family signed up to simulcast Howard Stern and then became shocked — shocked! — when he talked about sex acts. They knew his style, which is why they wanted him, but they couldn't take the heat when their (fading) star said something offensive. They both deserve some of the blame.

The advertisers should have known too. Once again, he's a shock-jock. What part of "shock" don't they understand? If you don't want the shock, don't advertise the jock. Period.

The problem that Imus' firing brings about, however appropriate it may be, is the free-speech chilling effect that it could have. While it may result in more heads rolling (Rush Limbaugh for mocking Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Disease, Michael Savage for his endless tirades against gays and lesbians, Glenn Beck for his Muslimophobia, etc.), it could reach into other arenas. For example, the Stephanie Miller Show, a liberal political talk/entertainment/comedy show on KJFK, bills itself as "too liberal for conservatives, too politically incorrect for liberals," which is kind of like this blog sometimes. One of their features is Stand-Up News, where "voice-deity" Jim Ward imitates public figures based on news stories. What if Jim Ward's imitation of Kim Jong-Il rubs Koreans the wrong way? Stephanie Miller's name is on the show, so she'll get canned, which cans her other two mooks.

In other words, the Don Imus comment situation could be the Nipplegate of talk radio.

I am a big advocate of positive race relations, but I am also a big advocate of free speech. I can disagree with the KKK and their vile hate speech, but I have to support their right to say it. I have to, so that I can have the same freedom of speech to call KKK members names such as bigots and white-hooded hicks.

Uh oh, I called klansmen "white-hooded hicks." I guess I gotta go meet them now and apologize.

~ Deep Blue

Update (3:22 PM PDT): Oh man, Bill Manders is playing into the talking point that Imus is a liberal Democrat. No liberal Democrat would support McCain, Manders, and he said that he is the only Republican in Manhattan. He may be a RINO, but then again, a RINO may not vote for McCain either. Manders is once again living in Right-Wing Fantasy World where everyone in talk radio is liberal and he is the great crusader.

I also like his comments about blogs, saying that other bloggers are calling for his head and that there are 3 blog readers and 50 blogs in Northern Nevada. Well, apparently he's one of those readers, because he wouldn't know about what us bloggers are doing if he weren't.

I am not calling for his head at this point in time because his rhetoric and talking points are tired and flaccid. They've already been talked about on Rush and Hannity before him, so he sounds like an angry grandfather telling "those damn kids" to get off his lawn and support the war. And yet I'm drawn to him, drawn to commenting about his every move. I guess I'm his watchdog. Well, one of them anyway. And even if no one reads my blog, I'll still do it. Every talk show needs to be held accountable for those kinds of things, even the almighty Bill Manders.