Rutgers and Don Imus mess...
I'm sitting here watching Rutgers have a live press conference on ESPN to respond to the "outrageous" comments from radio shock jock Don Imus. It just reminds me how completely ridiculous things have become in society. It seems like everyone wants a platform, everyone wants a stage.. and simple apologies are not enough.
For those who don't know, Imus is a longtime radio host with strong political background, and usually doesn't venture into sports all that much on his show. But after watching Rugters women's basketball team play in the National Championship game, Imus joked the mostly all-black roster looked like "nappy headed hoes".
It was an idiotic thing to say, no question. It was ignorant beyond belief because he does not know those players, the culture of the team, or anything else that would lead him to say what is essentially a racist comment. Should he be fired? Of course not. He's a radio shock jock and it's no surprise, much like Howard Stern, that he says ridiculous things all the time. Immediately after those comments, the African-American community stepped it up: outraged, calling for Imus to be fired and demanding an apology. They have every right to do so... Imus insulted not only the Rutgers players, but an entire culture. The media blitz was incredible. And I knew it was coming.
Imus has since apologized to everyone and anyone who will listen. He went on Al Sharpton's radio show and weathered a brutal attack from Sharpton and a bevy of callers. He deserved it, and Imus is paying a steep price right now. But here's where it gets out of control.
For ESPN to break into programming, for Rutgers to hold a national press conference with all the trimmings, with the head coach having a 30 minute monologue which covers her childhood, society, her players, and so on and so on, is a bit much. And that's the problem: the moment someone screws up in this country, we all attack and use it for grandstanding. The people who are now calling for Don Imus's head on a stake, know just as much about him as Imus does about Rutgers basketball.
By calling even more attention to a simple ignorant remark, the process gets dragged into a lengthy public relations spectacle. Why not release a statement saying, "Don Imus made a despicable comment, we are appalled and he should apologize to the team in person. We will not glorify or indulge such an ignorant statement with any more publicity." Instead, Don Imus gets more air time than he ever would, and Rutgers gets the kind of national attention it doesn't need. Getting to the national title game is the attention they deserve.
I just wish Don Imus would think about what he says next time, and everyone else take the high road.
For those who don't know, Imus is a longtime radio host with strong political background, and usually doesn't venture into sports all that much on his show. But after watching Rugters women's basketball team play in the National Championship game, Imus joked the mostly all-black roster looked like "nappy headed hoes".
It was an idiotic thing to say, no question. It was ignorant beyond belief because he does not know those players, the culture of the team, or anything else that would lead him to say what is essentially a racist comment. Should he be fired? Of course not. He's a radio shock jock and it's no surprise, much like Howard Stern, that he says ridiculous things all the time. Immediately after those comments, the African-American community stepped it up: outraged, calling for Imus to be fired and demanding an apology. They have every right to do so... Imus insulted not only the Rutgers players, but an entire culture. The media blitz was incredible. And I knew it was coming.
Imus has since apologized to everyone and anyone who will listen. He went on Al Sharpton's radio show and weathered a brutal attack from Sharpton and a bevy of callers. He deserved it, and Imus is paying a steep price right now. But here's where it gets out of control.
For ESPN to break into programming, for Rutgers to hold a national press conference with all the trimmings, with the head coach having a 30 minute monologue which covers her childhood, society, her players, and so on and so on, is a bit much. And that's the problem: the moment someone screws up in this country, we all attack and use it for grandstanding. The people who are now calling for Don Imus's head on a stake, know just as much about him as Imus does about Rutgers basketball.
By calling even more attention to a simple ignorant remark, the process gets dragged into a lengthy public relations spectacle. Why not release a statement saying, "Don Imus made a despicable comment, we are appalled and he should apologize to the team in person. We will not glorify or indulge such an ignorant statement with any more publicity." Instead, Don Imus gets more air time than he ever would, and Rutgers gets the kind of national attention it doesn't need. Getting to the national title game is the attention they deserve.
I just wish Don Imus would think about what he says next time, and everyone else take the high road.
posted by Mark Lericos at 10:24 AM
<< Home