http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/11/130527.aspx (From Al Roker) I don't think I've ever had more response to an online journal than yesterday. As you may know I called for the firing/resignation of WFAN/MSNBC morning host Don Imus. This after he and his morning "Crew" referred to the Rutgers Women’s basketball team as, among other things, "nappy-headed hos." Ugly racism and sexism at its worst. Based on the passionate responses we got from people on both sides of the issue, it seems we still, after all this time, have a long way to go in our country when it comes to race. And, by the way, it's not like I hold a deciding vote at CBS, Inc., Mr. Imus' actual employer, or at NBC Universal, the company that owns MSNBC, and my place of employment, NBC News, as to whether Imus and company stay or go. I was expressing an opinion, not as a member of NBC News, but as an individual online. My freedom of speech was questioned. Some of the complaints that came in fell in that same category; I was denying Don Imus his freedom of speech. Far from it. Don Imus has the right to say whatever he wants, however hateful, stupid or uncaring. He DOES NOT have the right to say it on public airwaves or on the cable broadcast of a publicly owned company. That is a privilege, just as you do not have the right to have a license to drive a car. It is a privilege. Privileges can be revoked if certain criteria are not met. Another point some of my critics raised was that I was holding Don Imus to a different standard than the rappers and African American comedians who traffic in the same kind of language. Guess what? I think their speech is hateful, too. I don't condone it. Don't allow it in my home. Don't use the words. Don't go to those concerts. Those companies that profit in the demeaning of women via musical lyrics, whether rap or rock, should be put on notice, as should the radio stations that play the music. Others who have used hateful language have recently been fired from prominent radio jobs. They have been held accountable. African-Americans who believe certain elements of rap music, music videos and popular entertainment need to be more respectful toward our own should speak out and repudiate that element. I know I have, and many others have as well. A slippery slope, to be sure, deciding what should be heard or not heard. But the difference again is, where it is heard and who is saying it and what is their intent. A team of young women, striving to excel academically and athletically surely does not deserve to have all that they worked for, all that they sacrificed for stripped away in the name of a "comedy show," in the words of Don Imus. Mr. Imus misspoke when he told Matt that if all we could come up with was a few instances of racial intolerance in the span of a 30-year program, it was, in essence, not that big a deal. Not so fast, Don. On a regular basis, African-Americans, no matter who they are, were generally portrayed in a "pimp" or "Aunt Jemima" voice. People of color were routinely denigrated. There was an atmosphere of intolerance going under the guise of comedy. Imus would have you believe this is an isolated incident. It is not. Maybe not to the extreme such as was the case last week, but It exists, thanks to Don Imus, Sid Rosenberg and Bernard McGuirk. People have written in asking why haven't I spoken out against others who have made similar transgressions. The answer is simple; one that I'm not particularly proud of: It wasn't in my "house" and it wasn't so profoundly blatant. Don Imus broadcasts under the NBC News banner via MSNBC. This is a reflection of my company. I won't stand for the idea that someone who has the privilege of working under the aegis of NBC News could damage this organization with the taint of racism and sexism. And a word about this organization. There has been a lot of soul searching going on, both publicly and privately. And it is the strength and character off the management of NBC News that gives me a source of pride. Our president, Steve Capus, has been about as transparent in his dealings with this as anyone could be. It visibly pains him, as it does all of us here, both people of color and white, that we are going through this. His support, and the support of Jeff Zucker has meant a lot to the people of this company. It has been a good process and a necessary one. One that we hope we can help foster both inside and outside of NBC News. This can make us all better people and treat each other with more respect. No doubt there's going to be more about this in the days and weeks to come. Advertisers are bailing out of the Imus broadcast and the marketplace. In the end, this may decide his fate. In the meantime, I hope that the debate over this can be civil and meaningful, not one of name-calling and anger.
Please.....Al, can you please show us where you have been as demonstartive in speaking out against rappers as you did against Imus?
Maybe you're right, as I only speak Jive. On the other hand, a Ho is a Ho and the word Ho has a meaning and it has connotations beyond the literal definition and none of those are particularly flattering to women and in my view reveal more about the man then the woman. There were, IIRC, 92 entries. I read through 40 something, stopping when it was clear they were repetitive. Point out any of them that has a positive bent. Any that have a neutral bent? Here it is in simple math: nappy-headed = dark, African looking, unattractive hos = women who are self destructive or who have so little self esteem that they are easily taken advantage of, usually in a sexual manner. And again, he didn't say it in general like I just did. He was referencing 8 specific individuals on the Rutgers Bball team. If he had said, "most women bball players look like nappy-headed hos," probably nothing would have happened and we wouldn't be arguing about this.
so he was referring to the white player(s) on the team as well I guess sure it would have....it would have been spun into how he thought that most women basketball players are black and thus have nappy hair...thats just what the media does
Man I applaud you effort but I doubt you will ever explain enough to JUSTIFY being Offended I don't bother . . . I don't feel the need to Justify and Explain it. . I'm offended . . end of story Rocket River
Good Lord, all rap music does not glorify living a gangsta lifestyle or tell you to disrespect women, much like all of heavy metal/hard rock in the 80's didn't tell kids to do tons of drugs or dress in Goth, etc. Our society has become one where the negative things are the ones that are the most commercialized, and that goes across all types of entertainment, not just hip-hop (which in itself is completely different from gangsta rap). Does Britney Spears rap? Does Anna Nicole Smith rap? Do the Hilton sisters rap? Did Jerry Springer become famous for rapping? Did they rap on Girls Gone Wild? Are most reality TV shows (where they use drama to enhance ratings) about rappers? Do p*rn stars rap while they take it from the back? Rap music...even gangsta rap...is not destroying the country or our society. Any kid with sense (and some decent parents) can recognize that selling drugs or slapping women is not the cool thing to do, just like a prior generation knew that it wasn't cool to go around blasting people because they saw Dirty Harry or John Wayne do it. And I'm not saying gangsta rap is good...I'm just tired of it taking the fall for everything. Look at ANY media form and the one constant is that negativity sells, and that even goes for your local news.
People argue about PC being dangerous because it silences people and forcing them to justify their statements that others find offensive yet those critics also seek to silence people from expressing their own offense and are just as willing to force people to justify why they find offense. The means of the counter PC people end up becoming the same as those of they criticize.
The difference is that Clint Eastwood and John Wayne were actors....Dirty Harry, etc were characters...and when you saw Eastwood in interviews, he wasnt holding a gun wearing dark shades telling you to make his day...he was Clint Eastwood Rappers today (50 cent, Nelly, etc...hell , i dont even know most of them anymore) never get out of their character. When they are interviewed or receive Grammys etc, they have a posse of gangstas behind them and are usually flanked with "hos"...and they aint dressed for church.
There is no difference. Both are media forms which use negativity to make money. You don't think gangsta rappers aren't "characters"? Their persona is how they make their money, similar to Anna Nicole Smith making her $$$ off being a dumb slut, or the Paris Hilton making her fame from being a rich slut. Of course they aren't going to get out of their character...it's how they got to be rich in the first place....unless they cross over and go mainstream (i.e. Ice Cube from NWA, one of the first gangsta rap acts). Plenty of rappers get out of their character when they can get a bigger paycheck from doing so.
My point is that there is a difference between delibrately referencing a movie about stereotyping and race and being inherently racist. If they were making those comments with no reference to a particular movie it would be completely different and much worse imo, and that is what most people are seeing. And now for some song and dance. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BlxI3-8BVKQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BlxI3-8BVKQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
someone brought an interesting take on sportsradio 610 a few minutes ago. Al Sharpton was so quick to show up at the defense of the stripper who accused the guys at Duke of rape. now that it turns out it was all bogus, where is Sharpton with his apology?
The players sat in front of camera and proclaimed that Imus' remarks ruined their season, what? These are championship caliber athletes, they beat a number one team on their way to the championship game. You know they are mentally tough as well as being top flight athletes. Now some over the hill old guy most of the players probably never even listened to has ruined their season? Now if you ask the players in private about this, I bet most of them would say "who is Imus, and why should I let him affect how I feel about myself" Imus is an idiot, and has done far worse things, but he doesn't have the power to strip away anything those players have accomplished. They are being used for somebody else's agenda, sad.
What are you talking about???? Eastwood and Wayne DID get out of character. THAT is the difference is the 2 parties you were comparing. As for Anna Nicole and Paris....neither gained wealth from being a dumb slut...Paris is part of that Hilton family...perhaps you have heard of it. Anna Nicole was a supermodel and while she never had the billions, she had plenty.
I think people just laugh at him ever since the Twana Brawley thing. But you make a good point...his fat ass disappears as soon as he realizes what a fool he is making of himself. He will basically defend any african american accused of anything and call it racism.
When did I say they did not get out of character? That character still used negativity to make them money. Again, the majority of the media today is making money off of negativity, and that is not just excluded to gangsta rap. That is my point. It has always been that way...it just hasn't been this widespread. That is a society issue, not a rap issue. And again, plenty of rappers get out of character when a bigger paycheck calls for it. It's called being commercialized (Ice Cube, Ice T, Luda, TI, etc) and some in reverse (Flava Flav). Anna got noticed based on her nudie work (the billionaire didn't marry her because of her "modeling"). That, the trial and her antics afterwards is what made her famous. The same goes for the Hilton sisters, who became famous for their partying, making p*rn movies, etc. If you don't think so let me know which one of their cousins you know by name....
Your characterization is out of date. Go back and watch Al Sharpton during the 2004 democratic presidential debates. He was eloquent and smart and honest and cut through bullcrap better than any of the others. I dont just laugh at him - I dont always agree with him, but he is smart, has a sense of humor, and is worth listening to.
