Good to see Imus didn't skate by this time
It's good to see radio host Don Imus didn't skate by this time for his remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team.
He has been suspended for two weeks by MSNBC, which simulcasts his CBS Radio talk show, and CBS. But there are those who think that is not enough and he should be fired.
Imus has made similar comments in the past, but none has caused the kind of uproar this has, thanks largely to the Internet's blogosphere.
Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, one of the top coaches in all of basketball, called Imus' remarks "deplorable, despicable, and abominable and unconscionable." I couldn't agree more.
Imus has apoligized several times, including again Tuesday, since making the remark last Wednesday. He said he was trying to be funny. But there was nothing funny about this.
Make no mistake, Imus' stock in trade as a "shock jock" is to take his comments to the edge. He has called himself an equal opportunity offender. But as others have said, that's no excuse.
To Imus' credit, he says the suspension was correct and he will serve it with "dignity." And there's no doubt that Imus has also done much good through is philanthropic ventures.
I must admit that I've enjoyed listening to Imus on the MSNBC simulcast. He talks about the issues of the day with some of the heavy hitters in journalism and the media, and he can be funny. It will be interesting to see if he still gets the kind of guests he's had in the past.
It will also be interesting to hear what the Rutgers players have to say after meeting with him. While people with their own agendas have gotten involved as they always do in situations like this -- for good or bad -- it basically boils down to how the Rutgers players, and Imus' listeners and sponsors ultimately feel, as Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show Tuesday.
I think, as he has in the past, Imus will come back and so will his guests. Maybe it will be a different Imus, maybe not. Eventually, people will move on to other things. In this case I'm not sure that that's a good thing.
He has been suspended for two weeks by MSNBC, which simulcasts his CBS Radio talk show, and CBS. But there are those who think that is not enough and he should be fired.
Imus has made similar comments in the past, but none has caused the kind of uproar this has, thanks largely to the Internet's blogosphere.
Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, one of the top coaches in all of basketball, called Imus' remarks "deplorable, despicable, and abominable and unconscionable." I couldn't agree more.
Imus has apoligized several times, including again Tuesday, since making the remark last Wednesday. He said he was trying to be funny. But there was nothing funny about this.
Make no mistake, Imus' stock in trade as a "shock jock" is to take his comments to the edge. He has called himself an equal opportunity offender. But as others have said, that's no excuse.
To Imus' credit, he says the suspension was correct and he will serve it with "dignity." And there's no doubt that Imus has also done much good through is philanthropic ventures.
I must admit that I've enjoyed listening to Imus on the MSNBC simulcast. He talks about the issues of the day with some of the heavy hitters in journalism and the media, and he can be funny. It will be interesting to see if he still gets the kind of guests he's had in the past.
It will also be interesting to hear what the Rutgers players have to say after meeting with him. While people with their own agendas have gotten involved as they always do in situations like this -- for good or bad -- it basically boils down to how the Rutgers players, and Imus' listeners and sponsors ultimately feel, as Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show Tuesday.
I think, as he has in the past, Imus will come back and so will his guests. Maybe it will be a different Imus, maybe not. Eventually, people will move on to other things. In this case I'm not sure that that's a good thing.
posted by Russell Hedges at 4:53 PM
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