If Not Imus, Then Beck, Boortz, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly: Let's Not Go After Hip Hop for Imus' Sake

Excerpt of Glenn Gamboa's "Imus Clouds the Debate"

First of all, a rapper would never have hurled racist and sexist slurs against the Rutgers team after their loss in the NCAA Tournament. Attacking people after such a difficult defeat is never funny. It's cold.

Second, rappers would differentiate between student-athletes working hard to rise to the top of their field and prostitutes or even promiscuous women. Do some hip-hoppers use sexist slurs too much? Definitely. But that should not be viewed any differently than the sexist slurs thrown around the boardroom or in workplace cafeterias. It's also no different than a business structure that pays women an average of 23 percent less than men.

Hip-hop should be judged like any other art form, on the merits of the many, rather than the actions of a few. There are examples of sexism and racism in country music and rock as well, but those genres aren't stereotyped in the same way.

The insults Imus and his colleague chose for the Rutgers women were designed to resonate with a certain part of his snickering audience - the ones who see everything in racial terms first. He was playing the race card then and, by trying to push some of the blame for his actions on hip-hop, he is doing it again.

This is a decent explanation of why the mainstream media is wrong in promoting talk against hip hop instead of going after Neal Boortz, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly

Institutional Racism at Work: Whites Lost Imus so They Are Attacking Hip Hop

Imus used our airwaves for bigotry and sexism. After realizing he was in trouble Imus clouded the issue by targeting hip-hop. Unfortunately the media took his lead and have now began to attack the Hip Hop industry following the loss of one of their largest "bullet proof" bigots.

“White powerful” people are mad that Imus was taken down and now, in an act of vengeance, they are making institutional racism work by attacking Blacks via hip hop. Notice how they have changed the issue from Imus to Black people.

The issue is STILL Imus! Call your local stations and tell them that.

p.s. If you want to attack someone outside of Imus try the bigots listed at Media Matters here.

Imus is Dropped

Imus is dropped from CBS Radio.

Welcome to the unemployment office Imus.

Open Letter to Randi Rhodes of Air America in response to her segment "Why Imus and Why Now"

On April 10, 2007 Randi Rhodes asked her listeners "Why Imus and Why Now" after he has been spewing filth over the American airwaves for over three decades. For over an hour she took calls and shot down everyone's reasoning on "why now?" including those who said it's because of the racial slurs. Her conclusion was that this was a calculated attack on a "shock jock" who is supposed to be held less accountable for the things he says than such radio hosts as Rush Limbaugh. Randi's argument is that Imus is being attacked because it will send a message to others that they are not immune considering their words are not even said with as much "humor" as those of Imus.

It is my opinion that "why now?" is because we've had enough. He's been slandering everybody for much to long and after the racist and sexist attack on women who are trying to earn their degree, participate in school sports, and just go on with their lives we're finally telling him he has stepped over his boundaries.

While I am forever appreciative of the voice Randi provides to radio I am not going to let her hijack this issue so easily. I see too many people who think this is a complicated act against Republicans, or Democrats, or conservative radio, etc. Maybe it's just that America is learning to not tolerate racism, sexism, and degradation when it rears its ugly head.

Randi,

It is impossible for you to completely understand my position on Imus' racist, sexist, trashy, and uncalled for remarks. It is equally impossible for me to fully understand some feminine issues you may delve into because I am a man. While I appreciate your compassion for this issue you cannot go beyond intellectualizing it.

Imus attacked our Black children. In response, we are coming down on him with deserved negative attention. If you cannot fathom that Imus is being attacked "simply" in response to his racist attack on our children that is fine but do not show a lack of appreciation by quickly dismissing every person in dissention with your view who believes this is an issue of race.

Your claim of this being a complex move strategically made to make the less jovial, conservative radio hosts think "this could happen to me" is self serving. Whenever Blacks have striven for upward mobility White people have ridden on their coattails even though they already have more than enough. After the Civil War Lincoln tried to remove Africans and African Americans from the country and share-cropping took advantage of the newfound "freedom". In the 1960's the Women's Rights movement coupled itself on the phenomenal force of the Civil Rights movement. Today we see a less spectacular form of "How can I take advantage of this" in the form of liberal talk radio using the issue of Imus defaming these Black women via our national airways as a leaping point to shake up conservative radio. Others want to use the issue as an example of the "cunning" of the right wing where they are getting rid of yet another "anti Republican" rabble rouser.

Selfish is it not, considering Air America has one (?) or is it two (?) Black radio hosts who do not even have premium times. Your assessment and those agreeing with that assessment do not realize how much of a narrow base there is in that kind of thought. If you were Black you would not have your show and maybe then you would understand.

If you would entertain the thought for a moment, you would possibly consider that maybe, just maybe, Black people care deeply about what happens to their people, their sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and so on. Imus deserves to be fired for his transgression and should never see radio again. He must be punished for his disgraceful, derogatory statements.

What plans you and anyone creating issues outside of the main one do is your business. Let us respect our own motives though.

Open Call to CBS RADIO Re: Request for Imus' termination

We want Imus off the air. He has spread his offensive rhetoric over the airways long enough. Stop aiding the perpetuation of racist, sexist, gaudy and hateful language.

There is no defense for this man’s words. His lifespan on radio is no excuse. It just means his removal is overdue. The language of others whether it be Jay Z, Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh is not the issue. They are not Imus. Imus’ compassion for his wife does not excuse his sexist language. Her tolerance of his misgivings does not reflect mine. Besides, many sexist individuals have cared for their wives and daughters. Even Strom Thurmond took care of his Black daughter. Celebrities saying he is a “good” man are no defense. If he is such a good man then why is he in this mess? Imus has no excuse for staying on air.

I hope you recognize the severity of the situation and deal with this promptly. You have higher quality programming available that can replace his. I urge you to remove Imus in the Morning from your programming schedule.

CORPORATE ADDRESS

CBS RADIO
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
212-846-3939