File this one under “it couldn’t happen to a nicer or more talented individual.”
Radio host Don Imus apologized Friday for calling the Rutgers University women’s basketball team ”nappy headed hos” on his nationally syndicated program.
The National Association of Black Journalists demanded his immediate firing after the man known as ”Imus in the Morning” put his foot deep in his mouth Wednesday. Imus questioned the players’ looks, describing them as tattooed ”rough girls.” His producer compared the team — which has eight black members — to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
Near the start of Friday’s show, Imus said he wanted to ”apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team.”
”It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry.”
Gregory Lee, an NABJ officer and senior assistant sports editor at The Boston Globe, said the mea culpa did little to atone for the comments.
”You can apologize, but what does that mean when you have a history of making disparaging remarks about people?” Lee asked about the acid-tongued Imus. ”This kind of behavior must be punished. I hope the company and sponsors he has take some sort of action … to educate him.”
NABJ President Bryan Monroe asked Thursday if Imus had ”lost his mind” and called for the veteran radio host’s dismissal.
Imus was speaking with producer Bernard McGurk when the NCAA title game between Rutgers and Tennessee came up.
”That’s some rough girls from Rutgers,” Imus said. ”Man, they got tattoos …”
”Some hardcore hos,” said McGurk.
”That’s some nappy headed hos there, I’m going to tell you that,” Imus said.
The “producer”, identified by the AP, was, according to NBC.com, Sid Rosenberg.
Jeff Innis “In The Morning” was unavailable for comment.
As a middle age White man I’m tired of this REVERSE DISCRIMINATION. The black community can use the N-word all they want, can call their women all kinds of dirty names in jokes, rap music (if that’s what you call music) and that’s alright. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY!!!
They are allowed to have their own segregated Black shows, Black tv/radio stations, Black award show after award show after award show, a Black lobby in Congress, ETC ETC ETC ETC.
This is just ANOTHER ONE of JESSE JACKSON’s ways of “BLACKMAILING BIG BUSINESS” he gets 25 people to picket and its big news on all the national TV and radio stations. This minister of god.
REVERSE DISCRIMINATION is driving a wedge between the races.
Even Obama and Hallie Berry AREN’T BLACK ENOUGH and THERE’S A GOOD REASON WHY because “THEY’RE HALF WHITE” but she’s the first Black woman to win the an academy award and he’s the first Black to run for president, oh I forgot about Clinton.
What happened 200 + years ago is over. Their ancestors were sold to white men by Black tribes and those slaves paid with their sweat and we’ve paid for generations for that labor, including the Civil War.
What IMUS said was uncalled for and stupid but the amount of outrage is crazy.
Dear Ken,
Do you mind if I call you Ken? I realize that’s a tad informal. How about, “Dear Numbnuts” instead?
There’s no “reverse discrimination” here. Imus put his foot in it and he’s getting the exact treatment he deserves from persons of more than one race. Calling someone out for discriminatory language does not equal “reverse discrimination” Your laughable attempt at attributing certain modes of behavior to the “black community” is pretty much destroyed by Imus’ most fierce critics in this case (Jackson, Sharpton) being the very same guys who’ve complained loudly for years about casual dropping of the N-bomb, black women being demeaned, black on black crime, etc.
I just wanna get this straight — black awards shows are driving a wedge between the races (ok, I mean, I’m bummed that Justin Timberlake rarely gets nominated, too) but a white media crony of John McCain uses the resources of NBC TV and CBS radio to utter unprovoked slurs against 19 year old black women…and he’s a victim?
The amount of outrage seems perfectly reasonable to me, and if the radio host in question wasn’t such a cash cow for his employers, he’d have been fired on the spot.
Finally, try not to lean on the shift key so hard, or people might think your race is intellectually inferior. Just a tip — us middle aged white guys have to stick together.
What is the grade point average of the Rutgers women’s basketball team?
Do the words Tawana Brawley and Hymie Town stir any memories? How about spitting in the food of white customers as Jackson admitted to doing. Why do these two opportunists get to keep their jobs? The double standard/reverse discrimination IS alive and well and I am just a little confused when I look at the big picture.
And GC, keep it clean. There is no room for name calling, especially here. I mean, thats what this all about isn’t it?
David,
I’m very familiar with Tawana Brawley and “hymietown”, thanks very much. But last time I checked, neither Sharpton nor Jackson were employed by NBC or CBS. That’s the thing about being a self-appointed arbiter of something or other — you’d have to fire yourself.
I mean, let’s just remove Jessie and Al from the discussion. There’s still no justification for not pushing Imus down a flight of stairs.
As far as the name calling is concerned, I don’t work for NBC or CBS, either, David. And calling someone “numb nuts” in no way disparages the commentator’s ethnicity. If his nuts are indeed numb, I apologize.
I agree with Ken whole heartedly on his comment.
what imus said wasn’t exactly nice, but no way does everyone need to be going after him for it. this will all blow over and you guys will get on with your lifes, just like what happened with kramer.
genius analogy, Nick. I guess I’ve been missing that morning radio show where mainstream political pundits and presidential candidates line up to kiss Michael Richards’ ass. Can it be found on BLOW ME FM or WKKK?