My Response To Don Imus
My aunt gave me this doll when I was a little girl. From the sayings on her sweatshirt like "Say It Loud" and "I'm Proud", you can tell that I grew up in the late 60's. My parents were adamant about me having black dolls, which were a pretty new thing back then. They heard about the study showing that little black girls preferred white dolls to black dolls, which showed how little they valued themselves.
I still have this doll and think she is just adorable. I guess Don Imus would call her a "nappy-headed ho" because she is black and female.
I do not think he has learned his lesson. If those words fell from his mouth so easily when he saw the accomplished young black women of the Rutger's women's basketball team, then I don't think his mindset has changed so much in just a few days. That is how he views black females.
Life in general is difficult for all people. We all have mortality to deal with. There is sickness, natural disasters, violence. For women, we all have another whole level of issues to contend with. There is still much disrespect and violence against women of all races in the world and in this country. And being a black woman in this country, you can add another layer of difficulty. I'm not complaining that is just life. And for the most part, I deal with it and move on. But sometimes, I do feel the need to share my point of view. This is one of them.
For Mr. Imus to suddenly feel the need to refer to these women as "hoes" shows an enormous disrespect for all women. The National Organization For Women (NOW) has an Action Alert posted on their website.
I think Mr. Imus should be fired. I sent two emails stating so, one here and I also sent one to my local radio station. NOW makes it very easy to literally send a message to the powers that be. And when he added "nappy headed" it shows his particular disdain for black women. Black women's hair in its natual state has been disparaged in this country for as long as we have been here. We as black women know what the idealized beauty of perfect hair is and we know that it is not ours.
Kiri Davis, is a very talented young black woman who made a short film called "A Girl Like Me." This is an amazing and heartbreaking film showing young black women in America and their struggles with self-acceptance as they grow into adulthood. Please watch the video here.
This short film is a finalist for an award on CosmoGirl.* With Mr. Imus making such horrible comments, he made it that much harder for every little black girl who ever watches tv or listens to the radio.
*Updated 4/13/07 - The voting in the film contest has ended. *
Comments
He made nasty comments about our Governor Bill Richardson which is the straw that broke this camels back.
I wish he would move out of our state, New Mexico would a much more beautiful place with him out of our state!!!
His broadcasting reminds me of Ted Knights character (Ted Baxter) on the old Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Enough is enough with all these celebrities and the stupid things that come out of their mouths!!!!
It's amazing that in 2007 somebody can even THINK that a group of college girls and athletes should be called what he said.It shows his "class" and how he was brought up!!
My daughter watched him on CNN this morning and she was fuming!
Of course the argument is that the Chris Rocks and Dave Chappelles of the world are "allowed" to do it, so why can't he? And I mean look at Howard Stern (I don't even need to comment further on him). So, what do you do? My children will tell you in a heartbeat..."We don't do color, my Mommy says that we are ALL human," but still has a little (Black) friend who told him that she wouldn't come to his party because he's invited White people. He just doesn't understand and told me that he can't forgive her for saying that. He also doesn't understand why people can be so cruel. We have periodical "History" lessons in my home, and I constantly tell my children that they should always stand up for what is "right (whatever the heck that is now days)."
To me, it all starts at home, and sadly, there are still people in this world who raise their children to be ignorant, and try to hold on to the ignorance and stupidity that was planted in them and their ancestors. I am actually quite elated that I can be those odds and I am exactly what people said Black women wouldn't be...I am strong, educated (MBA), a good mother, and yes, I live in the suburbs, and I work for my local government...the sooner people realize they can't LABEL groups of people and make hasty generalizations anymore, the better of this world will be.
Ugh.
I'm saying, the more we use these words towards one another the less we have to stand on when they use them.
As for Imus, he should be fired, but we also need to fire these damn rappers and comedians who disrespect black women ALLL of the time and we look the other way because "they might entertain" a few us?
I dunno anything about your country's politics and so so.
I saw the video and liked it, so touchy too.
I was in rage when that small girl pointed out the black doll as a bad character.
I fully support the views of dj black adam here
“but we also need to fire these damn rappers and comedians who disrespect black women ALLL of the time and we look the other way because "they might entertain" a few us?“
asha - It definitely does show more about him than about the team. He has some serious problems. I've been fuming since this happened too!
tera - I'm glad you liked the post. I'm really shocked about your son's friend. Her mind is being poisoned. It's such a shame. If the parents teach their children hate, then it just continues.
As black women, we have so many negative stereotypes to overcome. I guess no matter how much we differ from how some people want to label us, if they are stuck in that mindset, no matter who we are as individuals, they will all see the same thing when they look at us.
bipolarlawyercook - "graceful, astoundingly athletic women who understand what teamwork means." Very nice. It's too bad that he could not see that.
nance - I'm glad you liked the film and voted for it. It's pretty powerful. And for the N word - I hate it when anyone uses it.
jac - Glad you like it cuz! The movie just broke my heart when I firt saw it a few months ago and still does, but it also shows the strength that it takes just to "be" a black female in the US.
nina - I agree that there is a serious problem with rappers. I used to love rap when I was younger, but it's cnanged since then and even though I love the music, the message is often too negative. Not all of it, but way too much.
Nina~Unfortuantely, I don't think any rappers will be "fired," because they make these labels and producers MILLIONS of dollars with their music.
Anali~I hear you...music was SO GOOD in the days of Audio Two, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Salt-n-Pepa, EPMD, MC Lyte, Boogie Down Productions, and Run DMC etc. Sadly though, we will NEVER have those days back! The most I can get into anymore is the BEAT! You know what, I take that back...you've gotta have love for Outkast, Digable Planets, The Roots, Common, Mos Def, and a little Goodie Mob!
The truth of the matter is, making him apologize or taking his money is not going to make him all of a sudden a non-racist. All it will do is make him think before he speaks. It won't change his mind set.
If it was that easy for him to make that comment on air, in public, drunk or not, slip of the tongue or not...then think how he really thinks about blacks in private or more important enough...in the voting booth.
People like, Imus, Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Mexico President Vincente Fox, Isaiah Thomas are not going to change simply by forcing an apology or making them pay some fee. It's pointless. It's not effective.
They will only change only once they come to a realization on their own. Yes this brings it to their attention but it won't change anything.
My thoughts...
lisa
Not very effective AT ALL!
The utter casualness of Imus' comments struck me as brutal.
And then to explain it as a joke?!
How to change the feelings of selfworth of those children is the first step toward recovery.
I think that's a different issue than the one Imus has raised, which is that of a pervasive racist attitude that just refuses to go away no matter how many strides we take. Media seems to be hell-bent on diverting the attention away from racism and towards an issue of just disrespect towards women.
Or maybe I'm just overanalysing this. Anyway, good on you for blogging about this Anali.
This won't be the last time somebody says something or does something totally f-ed up, so I don't understand why everyone is so outraged and surprised. I hear racially insensitive comments daily in the media about gays, jews, catholics, asians, whites, muslims, women, and the list goes on.
His rant had serious racial overtones, but it bothers me that anyone of any race or gender uses any language that demeans or devalues anyone.
Money is eveything in this country, so don't support any sponsors that advertise on his show. Sounds too simplistic, but with no sponsors, he's gone.
(MSNBC has dumped him this AM!!)
Jessie said it best, "maybe he is a bad man who does good things" insted of Imus's proclaimation that "I am a good man, who did a bad thing".
It amazes me that Al Sharpton has immediately run to his defense, I think that all of this makes it evident that people are missing the real issue. Just because he has apologized, and/has been fired, doesn't mean that this "goes away." MONEY TALKS, and that's the ONLY reason why he was fired, not because of what he said! And a caller on the radio this morning was so correct in that, "All they'll do is get another Don Imus who will be a little bit slicker about how he choses to word things."
Jessie and Al are quick to comment on this, but let's think about them, what are they really doing? Another caller this morning said they are still treating issues and leading people as if it were still 1965. This is a new day and age...it is 2007...and although many of the problems still exist (perhaps to a lesser degree), there are different and/more issues, which would logically imply different/better leadership.
This will NEVER go away. And I am not sure that I appreciate the "shift" in where the finger is pointed...which rap music is ALWAYS a target. The bottom line is, HE KNEW BETTER. I don't care if Snoop says it, or 50-Cent or whomever (no that doesn't make it right), he had no business saying it.
Should he have lost his job? We tend to have many hypocrites living in this country. Producers begged and offered millions of dollars for Dave Chappelle to come back and continue to belt out his racial slurs and remarks before the viewers in this country, but they fired Imus???
Anali, I enjoyed your post. Peter
hear hear to this post! good for you for blogging about this. the whole imus episode has been making me ill (though happy to see that he is off the air for awhile... not that it helped rush limbaugh much!)
feminist law professors blog had an interesting post about this. namely that the media reporting has been problematic... when they are reporting about someone like michael richards or mel gibson they don't repeat the slur (n-word or k-word or whatnot) but when it is a slur against women (h-word) they will say it, and this just emphasizes a climate of hatred for women. what do you think about this? i have to say that i think it is a good point. there are all these slurs against women that don't get "bleeped".
Media seems to be hell-bent on diverting the attention away from racism and towards an issue of just disrespect towards women.
"JUST" disrespect towards women? yikes.
"I hear you...music was SO GOOD in the days of Audio Two, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Salt-n-Pepa, EPMD, MC Lyte, Boogie Down Productions, and Run DMC etc. Sadly though, we will NEVER have those days back! The most I can get into anymore is the BEAT! You know what, I take that back...you've gotta have love for Outkast, Digable Planets, The Roots, Common, Mos Def, and a little Goodie Mob!"
You're bringing back some great memories with this music! I was certainly down with BDP! : )
And there are positive rap artists out there now too, but I don't know how profitable they are, which is what it comes back to - money. I really wish that some of the more positive rap artists and comedians would start speaking out too, but unless the people who are buying most of this negative rap start boycotting it, or get sick of it, not much will change.
And my understanding is that a large number, if not the majority of this group is young white men in the suburbs. When they hear these rappers talking about "hos" who do they visualize? Their girlfriends, future wives, mothers, sisters, aunts? I don't think so. Now this is a big generalization, because there are many progressive white men.
But what about the ones who are not? These young men become part of the power structure. When they see someone like me who wants to buy a car, get a job or mortgage from them, do they see me the individual? Or do they see an amalgam of all these "hos?" This is just what Don Imus did. It's more than just tv or radio. It's about how people like me are treated in their day to day lives by people who are ingesting his poison.
A few times in the summer, I was getting gas at a self-serve gas station and had on a regular summer outfit. Nothing crazy, but I was showing some leg. Then these young white guys drive in with their radios blasting music saying everything we've talked about. They were singing along using the N word and were very comfortable with it. I felt very uncomfortable.
I've felt just as uncomfortable when it has happened with young black guys too, but there is usually some difference in the knowledge of history of blacks in this country. And on the train I've seen young asian and hispanic guys doing the same thing. So many young men feel very comfortable singing along to this music in public. It makes me cringe.
Rap has crossed all racial borders and it is exported to other countries, but if the listener does not have positive images of black women in their life, this is their example. Okay this comment is too long. That's it.
parisbreakfasts - You're welcome. And "brutal" is the perfect word for what he did. When I heard about this it was like I was punched in the stomach.
suttonhoo - I am so glad! It all came down to money.
"MSNBC's action came after a growing list of sponsors -- including American Express Co., Sprint Nextel Corp., Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and General Motors Corp. -- said they were pulling ads from Imus' show for the indefinite future."
vasilisa - It is pretty unbelievable what people think they can get away with. But I don't think that we will or should move beyond color, gender or nationality. We are all different, but that is a good thing!
It would be boring if we were all the same. I wish we could get to the point where we celebrate and appreciate our differences and learn from each other. The idea of a "color-blind society" is not a good thing to me. And to merely "tolerate" people who are different is just as bad. The whole "tolerance" thing is very overrated.
Someone white once told me they didn't consider me black. They didn't see color. I think they thought it was a compliment, but it wasn't. I consider myself black and if someone doesn't see me that way, then they are ignoring part of what makes me who I am.
david sullivan - Welcome! You got it right with the money. That's what it came down to. And it's crazy all the things that people say on the air that they think is okay. I guess the good thing is that it gets people talking and communication is the only way that people will learn to understand each other better.
peter n - I'm glad that he's gone from MSNBC. Now I hope that CBS gets their act together. And I agree that it was going to be a 2 week "vacation." But I have to say that I can't stand Howard Stern.
amisha - Very interesting point that you're making. I was listening to "On Point" on NPR where they were talking about this. I feel like I am constantly hearing the "h-word" now. And on the show they played part of a song that was just horrible, to give an example. And I'll have to check out the post that you mentioned. There is a serious disrespect for women in this country. Maybe if we talk about it, we can do something about it.
lotus reads - Thank you! Now CBS needs to get their act together!
nance - Hmmm interesting. Mosilager?
Sort of like the statement "I love mint and chocolate, not just chocolate." I am in no way implying any quality difference between the two.
And I also would like the world to judge less by shades cause I want my kids to grow up without having to apologize for who they are. Luckily right now we live in a place where it's possible (Canada!). But I get apprehensive any time there are all those anti this/that feelings in the air. I guess living in a very multicultural area, I often forget how bigoted some people still are...
You have beautifully written this post! I am so glad this guy has been fired.
I cannot believe that he would be so demeaning towards such accomplished young ladies! The captain of the team was so composed and such a cultured young woman whose parents did a great job with her.
The comment was racist, but we can agree to disagree. And yes some of the women on the team are not black, so it’s interesting that you are not talking about the sexism. Clearly Imus disrespects all women, otherwise why else would the h-word come into play? And him adding the part that especially applies to black women? I guess he was feeling pretty happy with himself and just threw that in for some extra glee. Yeah, you’re right. Imus is a highly evolved man sensitive to both women and people of color. His actions over the years have shown that. Yeah…
And I never said that there aren’t black people who treat white people badly. What you say is happening in your neighborhood is horrible. There are obviously some pretty messed up black people too.
And the slavery issue, I’m not going into that now, but there will be an upcoming post. I’m sure you will enjoy and agree with it just as much as you enjoyed and agreed with this one. Take care and don’t get too tangled up in your hood, I mean hoodie.
- capcity (too lazy to log in:-)
Freedom of Speech is at risk so it seems ... Im fine with that but let everyone be accountable for the garbage on the airwaves.. and please ladies stop dancing to 50 cent when he refers to you in a negative manner don't buy his cd's or purchase tickets to his concerts... I know the beat is infectious but the lyrics are cancerous ...
Freedom of Speech is not at risk. I specifically put the text of the First Amendment on my blog header. Freedom of Speech refers to the government's supression of its citizens. Imus was not arrested by the police for his statements and nobody is at risk of that based on this incident. Market forces determined his fate. It was all about the money, not freedom of speech. And I agree with you again about dancing to negative lyrics and buying this music. It has to stop.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CORTNEY GEE