Media Curmudgeon

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April 09, 2007

Fire Imus

It’s time for NBC Universal, which runs MSNBC, to drop Don Imus and for CBS Radio, which owns WFAN-AM and syndicates “Imus in the Morning”, to fire him. They have a perfect excuse to do something that should have been done several years ago—Imus’s calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" after they lost in the NCAA finals on his morning radio program on Wednesday, April 4.

Here’s what Imus and his racist sidekick, Bernard McGuirk said: Imus described the Rutgers women as "rough girls" with "tattoos" and added, "That's some nappy-headed hos there". McGuirk described them as "hard-core hos" and compared the game to "The Jigaboos vs. The Wannabees," apparently referring to "School Daze," a Spike Lee movie that addressed racial divisions between women's basketball teams. You can watch it on Media Matters for America, if you have the stomach. Media Matters for America first called attention to the slur, so good for them. Imus apologized on Friday, April 7, but he’s a contrite as an alcoholic is after a bad night—he’ll do it again because he always does.

Enough is enough. Fire Imus and his whole racist crew. Imus was 31 when he came to WNBC-AM in New York in 1971. He was a sarcastic, funny, outrageous shock jock who did his rebellious bits between records. He was the age of his target 18-34 target audience. Today, he’s 66 (going on 67 in July) and he’s still trying to appeal to a younger audience. In the 1970s his bits about Billy Sol Hargis, a fictional character were relevant, biting, and funny. But as he’s aged, his humor has aged even more and, worse has become harsher, meaner, and nastier—culminating in his racist “nappy-headed hos” remark.

When a comic loses his humor, when he can’t think of anything funny any more, he resorts to insults and gets dirtier—no imagination, just hate-filled and dirty remarks. It’s easier because you don’t have to think anymore, just insult someone or be dirty. The same thing has happened to Howard Stern over the years. Imus and Stern worked together at WNBC-AM from 1982 to 1985 and developed a deep personal and professional hatred for each other. In this case they were both right. But in spite of or because of the palpable hatred between the two, they are alike as two peas in a pod (although Imus is 14 years older)—two self-loathing, self-absorbed, celebrity craving gutter dwellers—they could well be brothers from the same dysfunctional, abusive family.

But the fact that Imus and Stern are still on the air says more about the media than about the two sickies. Technically, Stern isn’t on the “air”—terrestrial radio—he’s on satellite radio which is not regulated by the FCC, which is why he can be technically dirtier. The broadcast media are licensed by the FCC, which won’t allow profanity. So, Imus can’t say “fuck” or he’d get fined by the FCC, because the f-word is one of the seven dirty words, according to the FCC and George Carlin, that are defined as profane. But, because what Imus said is not technically “profane,” the FCC won’t fine him, even though by today’s standards, the f-word is much more acceptable and less offensive in common usage than such a racist remark as “nappy-headed hos” is.

The media that keep these paeans of poor taste and offensiveness on the air should be castigated for giving Imus and Stern distribution. NBC and CBS do not care about good taste, elevating content, or being a public trust; they care only about ratings. As both terrestrial and satellite radio are showing listening declines because of the competition from iPods, Internet radio, and other forms of diversion; as cable channels are experiencing viewing erosion because of a proliferation of cable channels; and as pressure for ever greater profits continue to escalate, these media are more desperate than ever for listeners and viewers. They’ll put on anything that gets attention.

But we must hold the media to a higher standard, we must demand more. We must hold the media accountable for demeaning the tastes, aspirations, and ethics of younger Americans (certainly younger than Imus). Listeners and viewers of America unite! You have nothing to lose but your racist smut! Let NBC and CBS know how you/we feel.

(Full disclosure: In 1977, I was general manager of WNBC-AM and fired Imus because he didn’t come to work often enough, and when he did he was often one or two hours late. When I fired him he was not abusive, but was cordial—unlike his on-the-air persona, which leads me to believe it’s an act. It’s a very bad act; he might do better as himself.)

Posted by Charles Warner at April 9, 2007 12:01 AM

Comments

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