thoughtnot

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about Radio ”shock jock” Don Imus and the fact that he apparently thinks the Rutgers women’s basketball team is comprised of ”nappy headed ho’s”.

And whether you think that is “funny” or not is subjective. If Ice Cube had said it, would we think it was funny? Imus’ sponsors didn’t think it was funny, and they jumped ship. Then MSNBC decided they wanted to distance themselves from the fire, and they bailed. Of course, that began the million man march of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, et al, and now CBS has fired Don Imus from his radio show.

Wow. It’s amazing what one off the cuff comment will do to your reputation! To be fair, I’m not defending Imus. In fact, I’ve never once even listened to him. I do know that he and the Rutgers team have made up. I do know that he is well known for making disparaging comments that walk the racial and gender driven fine lines. That I do not excuse. But I also think it’s important to note that the man has held his job for over 30 years, and has raised tens of millions of dollars for charity from his annual radiothon. In fact, he opened his own charitable ranch for children suffering from cancer or serious blood disorders, and children who’ve lost brothers and sisters to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The real question here is, has our society grown too sensitive? Has it gotten to the point that no-one can say anything without offending someone else? Some folks seem to think that it’s a condition that applies more specifically white males – even Charles Barkley commented as such on ESPN. To some degree, I have to agree. But I don’t know if it’s even that limited in scope. You decide.

As for Imus, I’m sure he’ll land on his feet on satellite radio, somewhere near Howard Stern.