Jun 24, 2008

Man...I don't know

Note: Teleporting new awfulness over at MovieGrenade for you to ignore.

Don Imus, a man that should never be relevant in discussion regarding either talk radio or race relations, is once again in the news. Yesterday he spoke about the decision of Adam "Pacman" Jones to stop using the Pacman nickname. In talking about who Jones is, he had this to say in a conversation with Warner Wolf:

Wolf: "Defensive back Adam 'Pacman' Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys. Here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting in a Vegas night club."

Imus: "Well, stuff happens. You're in a nightclub, for God's sake. What do you think's gonna happen in a nightclub? People are drinking and doing drugs, there are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead."

Wolf: "He's also been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005."

Imus: "What color is he?"

Wolf: "He's African-American."

Imus: "Well, there you go. Now we know."


Source: NBC News

Now, I have to say that I immediately thought that Imus was up to his old ways again here when I heard that. A return to his "nappy-headed ho" form. Maybe he was. But today he had a rebuttal. Today he said that he was defending Pacman. He said that he was simply making a sarcastic comment about the state of race relations in this country. He said that he, Pacman, was being picked on BECAUSE he was a black man. Not that he was a bad guy BECAUSE he was black.

Sounds like someone is is doing a lot of back-pedaling there. He continued to say that what people should be outraged about is that black people get arrested in this country for no real reason. Really? Is that what you were saying, Don?

I dunno. I've listened to that first clip a few times now and I just don't buy it. His explanation today sounds rational, but it also sounds like rationalization. He insists that he was just trying to make a sarcastic comment about the state of race relations in this country.

I'm sorry, but a man with the history that Don Imus has in this arena shouldn't be making comments that could possibly be misinterpreted by the masses. If he meant to say that he is is outraged at the racial profiling that goes on in this country, he should have said just that. But instead he asks what color the guy is and then gives us a knowing "Well, there you go". To claim that those who thought he was being racist in the first clip are being ridiculous is equally as ridiculous. It's not like you don't have a past, dude!

Anyway, I'm not in favor of anyone getting fired for something they say. Who cares what this fossil of a man says anyway? I just can't believe that he still has an audience. He should lose his job through attrition. When the American public decides that he truly is irrelevant and they stop listening to him. That would be just fine with me.

11 comments:

Slyde said...

Opie and Anthony today played his rebuttal, and it honestly sounded pathetic..

he went off on a rant for 2 minutes, sounding all indignant about the plight of the black man.

It sounded pathetic... like he was basically saying "please! i like you guys! please dont fire me again!"

i havent been a fan of his since he was "cool".. i was about 9.

Bruce Johnson said...

This whole Don Imus thing has to be on the east coast. Out here in the west, no one evern knows or cares who this guy is.

We lynch illegal immagrants out here and have road-rage shootings on a daily basis. As far as we are concerned, Imus is a whimp.

Verdant Earl said...

Slyde - I betcha those guys were all over his ass. At least they cop to what they are and what they say.

Lotus - ah I see the spirit of the American West is alive and doing well. Wait...Imus does wear a cowboy hat sometimes. Does that count?

white rabbit said...

Sounds a complete arse...

He'd be sacked on the spot here.

RW said...

It has always been my impression that a person is arrested because the police are charging him with something or detaining him for some reason. I hadn't realized that people were arrested just for negritude.

Verdant Earl said...

WR - I dunno, he's a foolish old man but firing him seems a bit much.

RW - That's another part of his apology that makes no sense. Now, Jones had been detained by the police several other times just because he was in the vicinity of bad things happening, but when you are a career criminal (6 arrests warrants that) then you have to expect that sort of thing. And not just because of the color of your skin.

jiggs said...

don imus is a dickhole.

jiggs said...

more like don anus!

jiggs said...

course an anus is an asshole and not a dickhole, but no biggie...

limpy99 said...

Don Imus is the Voice Of His Generation.

Fortunately, most of them are dead.

Verdant Earl said...

Jiggs - I've never heard Don Anus before...nicely done.

Limpy - Amen, brother!