Oh why does anyone even take Mr. Imus seriously anymore? It's like listening to Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern or watching Rosie O'Donnell's or Jerry Springer's "shows" on tv. You don't listen to learn something or catch up on the news; most of us watch for laughs or to shake our heads and remind ourselves there are way more stupid people in this world. When I especially listen to Rush (for the approximately 5 minutes I can bear to), I want to play Carlos Mencia's "Dee Dee Dee" song for him and give him one of Bill Engvall's "I'm stupid" signs! So I'm kind of shocked by the sudden shock on Mr. Imus' latest comments on his radio show that is simulcast on MSNBC. I'm NOT condoning it; there's no excuse for his racist, sexist, male shauvinistic comments. However, to be surprised by it is a whole different story. It's not like he hasn't earned himself a reputation for being stupid! So am I glad he got suspended? I'm not sure. I don't think him being fired is true to our free market economy, however. I think the companies like Proctor and Gamble (and the others) who have pulled their commercial support for him have it right; hit him in the pocketbook. Don't fire him because he said something stupid. Fire him because he's killing the company, is no longer an asset, and is a distraction to the rest of the employees. That's how we work here in America. We have the right to say what we want... and the responsibility to accept the consequences thereof. I can only hope that after the dust has settled, we can lean back and wonder why so many people were so shocked and laugh at the stupidity that has become a LOT of the talk shows.
Look at Rosie O'Donnell. You know why she hasn't been fired from "The View"? It's not because they agree with her; they probably don't. They are probably not even talking to her barely behind the cameras. She's still on because she's drawing the ratings as people tune in to see what comes out of her mouth this time, knowing it'll probably be something insensitive, irresponsible, rude, inconsiderate, racist, or unpatriotic. And unlike the Imus show "Imus in the Morning", the advertisers haven't taken a stand against Rosie, so she's still seen as a profit to the company as well. She's productive on all the fronts that matter. So until the advertisers pull out, and/or the people start ignoring her, she's going to stay put... like it or not.
Now about the poor Duke Lacross players who were so villified in the media the last year. To steal a line from Anna Nicole Smith's baby's daddy, "I told you so!" I could've told you this was a case of reverse racism almost from the beginning. The MOMENT it came out that her story had changed, it should've been a dead giveaway that this woman was just seeking fame and probably money at the expense of three young men just trying to get through college. And what does a poor black person do to get money fast? Throw out the race card; it is an immediate pass to pity and compassion especially within their own community. And it worked - for a little while. But soon people started to see through this woman's lies. Yet the media was slow to catch on. The local news still hasn't caught on. Now these young mens' lives are RUINED because of this one woman's childish attempt at getting her hands on some money. I'm not buying the whole 'mental disability' thing either... it's the biggest excuse in our court and social systems. If you lie and get caught, you've got "issues." If you're rich and famous and make a stupid mistake, you quick rush into "rehab" to get "treatment" for your "alcohol (and/or drug) addiction(s)" to save face. WHAT A BUNCH OF B*******! You know what would happen to ordinary Joe or Jane like me and you if we crashed our car into a pole, kept driving and got arrested later? We wouldn't see the light of day from outside prison walls for a few years at least. But if you're rich and famous, you get to go into rehab, pay some money, maybe do some community service, and just MAYBE some "home incarceration" (which sounds pretty nice to me as long as I have someone delivering food)... THAT is punishment? GIVE ME A BREAK. Ya do the crime, do the time!!
So where does this leave us as a nation?
Maybe a little shell-shocked. Hopefully a little smarter. Maybe a little slower to judge. Someday we'll get it right. Probably the day we dissolve our political parties and heed George Washington's warnings about the destructions internal divisions cause.
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