Imus: 'I've apologized enough'

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid the outcry over his on-air racial slur last week, shock jock Don Imus said Thursday that he had "apologized enough" and that he will not go on "some talk show tour."

"I'm not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else," Imus said on his radio show, which originates from WFAN-AM in New York and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp.

"The only other people I want to talk to are these young women at the team, and then that's it," Imus said.

He was referring to the members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, whom he described as "nappy-headed hos" the day after the team lost the NCAA championship to the University of Tennessee.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/12/imus.rutgers/index.html

---

Personally, I think he's finished. Not because CBS will necessarily respond to political pressure and pull the show, but because most of his stable of guests (David Gregory, Sen Biden, Frank Rich, etc.) will be reluctant to show up again for fear of "becoming part of the story" and having to spend time defending their own actions and support for the show. (yes, I know Rudy and McCain both said they would keep participating, but that was before MSNBC dumped him; let's see if they think the new, smaller audience is worth the political flak). If it ends up simply being Imus talking, how many people are going to pay attention?

[ronnykmarshall]

1. and I've heard enough.

He's an asshole. MSNBC dumped him.

Let's go kick some republican ass!

[Donnachaidh]

5. exactly!

Enough already.

[emilyg]

14. Yes

let's kick a**

[grytpype]

22. what you said

[marshall]

66. His bogus children's ranch "charity"

He doesn't need to work--he's got millions skimmed off of his bogus ranch. Does anybody doubt that Imus will shut it down now that he no longer needs it as a tax shelter or to launder money?

[Tom Joad]

2. I really don't like what Imus did, but going on barbara walters should be a punishment

forbidden by the geneva convention.

[Benhurst]

10. ...

:rofl:

[Heidi]

3. Newsflash for Imus: "_YOU_ don't get to decide when it's enough."

The people you've hurt get to decide that, and by people, I mean accomplished young women who you depicted to the nation as "nappy-headed ho's."

(If ever you should call _this_ accomplished woman a whore, Mr. Imus, it will be _I_, not YOU, who decides when you've apologized enough, and so goes it for everyone else you demean. You don't set the rules, sir, however convenient that might be for you and your so-called career.)

[ellacott]

7. Very well put !!! n/t

[moez]

11. ....

:eyes:

[atreides1]

12. Does this rule apply to all

"_YOU_ don't get to decide when it's enough."


Or is it just for Imus alone? Not trying to start a war, just would like some clarification on which rules apply to which persons?

Thank you

[gratuitous]

20. The short version, according to me

When someone does something wrong, they should apologize and try to make amends.

When the wrong-doer is not a powerful person (that is, doesn't have a lot of money, doesn't have a national platform on the public airwaves, isn't a member of the dominant caste of society -- even in an allegedly classless society), the shorter and smaller the apology and amends, the better and more appropriate.

When the wrong-doer is a powerful person who has gotten away with wrong-doing for a considerable period of time, indeed has grown wealthier and more powerful through his or her wrong-doing, and chooses as his victims persons who are uniquely vulnerable to oppression, then the apology and the amends that can be demanded by the wrong-doer's victims can be nearly limitless.

[Kagemusha]

18. I wonder what those people will decide after Imus meets with them.

And I really did not like hearing about the calls for them to be heroes by forgiving Imus before he'd even apologized to them.

[cliss]

30. Luv

Your post!
no further comment needed.

[napsi]

50. Who decides?

You? Me? The Media? CBS? MSNBC? Take a look at the aftermath of this pile on and see who really gets hurt. It's not Rutgers women or any race, it's the people who Imus worked with behind the scenes. Cancer research, Camps for kid whose parents couldn't afford health ins for cancer treatment. Yep, we did a great thing by ousting someone who donated more funds and spent more time helping people than most of us will do in a lifetime. And why? Because he made a stupid comment? I'm so sick of this sensitivity BS.

[Bo]

60. Imus gave back to the Society he borrowed from

Millions of Dollars to charity...I mean was this really worth it, his firing?

[Mad_Dem_X]

54. Bingo! n/t

[dansolo]

63. He does have a point

I am getting a little annoyed with other talk show hosts who are clamoring to participate in the Imus public flogging. Personally, I believe that a public apology, which he has given, and a personal apology to the women who his comments were directed at, which was accepted. All of these shows that want him on don't care about the apology, they are only seeking ratings because the story is big news now.

And before you accuse me of defending Imus, I can't stand him, and I felt that he should have been suspended and/or fined, but not necessarily fired unless he specifically violated provisions of his contract.

[sundancekid]

4. and, just like all the other times ... never made any amends ... who's sorry now?

NOT those of us who have thrown coffee at you via the tv screen as you comfy-cozy-smugly hurled epiteths that were both egregious and gratuitous ... go tell the ho stories to your cattle

[marylanddem]

8. Also very well put. Thanks.

[vi5]

6. Just a side observation, has anyone noticed his hat?

Everytime I've had the displeasure to see any clips from his show or otherwise he's wearing that stupid cowboy hat on top of his wigged head.

During his whole supposedly contrite period of the past week he had no hat on every time I saw clips of him. Why? Who knows. To not seem like a racist cowboy type or something? I honestly don't know.

But now that he's past his apology phase and into his defiant phase, the hat seems to be back on in clips I've seen.

I find that amusing.

[pennylane100]

19. Wow, does he wear a wig?

It's not a very good one.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. I don't think that make wigs that bad

[Ninja Jordan]

35. No, he doesn't wear a wig.

[Radio_Lady]

46. Imus gives a new meaning to "all hat and no....BRAINS!"

Buh-bye, IGNOR-IMUS!

Tomorrow at 5 AM, I'll be watching... ANYBODY else!

[damntexdem]

9. That's right -- the fake apologies didn't work.

Time to try something new. ;-)

[LiberalFighter]

13. Then stop - I'm not interested in your story anymore anyway

[ramapo]

15. Ho hum

Imus has always been a jerk. He proved it. He has been offensive for decades and guess what? He has one of the highest rated shows!!! So he went over the edge, pushed the envelope too far. Now he is either a deep-down racist who has restrained himself for years but fell off the edge, an obnoxious "entertainer" catering to people who think demeaning people is funny (as long as it isn't the Rutger's women's basketball team), or just a guy with a schtick who makes a living saying stupid, obnoxious things.

Frankly this is a lot of silly nonsense and just another story to deflect attention from the real problems of the day.

[humbled_opinion]

29. This is all about Hillary

Watch she will run to defend the Women of Rutgers... Its a political play to the sexists and racists amongst us.

[MODemocrat]

32. How did this wind up being all about Hillary?

She's never been sexist or racist; if she runs to defend the Women of Rutgers, it will be because she
really does defend their position. It could just as well have been all about Obama; after all he has
condemned Imus for his nasty remarks, as he well should have. :shrug: :dilemma: You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. :shrug:

[leQ]

16. if it was anybody else on the hot seat, he'd be skewering them live for weeks.

over it myass. like someone said earlier, YOU do not get to decide when it's over.

[winston61]

17. Imus-

Just another sad old asshat that can't shut up. If we dig a hole to bury him in, can we push Jackson and Sharpton in with him? I am so tired of their weak, weak bullshit.

[mikelgb]

21. Yes. You Have.

NOW GET THE FUCK OUT!

[stray cat]

23. Sounds like a good idea - why should he provide entertainment

to self-righteous anchors. He is meeting with the people he offended. He lost his job. To hell with the media circus.

[Raine]

65. Yes really

how many times is anyone supposed to keep apologizing when your apology is rejected and no forgiveness given. Imus has now apologized to the people he offended and they accepted it, anything more only enables those who are media whores.

[chang0]

25. Yea... now tell them all to F*** O** like Snoop Dog did

[Grandrose]

26. Whatever!!!

:nopity:

[olddad56]

27. Time for him to change his name from Imus to Iwas. He is so over.

[notundecided]

28. Imus fired by CBS . Just announced by WFAN

[ShortnFiery]

31. Wow, then you prove Reverend Al CORRECT by spending your life as a bitter man.

Gee, why am I not surprised at Imus's lack of humbleness? :eyes:

To those regular guests (all men): It seems that you choose to only view "one side" of Imus's on air personality. Yes? That is unfortunate and this situation should be a "learning point" to look at the whole person before appearing on his/her show.

[Ninja Jordan]

36. "Reverend Al" is a piece of shit (nm)

How about that for free speech.

[ShortnFiery]

39. Just lovely ... I'm sure he's been called worse.

How very productive. :eyes:

[nedbal]

42. Rev Al is a media whore, is that worse

but let's not attack the attackers.

I'm with the group that believes the suspension was just and adequate, the firing is a over kill, feeding frenzy

[ShortnFiery]

48. Nice way of avoiding the true racist and sexist original remarks -

attack someone else. It's a tired old tactic and it didn't work out for you this time. :shrug:

[Ninja Jordan]

49. I'll respect "Reverend Al" as soon as he apologizes to the white Duke lacross players

whom he tried to convict in the court of public opinion by playing the race card last year. He is a piece of shit who uses race to further his own career, regardless of who he brings down.

[winston61]

55. man that is some weak bullshit

Being called a bigot by sharpton and jackson is like being called cheap by scrooge. Those two asshats got no room to call anyone anything.

[Mugsy]

33. I'm sorry, but this Imus controversy is ridiculous.

As long as there is Right Wing radio, this one stupid comment by a stone-age shock-jock shouldn't even budge the needle of "Earth shattering announcements".

When the lead critic against something you said is Al Sharpton, you *know* the case against you has become "political theater".

[ShortnFiery]

34. Let me guess? You are not a woman who has participated in college athletics?

Too funny how many WHITE MEN or MEN, in general, can so easily dismiss this issue.

For once in quite a few months, I was so very proud of Donna Brazille on CNN. My goodness, she was awesome today when she spoke up for WOMEN and PEOPLE OF COLOR. Together, young women athletes. :patriot:

[Mugsy]

40. Why "now"?

Comments far worse than Imus' have been spewed in recent days, yet the MSM has been reporting on it like the Pope himself said it.

Were his comments rude, racist and offensive? Of course. But the "controversy" we're seeing now seems a bit too contrived IMHO.

Where was the 24-7 coverage of Couter's "faggot" remarks about Edwards, Gore and Bill Clinton? No one fired Limbaugh over his own racist comments. But Imus says something and the world is coming to an end.

[ShortnFiery]

47. Again, what part of *specific individuals* and *innocents* can you not fully process? n/t

[Efilroft Sul]

56. Actually, Limbaugh did lose his job as a football commentator.

I agree with you that the story is overblown, though.

[Thor_MN]

37. I disagree and agree. It's come to it's appropriate conclusion. Now, Who next?

There's a whole herd of hate spewing talk radio hosts out there, it's way past time to push them to to the edge of the herd. The only question is how to select the order, by descending age or by descending assholeness.

[ShortnFiery]

38. Thor, a line of demarcation should be what Imus did = ID *specific* people

who do not have the means to return the insult in kind.

Why is this concept (attacking those helpless to respond: non-celebrities) so difficult for so many to process and understand?

[Honeycombe8]

68. Time to kill the Borat movie? The Bill Maher show?

There's no telling who's next, once these things start to roll. The power is limitless.

But offhand, I can think of nothing as offensive as the Borat movie right now. (I thought it was funny....but it was very offensive.)

[last_texas_dem]

44. I see your point

If Imus's comments were offensive enough to lead to his firing, shouldn't all the right-wing hate radio "personalities" be kicked off the air as well? I'm not saying he didn't step in it and pretty much guarantee his firing; I mean, once you've scared off the corporate sponsors and you're on a network that relies on them you've pretty much earned your death sentence. I just think there are plenty of blowhards getting airtime (radio and TV) saying much more offensive things than Imus every day, who are still spewing their bullshit all the time w/o too many people displaying outrage.

[classysassy]

64. Its the message,not the messenger

Truth is truth,even when someone you dislike speaks the truth.

[brentspeak]

41. Can we merge all the Imus threads into one?

This is ridiculous. All Imus, all the time.

[Warren Stupidity]

43. I agree, he's done, as in toast. nt.

[laureloak]

45. He has. And it's over for him.

Now let's take advantage of the publicity and turn the focus on getting rid of the other big-mouths beginning with Rush and Coulter.

Aren't there some common sponsors that we can pressure on this?

[knight_of_the_star]

51. I know I will get flamed for this but

The guy's career and reputation is permanently in the toilet, further public flogging will distract the attention of the public away from REAL issues like Gonzogate or the bombing of the Iraqi parliament building or other IMPORTANT things that are happening in the US to something that is, in the grand scheme of things, miniscule. Granted, what he said was uncalled for, the means in which he did so was dishonorable as the victims had no effective means of response, but continued flogging of him in public is NOT going to fix the problem and at least he's trying to have some semblance of class now by wanting to just let it die and deal with the team he insulted on a personal level instead of on the national stage that is the media. Dragging this out doesn't help anyone and in the long run isn't going to solve ANYTHING.

And to those people calling for censorship and all that and a crusade against Rush and Coulter and all those fuckwads: As much as their hate speech is divisive and key to the current political climate in this country and is just plain disgusting, low, and wrong, to call for the repealing of the freedom of speech of ANYONE because you don't like what is coming out of their mouth is quite frankly no different from spitting on the Bill of Rights. Here's a suggestion for how to deal with those people: ignore them. Better yet, try to get more people to ignore them. They only get attention because we give it to them, we can simply ignore their bullshit instead of trying to have it banned.

[HuffleClaw]

52. he has

CLINTON didn't apologize as much as this guy has.

[Lefty Luke]

53. I'm curious...

Has Al Sharpton ever apologized to the families of the employees who died in Freddy's Fashion Mart?

...or Yankel Rosenbaum, stabbed to death in the Sharpton inspired Crown Heights riot?

...or Steve Pagones, after the Tawana Brawley hoax?

[jodini]

57. Agree

Imus has repeatedly apologized, his 30 year career is over (in the middle of a charity raising event and before the players even got a chance to listen to him, no less!), can we move on now? Or do we need him to self-flagellate on national tv? Shall we have him drawn and quartered in a public square?

I have been a long time lurker and consider myself to be about as liberal as you can get...However, I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by the anger on the left as much as on the right. This has a "villagers with their torches" feel to me. I'm worried about freedom of speech, not only OUR side saying what we want to hear but also their side saying what we don't want to hear. As I said in another thread, Coulter, Beck, Limbaugh, et al, serve as good examples to the American public. Do they want to be associated with that level of anger and bigotry, or not? If not, come to our side where it is nice and cozy and we respect others who may disagree with us, as long as their opinions are not supportive of racism and intolerance. Right??? The best way to make friends and influence people is not to raise the level of anger and hate, but to educate, model and listen. Isn't that what we say about Iraq? We can't force people's beliefs to change, but we can show them the benefits of tolerance, empathy and equality.

[plasticsundance]

59. This is about feel good revenge.

Ironic, in light of the fact that Jesse Jackson doesn't feel he needs to apologize to the Duke players. Ironic, in that Jackson doesn't feel a need to apologize for calling New York City, "Hymietown." And what about that purveyor of social justice, Al Sharpton:

""If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house."

I guess the above is just considered thrash talking.

I consider myself a leftist, not a liberal. It's amazing that liberals can't see that Imus spoke out about the Bush Administration, and that's why a hit-and-run was done on him. Now we're left with the likes of Coulter, Limpballs, Boortz, Beck, Hannnity, and the likes ... and nothing will happen to them, because they still speak the testament according to the neocons.

How can liberals and Democrats in general be so naive as to the real motives surrounding the Imus issue. Sharpton threw you a bone, but the powers-that-be that make the decisions still maintain the racial and social divide.

The victory is not only small, but insignificant and unwarranted.

[noiretextatique]

67. "feel good" revenge: death threats

i am uncomfortable with punishing people for speech, even if it is vile speech.

however, what i find most disturbing about this story is that the rutger's atheletes have received some death threats.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/15/2007-04-15_death_threats_shake_rutgers.html

and so has al sharpton
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/15/2007-04-15_death_threats_shake_rutgers.html


i can't find any news about death threats against imus, just the people he slurred and one of the people who called him on his shit.

so much for "feel good" revenge.

[doublejeopardy]

58. Enough already...

Enough already! Imus made a dumb mistake...suspend his butt for two weeks...and life goes on. Chris Rock does this crap and no one cares. Al Sharpton is a hypocrite. This is not a right-wing or left-wing situation. Everyone one of use has put our foot in our mouths before. If we were to get fired or lose a relationship for every time we said something we regret then we all would be unemployed or spouseless!

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lefty Luke]

62. Upon further review...

I apologize. My original post has not been deleted. (at least, not yet!)