Al Roker (NBC Today Show): It is time for him (Imus) to go

[DinahMoeHum]

Link:
http://roker.com/journal.cfm

(snip)
He (Don Imus) is a radio icon. That said, it is time for him to go.

I, for one, am really tired of the diatribes, the "humor" at others expense, the cruelty that passes for "funny". Don Imus isn't the only one doing this, but today he's the one in the hot seat.

What he said was vile and disgusting. It denigrated an entire team and by extension, a community and its pride in a group that had excelled.
(snip)
The "I'm a good person who said a bad thing" apology doesn't cut it. At least he didn't try to weasel out of this by hiding behind alcohol or drug abuse. Still, he said it and a two week suspension doesn't cut it. It is, at best a slap on the wrist. A vacation. Nothing.

The general manager of Cartoon Network resigned after a publicity stunt went wrong and caused a panic in Boston. He did the right thing. Don Imus should do the right thing and resign. Not talk about taking a two week suspension with dignity. I don't think Don Imus gets it.
(snip)

:grr:

[MistressOverdone]

1. Wow. Mild-manned Al

Way to go!

[ellacott]

2. Good for Al n/t

[gatorboy]

3. Sheesh, don't bring up Boston.

The gneral manger resigning from CN was NOT the right thing to do.

[asjr]

4. I wonder when the networks are going to

devote 24/7 to the disparaging words uttered by our VP and his cronies about Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria. Is the Bush administration immune to this? This Imus business says more about the media than anything else. The Royal Administration gets by with everything.

[melody]

5. You've got it

If this had been a non-NBC property, the MSM wouldn't be uttering a peep.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. I'm with Al on this one.

I'm tired of passing off cruelty with the "it was A JOKE!" excuse.

When I taught as a substitute for a seventh grade class, an enboldened young girl made it a point to erase one letter on my last name which I had printed on the chalkboard for the sake of "getting laughs" from her compatriots. (The "new" word was an obscenity.) Unfortunately it also had the effect of derision and making me lose (the appearance at least) respect. I took her aside and held her accountable. She told me it was "a joke". I asked her if we had known each other prior to this instance and how she knew I would think that would be "funny". No answer.

That's the point. You don't get a free pass at hurting other people by claiming you didn't mean it, it was supposed to be funny but your target didn't get the joke, etc. I have more respect for outright cruelty with "Yeah, I did it and I'd do it again!" rather than the lame "Sorry . . . "

[kestrel91316]

7. Well said, Al.

[goclark]

8. Go Al!!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

9. I'll bet you Gwen Ifill, the "cleaning lady" per Imus and friends,

talks often with Roker's wife, who is a reporter also. Roker probably heard how hurt Ms. Ifill was after hearing that said about her and Roker knows that they probably would have said the same thing about his wife.

[BronxBoy]

10. Interesting

Olbermann was just hinting at this on the Dan Patrick show. NBC isn't the monolithic bastion of support for this guys like soke of us assumed.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. I'm not surprised at all....

A while back, I heard a soundbite of Imus going on about Keith, and that he much preferred listening to Keith's stand-in (Brian ??), because he was much more pleasant to look at, and he didn't sound as angry & as preachy as Keith. Wish I could find that clip.