Imus was just "doing" his job - comments on human nature

[question everything]

While I don't listen to talk radio - except for the occasional Air America while driving - the reality is that talk radio exists to inflame. To find the lowest common denominator of the listeners and to address it.

Human nature is such that we constantly seek individuals and groups on whom we can look down in order to boost our self esteem. It is only with a conscience thinking - like we, liberals - that we realize the futility and unfairness of such a behavior.

Most listeners to Limbaugh and the rest are white males who realized that they are not going to be as successful or as powerful and they hoped for, and trashing women and minorities is a way to compensate for such feelings of failure.

So talk radio hosts do the rounds: Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, gays, Muslims, independent women.. and they do this day in and day out until someone says enough! (I suspect that had Imus' targets were Jews, especially the ones supporting Israel, he would be praised on DU..)

I think that even the black rappers, notorious for trashing black women, do this to promote their self esteem.

This is what Imus' listeners wanted and this is why so many sponsored advertised on his show.

In the past few days, Imus took most of the space on these pages and I hope that this is one of the last. But we need to realize that all we can do is influence our children, friends and neighbors to be considerate, to walk a mile in someone else's moccasins, but that we need to accept human nature. Similarly, the Internet has provided many channels for outrageous, anonymous posts for individuals who probably would not say the same thing in public... though sometimes I have my doubts.

The bottom line - if venting on talk show or on the Internet provides a place to channel one's hostility, instead of burning a cross on someone's loan, defacing mosques and synagogues, or joining a Nazi youth organization - then let them be.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. LOL

:rofl:

[Bobbieo]

2. Are the cowboy hat and long, blond hair props for the Imus show?

Like Carson as Karmack the magnificent or Shelton in the role of Freddy the freeloader

[question everything]

8. Or that Times sqaure cowboy

promoting underwear, I think.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. when I grow up (or if), I wanna be a ho.

but I can't see growing up.

Can't listen to talk radio either, except for CPT chicago's progressive (and underpowered) station.

[LiberalVoice]

4. When a radio host makes inflammatory comments...

..his like minded listeners feel they can too. Then they go out into the world and spread they're hate aswell. "Imus said it...so why can't I?" You're theory would work if it meant that only the radio host was the issue. But he's not.

[jhrobbins]

5. I wrote many emails to MSNBC over the past couple of years

about the puerile, frat boy atmosphere on Imus that encouraged this type of vulgarity - all to no avail. Now it looks like something may happen, but I hope that they punish the others as well, especially that McGuirk fellow.

[Karenina]

6. Lookyhyiah, I do believe you mean well

and agree with most of your post. When you go here:

"(I suspect that had Imus' targets were Jews, especially the ones supporting Israel, he would be praised on DU..)" I take umbrage.

Had that wizened dipshit referred to a predominately 18 year-old Jewish team as "hook-nosed hookers" there would be NO QUESTION and I'd have been outside his studio with my pitchfork as is my stance with the current situation. How DARE YOU insult this community so.

[gaspee]

9. Thank you

I was just going to say exactly that. Because quite a few people in this community, myself included, don't give blind support to Israeli politics and refuse to condemn all Palastinians as subhuman, murderous, and deserving of being crushed, then we are all anti-Israel. I find the argument specious and his words quite insulting.

Anti-Israeli policy does not = anti-Jewish, just as anti-Bush Policy does not make one anti-American.

[question everything]

14. Were you, then, outside his studio when he

Imus taunted one reporter as a "boner-nosed, beanie-wearing Jewboy" and referred to the publisher Simon & Schuster as "thieving Jews," returning later with a mock apology explaining that he misspoke, since the term is redundant.

From http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x274494

I read about it; as I've said, I do not listen to talk radio.

[Karenina]

19. Errraaa... HAL-LO!!! QE!!!!

:hi: Do I have your attention now??? We AGREE. The bone I'm picking with you is the implication that DUers, across-the-board DON'T care about Jews. It's FALSE and I won't let it stand.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. If you let them be the next step is they're joining the Nazi Party.

This is how it starts. It begins with ridicule, then blame, then outrage, then they're herding people into boxcars and sending them to the ovens. Thanks for labeling us all as Jew haters though.
:eyes:

[Madspirit]

10. This is just ludicrous...n/t

[BronxBoy]

11. Your post

completely overlooks a whole other side of this issue: There were people who were hurt by his remarks.

You seem to imply that the fact that he can vent these frustrations over the airwaves means no one gets hurt as they would be if he were burning a cross on someones lawn.

But if you listened to the team's interview yesterday, it would become very apparent that that's not the case.

So I'm having a problem understanding your point.

[question everything]

15. People are always hurt by talk radio remarks

remember how Rush Limpback was mocking the shaking of Parkinson-victim Michael J. Fox?

Doesn't Oralley constantly hurt someone? The boy who was found after being kidnapped four years ago, the families of the people who were burnt in New York several weeks ago?

This is why people listen to them and this is why advertisers flock to their programs.

I do not justify any of them. How can I? I just observe this as part of our existence.

He will be back to his program. He will target other groups - perhaps not the black community, for now. Even if he decides to retire, someone else with take his place. Our world hates vacuum and hating a group is a universal trait. Certainly in a diverse society like ours.

The only way we can react is to contain it. We tried to offer alternatives, like Air America but it clearly does not do well. We, liberals, do not flock to hate spouting individuals. We are inclusive. We may hate people for their actions, but not for their genes.

[blondeatlast]

12. "Separate but equal" and the Crusades were human nature, too.

Yes, it's human nature to boost one's self-esteem, but if it hurts others to do so, it's just wrong.

I'm not buying. Accept human nature? Should I "accept" Darfur?

Human nature goes to far, and dammit, when it does, I'll call the offenders down on it. That's how I teach my son.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

18. exactly

Funny how some aspects of human nature are indulged or restrained, according to how their expression advances the goals of or threatens those in power. Sexism, racism, homophobia etc, keep us nicely divided and conquered so they're viewed as sort of inevitable. As is genocide in poor countries whose inhabitants have dark skin these days. Stealing property, on the other hand, may be viewed as driven by natural instincts but I have yet to hear anyone offering that as a defense for it or a reason to "forgive" someone for stealing your car.

[KoKo]

13. So....you are saying we should tolerate Hate Speech so that crosses don't get burned on our lawns?

I would hope that neither would be necessary and would even say that Hate Speech invites violent and demeaning activities into our culture. It certainly divides us here on DU even discussing it. That doesn't seem to be a trade off that's helpful to us as a society.

[question everything]

16. I don't know

yes, hate speech is bad but you cannot ban it. You cannot ban the complex feelings that people - mostly uneducated - feel when they can no longer find a decent job and it is easy to blame it on women and minority and, of course, immigrants.

Our world is crowded, violent, scary, full of uncertainties and for too many people, blaming it all on someone, or some group, is an easy way to cope.

I am amazed at some comments - on all topics - on DU and I do not spend that much time here. When a thread deteriorates to exchanging insults, I just move on to another. And at least here we have moderators who would move very offensive posts. But on occasions someone would post a link to, say, Yahoo board and it is scary.

I would like to think that many of the comments are posted thanks to the anonymity of the Internet, but I am afraid that such uncivility (does this show my age?) is spilling out. In road rage, in polluting our air with constant chatting on cell phone in tossing trash into neighborhood yard, in loud zooming in residential street and others. Yet, you don't hear Sharpton and Jackson calling to ban all message boards.

The only thing we can do is try to contain it. Imus will be back on his radio show but will target a different group, for now.

Read also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x274494

[The2ndWheel]

17. Did you do that on purpose?

"Human nature is such that we constantly seek individuals and groups on whom we can look down in order to boost our self esteem. It is only with a conscience thinking - like we, liberals - that we realize the futility and unfairness of such a behavior."

It's subtle, I like it.

If anything, it's a lesson in the more we try and control things, the more control is needed at every step.