Thursday, April 12, 2007

Who doesn't want a colorblind America?

First, lets be clear.. semi-shock jock Imus calling the Rutger's women's BBall team "nappy headed hos" was bad..both because of its racial bigotry but also because he picked on private citizens in a public way. I don't think he should loose his job over it though...of course the chicken-shit advertisers may force that issue as they run away before Jackson or Sharpton show up at their door.
But the real problem here is not Imus. He, apparently, makes stupid and derogatory comments all the time but in an equal opportunity way...so JUST LIKE many black comedians he's not promoted bigotry or stereotypes but using that it exists in his schtick!

The real problem is people like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton......they run to the nearest camera ONLY when some apparent injustice, or even an insult, is flung in the direction of a black person(s). This rush to condemn the racial bigotry (as they define it) is immediate and without homework (Can you say Duke Lacrosse?) or without looking inward! And there it is....while I've heard Sharpton say just yesterday that he does condemn rap music that uses offensive words and messages I can find no evidence of what should be a wide spread, daily campaign against the hundreds of blacks involved in making and put out that pathetic material.

But I have posted on this many times before..the likes of Jackson and Sharpton DO NOT want you to be colorblind! Their power, their significance in the public eye, goes to zero should America become colorblind. I heard callers who called into talk radio on this topic mention how the bulk of the rap music sales are to young white men...I say so what. The material is the first problem....Whites and blacks involved in the creation, promotion and sale of this material should be targeted with even more aggression than Imus has seen...and especially by the black community. The black community is nearly silent on this....as long as people think it's ok for a black to use words like nigga, ho, bitch, pimp when referring to another person, but not for a white....well then you've got an idiotic double standard that allows the very people who claim to be victimized by this language enabling black-on-black racism and bigotry.

I just heard that Imus is out of a job...dumped by both MSNBC and CBS radio....those blacks who promote the language and culture that got Imus fired do far more damage. I also think Imus asked a good question in wondering if Al Sharpton would apologize to the Duke Lacrosse players who he castigated very publicly....not a chance...because too much of his power base wouldn't like it. Also disturbing is what appears to be an ambulance chasing move by Hillary who rushes to Rutgers to make a speech...pathetic.
Update: So, looks like Jarpton (my new term for Jackson and Sharpton) influenced the CEO of CBS Radio in Imus' firing....Gee, any bets on whether they also asked Les Moonves to also stop playing any music featuring nappy headed, ho, nigga, pimp, etc.? NO CHANCE....and has Jarpton met with the CEOs of the record labels who put out rap and hip-hop demanding the same thing? NO CHANCE
Update: I haven't seen the Rutger's team press conference but have read a few reactions to it and find it interesting these women feel so victimized. Can any of you name a single player? Could you pick them out in a crowd? Do they really think "man...maybe I am a ho?". Interesting comments from women to Paul over at Powerlineblog on this. And I bet that when these players go on Oprah that there will be a lot of focus on how damaging this was to these specific women. As if these words which were flung at their team in name, and not their personal names, is worse than any situation they have yet to encounter in the young lives...give me a break!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe everyone's on the same side on this one, Tiny: http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/time-for-jackson-sharpton-to-step-down/20070411111509990001

Anonymous said...

What would have happened if a black radio show host called the Rutgers men's basketball team " A bunch of cracker, sliver spooned, thugs"? Wait I know, don't tell me. NOTHING!!. The fact that the girls from Rutgers even acknowledged Imus is absurd. What they should have said was "What's an Imus?" Wait I know, don't tell me. NOTHING!!

Anonymous said...

In one of the articles you linked to, a girl from the basketball team accused Imus of steeling the team's dreams. How can some remarks made on a show the girls probably never listen to cause their dreams to be stolen?

Anonymous said...

Wow, we're in agreement -- well, by and large! The planets must be aligned or something.

My stance on derogatory lyrics in rap music differs from yours and I don't want a color-blind America, I want a color-conscious one, but one that celebrates and recognizes our differences and even sometimes jokes about them. But as for the main thrust regarding Sharpton and Jackson, oh ya, I'm there.

Anonymous said...

Hey, if we're lucky there might be a seachange for once. Applaud these Roberts guys... http://www.kansascity.com/132/story/75093.html