The simple answer to this question is that the "hos" referred to in rap music are general (and of tenuous, if dubious merit) and the insult hurled at the Rutgers basketball team is specific and totally without merit. To expand, the use of "ho" in rap music may even have context (see Prince's "Darling Nikki"). Imus' insult had no context whatsoever. Further, the co-mingling of offensive rap lyrics and Imus' comments is ingenuous and truly the last refuge of this scoundrel.
I submit that Imus may have been safe if he had stopped at "tatted up" and "nappy-headed." Calling this accomplished women "hos" is where he crossed the line. I am curious if any of you can refer me to a rap lyric to me that similarly and specifically trashes black women of character and accomplishment. I ask because while I enjoy rap music, I never listen to the lyrics, I only listen to the beats (I don't listen to the lyrics of any music - imagine my surprise as I was watching "Walk the Line" when Joachim Phoenix articulated that famous Johnny Cash line from "Folsom Prison Blues": "I shot a man...just to watch him die." Lord, a mercy! I'm a scared of hillbillies, now! Somebody got do something bout that anti-social country music!). ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "votomguy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > While it'll probably be hard for Imus to get work again, a very > important issue within our community has to be answered. Why is > it "ok" for us to call our women hos, but if someone outside our race > does it we're suddenly up in arms. The saddest thing to me about the > whole Imus thing is the la attitude that blacks are taking towards > our own who refer to women as hos. This whole thing that "it's ok for > me to talk about my momma, but you can't talk about my momma." Imus > should be held accountable, but the double standard in our community > has to go. We can't say zero tolerance and then turn around and have > special exceptions. > > It's also sad to say, but how much attention do we really pay to NCAA > womens basketball. This one team has received more attention then > any other team in Women's basketball history. Everyone talks about > their story, but where was all of this coverage before the Imus > debacle. That is the saddest thing of all in all of this. Would we > have paid any real attention to these women and what they > accomplished, or would we have glossed over the story simply saying > wow that's nice. If anything, we really need to reexamine not only > how we treat women, but also their accomplishments. > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin <truthseeker_013@> wrote: > > > > It's a start. Now he has to lose his job, and be unable to obtain > gainful employment for some time to come, before the collective > lesson begins to sink in. I was watching "Cold Pizza" on ESPN2 > yesterday, and one of the commentators said (paraphrasing *very* > roughly), "if a regualr everyday broadcaster were to have uttered > such words, he or she would've been fired on the spot." > > > > "Tracey de Morsella (formerly Tracey L. Minor)" <tdlists@> > wrote: By DAVID CRARY > > > > ASSOCIATED PRESS > > > > NEW YORK â" Bruce Gordon, former head of the NAACP and a director > of CBS > > Corp., said Wednesday the broadcasting company needs a âzero > tolerance > > policyâ on racism and hopes talk-show host Don Imus is fired for > his > > demeaning remarks about the mostly black Rutgers womenâs > basketball team. > > > > âHeâs crossed the line, heâs violated our community,â > Gordon said in a > > telephone interview with the Associated Press. âHe needs to face > the > > consequence of that violation.â > > > > Gordon, a longtime telecommunications executive, stepped down in > March > > after 19 months as head of the National Association for the > Advancement > > of Colored People, one of the foremost U.S. civil rights > organizations. > > > > He said he had spoken with CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves and > hoped > > the company, after reviewing the situation, would âmake the smart > > decisionâ by firing Imus rather than letting him return to the > air at > > the end of a two-week suspension that was announced Tuesday. > > > > âWe should have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to what I > see as > > irresponsible, racist behavior,â Gordon said. âThe Imus > comments go > > beyond humor. Maybe he thought it was funny, but thatâs not what > > occurred. There has to be a consequence for that behavior.â > > > > Gordon said that as a matter of principle, firing Imus should be an > easy > > decision to make, though he respects the right of CBS leadership to > > consider all factors. > > > > âWhen I look at it from my position as a director, where my > > responsibility is to represent the best interest of the > shareholders, > > itâs more complex,â Gordon said. âBut at the end of the day, > the image > > of CBS is at risk. ... the ad revenue of CBS could be at risk.â > > > > âWhat I expect is for management to take the next two weeks to do > their > > homework,â he said. âI hope that the result of their due > diligence is to > > terminate Don Imus.â > > > > Imus triggered the uproar on his April 4 show, when he referred to > the > > Rutgers players as ânappy-headed hos.â His comments have been > widely > > denounced by civil rights and womenâs groups, and two sponsors, > Staples > > Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co., have pulled their advertising from > the > > radio show. > > > > P&G spokesman Terry Loftus said the company pulled ads from the > show as > > of last Friday. Another sponsor, Bigelow Tea, said in a statement > posted > > on its Web site that the remarks have âput our future sponsorship > in > > jeopardy.â > > > > Calls for the radio hostâs dismissal have been growing, including > from > > groups such as the National Organization for Women and the National > > Association of Black Journalists. > > > > The 10 members of the Rutgers team spoke publicly for the first > time > > Tuesday about the on-air comments, made the day after the team lost > the > > NCAA championship game to Tennessee. > > > > Some of them wiped away tears as their coach, C. Vivian Stringer, > > criticized Imus for âracist and sexist remarks that are > deplorable, > > despicable, abominable and unconscionable.â The women, eight of > whom are > > black, called his comments insensitive and hurtful. > > > > âIt kind of scars us. We grew up in a world where racism exists, > and > > thereâs nothing we can do to change that,â said Matee Ajavon, a > junior > > guard. âI think that this has scarred me for life.â > > > > The women agreed, however, to meet with Imus privately next Tuesday > and > > hear his explanation. They held back from saying whether theyâd > accept > > Imusâ apologies or passing judgment on whether a two-week > suspension > > imposed by CBS Radio and MSNBC was sufficient. > > > > Several players said they wanted to ask him why he would make such > > thoughtless statements. > > > > Junior forward Essence Carson said she had done some research on > Imus > > and his past inflammatory and derogatory statements about other > people. > > > > âJust knowing that this has happened time and time before, I felt > that > > it might be time to make a stand,â she said Wednesday on NBCâs > âTodayâ show. > > > > âHe doesnât know who we are as people,â Carson said. > âThatâs why we are > > just so appalled with his insensitive remarks, not only about > > African-American women, but about women as a whole.â > > > > In Washington, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino was asked if the > > president thought Imusâ punishment was strong enough, but said it > was up > > to Imusâs employer to decide any further action. > > > > âThe president believed that the apology was the absolute right > thing to > > do,â Perino said Tuesday. > > > > Imus has apologized repeatedly for his comments. He said Tuesday he > > hadnât been thinking when making a joke that went âway too > far.â He also > > said that those who called for his firing without knowing him, his > > philanthropic work or what his show was about would be making an > > âill-informedâ choice. > > > > MSNBC has said it will watch to see whether Imus changes the tenor > of > > future programs. > > > > The radio show originates from WFAN-AM in New York City and is > > syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by > CBS > > Corp. (MSNBC, which simulcasts the show on cable, is a part of NBC > > Universal, which is owned by General Electric Co.) > > > > Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Piscataway, N.J., > contributed > > to this report > > http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? > AID=/20070411/ENT03/70411004/0/NEWS03 > > > > Sponsors Abandon Imus as Rutgers Gals Await Face-off > > > > Big-ticket advertisers such as Procter & Gamble and Staples have > pulled > > their green from Don Imus' morning program in the wake of a racist > > comment the broadcaster made about the Rutgers women's basketball > team. > > Bigelow Tea has similarly suspended its advertising, and may yank > it all > > together, but GM and AMEX are standing pat (though the latter > intends to > > "monitor" the show going forward, says the New York Daily News). > > > > The Rutgers players, meanwhile, expressed their feelings to the > press on > > Tuesday, saying Imus has "stolen a moment of pure grace" from the > NCAA > > finalists. With an eye to their to-be-scheduled face-to-face with > Imus, > > one player said she wants to ask him, "'Now that you've met me, am > I a > > ho?' Unless they've given 'ho' a new definition, that's not what I > am. > > http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors- Blog/Todays- > News/Sponsors-Abandon-Imus/800012560 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels > will get organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, "A > Man Without A Country" > > > > --------------------------------- > > Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate > > in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >
