A face in the crowd, starring Don Imus as Lonesome Rhodes

Final and random thoughts about the end (for now) of Imus:

• For me, the most damning evidence that Don Imus was not an “equal opportunity offender” was where he went in his time of need. He did not go to the Tavis Smiley show to be contrite, or request an appearance on the "Today" show with Al Roker. He did not go to PBS or TV One or BET. He didn't call up Clarence Page or Bob Herbert for an interview. Of all the media allies the I-man had built up over the years,  not one of them apparently was African American. And so, he had to go running into the clutches of the one black media figure, Al Sharpton, who was actually the least objective toward Imus, but was more than happy to have him promoting Sharpton's obscure talk show. The fact that Imus' stalwart defenders were all white doesn't prove he was a racist; it does suggest that he did not offend equally, and didn't care until it was too late.
• That’s why I agree with Ana Marie Cox’s observation that it wasn't Al Sharpton who brought down Don Imus. It was Al Roker.
• Speaking of Rev. Sharpton: Will someone tell him that the "federally regulated airwaves" allow Don Imus to say whatever the hell he wants, particularly on cable. The marketplace, that's a different matter. Perhaps if Sharpton’s talk show were on more of the federally regulated airwaves, he’d know this.
  
• A local TV person (who's white) said to me, “Why are broadcasters calling for the firing of other broadcasters?” Well, when you’re Al Roker and you have complete job security because the chance that you will say anything fireable or slightly daring or even the teensiest bit non-innocuous on the air is nil, I guess it’s OK to dump on others. Then again, Imus used to dump on Howard Stern, though I’m not sure he actually told the world in a public forum he wanted Howard’s career over.
• Speaking of which, I’m disturbed that Keith Olbermann (from whom I swiped my headline) thinks that, just because he’s confessed to being a jerk behind the scenes to people, it’s OK for him to read a laundry list of horrible things Imus said behind the scenes to people as implicit justification for his firing. So with the I-man gone, NBC News will become a magical and charmed place for all to work? This I gotta see.
• Speaking of backstage at the networks, Gil Schwartz, the PR chieftain at CBS, which unloaded Imus on Thursday, promoted books written by his nom de plume, Stanley Bing, on the Imus program in 2006. He even got to say the name of one of them, 100 Bulls--t Jobs And How To Get Them, on the air — without bleeping! (OK, the bleep was late, but still.) I'm reasonably sure, therefore, that Schwartz and his media-savvy boss, Les Moonves, knew exactly what Imus was up to all along, and saw nothing wrong with it, and therefore they, too, got a schooling this week in what’s appropriate to joke about on CBS.  But as Stanley Bing might say, in situations like these it's good to be the firer instead of the firee.
• I heard Bob Herbert call Imus an "anachronism" while being interviewed by Olbermann. There's a difference between an anachronism and someone who's become passé, which was Imus’s real problem. (Johnny Carson was not aging well on NBC, either, though we forget that in all the nostalgia following his exquisitely-timed exit and monklike retreat from the public eye.) Anyway, just because you can’t be on TV anymore hardly means there's not a decent-sized mainstream audience for your act. Is Jackie Mason still working? Yes, including radio, sort of.
• Jason Whitlock has a point, I guess, when he says black people need to clean house, but would prefer taking on white racists. Ultimately, though, I think the firing of Imus will be seen as a changing in overall public taste pushed by white progressives and minority groups alike. (Remember, David Brock and Media Matters got the snowball rolling last week.) And ironically, I think it was a by-product of all that mainstreamed black culture, including the dreaded Ho-Hating Hip-Hop, that African Americans and their white allies felt empowered to demand, through the media buyers acting as their proxies, that white people knock off the Buckwheat jokes.
  
• So to repeat pretty much what I said yesterday, I don’t think there are any great societal lessons to be learned here. It’s just a case of someone getting the hook instead of bowing gracefully and leaving the stage. During a slow news week.
• I don’t think Imus is ready to retire. Therefore, he will be back. And my prediction is, when he comes back, whether on terrestrial or satellite radio, it will be on his terms, not Al Sharpton’s. Additionally, Harold Ford Jr. and all of Imus's other so-called friends who abandoned him in his time of need will be able to kiss his bony behind.

Comments

[Unindicted Co-conspirator]

I doubt that Carson at the end of his career in 1992 was as lame as Leno is today.
I watched Carson from the "Who Do You Trust?" days until the end.
He never would have had Mel Gibson on and not asked him about his disgusting anti-Semitic garbage.
Leno had him on & didn't ask him a thing.
Leno had on Nick Nolte a couple of weeks ago. After ragging on Nolte for a couple of years about that instant classic mug shot, he never brought it up.
American TV & radio is filled with cowardly & craven clowns masquerading as tough interviewers. It was no accident that it was a Brit, Martin Bashir that got Michael Jackson.
The Brits don't take any crap from celebs or politicians.
And to bring it back to where your column started, on Imus, that's why he got away with his racist, anti-Semitic crap all these years.
Because no one in the media here had the balls to go after him!
Just a bunch of girls brought him down, they had more balls than anyone else!

[Marvin]

It seems like the vast majority of people commenting on Imus never watched or listened to his show. I watched semi-regularly with a sick fascination that he was allowed to do what he did on a major network). He's always been racist, sexist, arrogant to the point of thinking he was untouchable, and disrespectful of his guests and coworkers.

Anyone else would have been charged with sexual harrassment the way his cohorts treated Contessa(?) Brewer and Amy Robaugh, other news hosts on MSNBC. I think the NBC staff had just had enough of their network tolerating his behavior and the troops rallied against him.

Imus was a modern day Howard Cossell. He used the fear of slander on his massive pulpit to intimidate politicians and other public figures. None of them were EVER his friends, they were all fearfully submissive, else suffer his taunts. As soon as they smelled blood, they all drew their daggers.

You may be able to find a blurb when David Gregory exploded on Imus' show. It's no secret that he was hated even by most of his "friends," the Gregory incident was one of the few times it bubbled to the surface.

[Aaron]

Howard Cosell - why didn't I think of that?

In fact, there was one ABC guy, I think Jim Spence, who wrote a memoir of his ABC years, and his agent or whoever made him put the most horrific Cosell incident in the very first chapter. Even his enemies knew the power of Howard to move product.

By the way, Gregory blows up at the President, too, so it may not just be an Imus thing.

[ML]

Just heard a Canadian news report that said a "small LA radio station" will be playing highlights from the Don Imus program. Haven't found any other references to this story on the net. So, it ain't over yet.

ML

[Aaron]

I just spoke to Bill Maher's producer's office. Al Sharpton is the guest. Imus is worn out. Maher will do him justice sparring with Sharpton.

And now, a reader writes ...

In the past week, I have learned much I never knew.
In the spirit of disclosure, I have decided to share my "indoctrination"...oops my new education….and do my penance for once being a proponent of the Constitution.

1. While I have long recognized Oprah as "jesus" I was unaware that Don Imus (obscure as he was) was actually "god." Yes my friends, with 2 words most people would have never heard, (except for the efforts of the National Association of Black Journalists and their beautifully packaged and orchestrated campaign), Don Imus forever changed the entire lives of the women of the Rutgers team. THAT IS POWER!!!! AND THAT IS ALMIGHTY!!! AND TO ME, IT IS DELICIOUSLY DIVINE (just not in the religious sense).

2. As a gal raised in "old time religion" I am woefully out of touch with what Reverend's now preach: "It is human to err, but it is divine to "BLAME." I say bravo....and I "blame" all of those "Reverends" whose pulpit is the camera and photo opportunity; with a special "shout out" to the preacher now speaking on behalf of the Rutgers women who has pointed out that an INSULT can be forgiven but an INJURY must be "compensated" (brings me to my next point).

3. WORDS, contrary to the old "sticks and stones" rhyme, can cause great INJURY...and thus are the proper weapon of choice for WAR (and all this time I thought it was planes, tanks, bombs, etc). Forget the loss of that limb, or the brain injury, or the blindness, it is the "HURT FEELINGS" that truly damage our lives!!!!! (Of course I have long thought the entire middle East would surrender if we would only play "RAP" music over loud-speakers 24/7 and broadcast RAP videos in the sky each and every night....talk about "brutality").

4. As it turns out, "free speech" is NOT a constitutional issue. It is an ADVERTISING issue. Those courageous corporations who decided to pull their sponsorships clearly had only our best interests in mind. They realize we can no longer think for ourselves, and, as "good citizens," have recognized their responsibility to make our choices for us (as dictated to them by certain interests). I say BRAVO. I am just lazy enough to want to have to be like many Americans and do NO thinking of my own. (Had no idea I could display such cowardice.)

5. I am now similarly dissuaded from my incorrect opinion that MEDIA GIANTS are ruled by the bottom line. Turns out they are ruled by their "employees" (who now, not only get a pay check, but dictate corporate policy) and by those professional malcontents who can "rally" their troops most effectively. If you heard those big bosses from CBS and NBC "speak" their piece, I am certain you were as impressed as I was by their disingenuous ineloquence and caught the resounding thunder of their insincerity. I do adore insincerity!!!!

6. It is no longer a requirement to be possessed of fact or good information before speaking (or to be eloquent, see above). We can jettison the American "work ethic" that has gotten us so far, and replace it with the new creed of "LAZINESS and IRRESPONSIBILITY." It's about time, don't you think?" It is so much more fun just to sit back and let some "group" do and determine absolutely everything for us. It's what we DESERVE and are ENTITLED to, don't you know.

7. Similarly, we no longer have to take a "JOKE" but now have to ascribe perfect seriousness and weight to even the "lightest" and most mundane moment. I am certain the police who patrol our dangerous streets will be much happier to be sent to apprehend "COMEDIAN" criminals than pursue "traditionally" violent criminals. (Although I do worry that they might get their feelings hurt and suffer life changing injury.)

8. We no longer have to make any "ENTERTAINMENT" choice, or resort to that old-fashioned methodology and change the channel or the dial, all we have to do is SCREAM "I am offended" to the right party. In keeping with such change, I have now put Al and Jessie, and the NABJ on my speed dial. I suggest you do the same. Yes, folks, as a previously misguided Libertarian, I REPENT, and I now want EVERYONE censored, ALL of the time. (Except for me, see next point.)

9. I am thrilled to recognize the OVERT return of the "double-standard" and "reverse discrimination." (How did we ever do without them for so long?) But I do admit that I am happy to see that NO ONE is SCREAMING "Ageism." Seems to me, if Imus had not been perceived as a powerful, wealthy, OLD guy, but had been a hip-hop king, we could have been spared all of this NEW education. Wish he would just do what old people should do (except for me, of course) and just go off to die!!!!! Didn't he know he was obsolete and disposable?

10. Most importantly, I am happy to be "indoctrinated" with the new "politically-correct" manifesto that SHOCK JOCKS may not SHOCK us and that equal-opportunity OFFENDERS can now enjoy NO opportunity whatsoever. It is clear to me that we will all be much better off if we burn the books, shut down the speech, turn off our brains and make certain that we are all UNITED by fighting the "WRONG" fight. If we all just pledge to become drones and clones (as the new "group" manifesto actually "preaches"), we will no longer need to know or suffer any difference between reality and perception.

I admit I am worried my friends. I never thought I would find myself standing up for a man who was rude, crude, and truly mean spirited. A man I never ever listened to without turning him off in disgust. But I find myself unwilling to turn a blind eye as HE is "punished" by the powers-that-be, because I am certain this is only the beginning of the end for those of us who do not mind our mouths as "they" would dictate.

AS my own personal "PROTEST" I pledge to all of you to attempt to become as completely OFFENSIVE to EVERYONE as possible. I am certain you all realize how incredibly easy this will be for me; and as a person newly dedicated to laziness, I hope only to take the easy way out.

Think I will start wearing the flag to demonstrate what a good and re-educated citizen I have become.

[Tad Sketchy]

To answer your question from yesterday's entry, "Why now?", I think I have the answer: Imus picked the worst target possible: "plucky" black female athletes from the New York metro area.

The team was a sensation in the New York metro area from a sports perspective: young team (no seniors, five freshmen) from a college with no tradition of major sports success but on it's way up (Rutgers football has improved greatly recently). Everybody loves an underdog, right? So when Imus trashed them, it hit New Yorkers especially hard, where the Gwen Ifill-type crudities didn't.

Toss on the black/female/female athlete constituencies that would have normally been outraged and that tipped it over.

-- Tad, from the Dept. of Semi-conventional Wisdom

[Wayne]

I recall late last year the grump Imus complaining on air about a brand new $39,000 Chevy Silverado pick up truck donated to the Imus ranch by GM.
He was bitching something about it was too tall to get into comfortably and didn't ride right.
Jerk Imus was complaining about a free truck...go figure.
The A-hole got what he deserved, relegated to a mere postscript in broadcast history.
Trickster Nixon thought he was above the law too.

[Jim Treacher]

What's progressive about getting people fired because you don't like what they say?

[Wendy Marchand]

Aaron,
You may have something interesting to say, but the "QUOTATION MARK SHOUTING" and "IRONIC" tone are not effective ways to express it. Do not use apostrophes for plurals. "Reverend" is an adjective, not a noun, so you cannot refer to "a reverend" or, God help us, "reverends."
Thanks for you "INPUT" though.

[ML]

Wendy,

PLEASE note that the passage you refer to is preceded by the comment:

"And now, a reader writes ..."

ML

[Aaron]

Sadly, Mr. T, it HAS become the progressive thing to run people off the airwaves because you think the public is too dense to figure it out for themselves.

Yes, Imus had antediluvian views on women and black culture (as well as a very well refined politically incorrect sense of humor that I'll miss). But no one's mind is changed and no one is enlightened as a result of what just happened. At the same time, I respect the use of political and economic power to get things done, and you can't defend Imus for the many occasions he has kept his white male power base happy through these coded attempts at humor. And yet (he said turning over in bed again), when people look back and say, oh that's when the public said they weren't going to stand for such talk in the media, they'll be wrong. It is a false milestone. Like Hugh Grant's turn on Leno that supposedly turned Leno's ratings around, Imus will be the symbol of a paradigm shift that has already happened. He's an artifact more than a symbol. He was on borrowed time, as evidenced by his relatively small listener base (70 markets and the No. 3 cable news channel). The trend story begins and ends with him. Rush Limbaugh is in 600 markets and owns his own syndicate. Nobody will be silencing him. Why should he silenced? He gives the rest of us so much material.

Media Matters and Parents Television Council are spending thousands of person-hours a year monitoring content. If only someone would work as hard to get the Pacifica ruling overturned, we could be done with a lot of this nonsense.

[Ed Dravecky III]

I keep hearing about how awful it was for these fine young student-athletes to have their moment in the sun "ruined" by this one stray comment certainly almost none of them heard live on the air. Would Don Imus have been fired if he had used "losers" to describe the Rutgers team instead? Surely it was the endless repetition of the offending phrase in and by the media that has permanently bonded the words to the lives of these ladies, not the lone thoughtless utterance by Imus.

[Mark Jeffries]

As much as comedian Rush Limbaugh (Hey, Olbermann's catch phrases are catching) would like you to think that it's his network, his original syndicator was EFM Media, which was sold several years ago to Premiere Radio Networks, the syndication arm of--wait for it--Clear Channel.

[Jim Treacher]

"Jason Whitlock has a point, I guess"

Your magnanimity is breathtaking.

[Rich Reynolds]

I used to listen to Imus regularly a couple decades ago and fell out of it when the show went more political than comedy, so can't really comment on what the show had become. For the years that I did listen, I never got the feeling that Imus was a racist. He made fun of pretty much every religion and ethnic group, including his own, on a regular basis and didn't pay a lot of attention to the kind of words he used. He wasn't specifically commenting on the Rutger girls as much as on what he saw as he watched the game. Had it been a different team, the same comments would have been made. The comments were certainly insensitive and looked a whole lot worse with endless repetition. A man, who's a racist, wouldn't have helped a black politician in Tennessee--or criticize the government's inadequate efforts at helping the poor in New Orleans. Don Imus was a person who said something stupid.

In an age of sound bites and instant news, maybe people will think twice about what they say. With no quarter given even after Imus' apologies, it's not worth apologizing to any group.

If anybody thinks Al Sharpton will take on the rap industry, as he said he would to eliminate offensive language in all corners, don't hold your breath.