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Imus in the Mourning From October 2000 UPDATE: After I wrote the piece below, the Washington Post ran a story on this issue. The consensus defense: He's "just trying to be funny;" the material is "almost self-parody . . . like a Friars roast;" it's "saucy entertainment...not mean-spirited vitriol." I've said it before about shock jocks and I'll say it again: Using "it's just comedy" as an excuse for making hateful comments is just plain cowardice of the highest order. There's something I've never really understood about Howard Stern or Don Imus. Oh, I understand their appeal to their audiences: mostly white guys who love to hear someone be outrageous and say the things they think, but dare not say out loud. Stuff about foreigners, chicks, gays, and all the other weird people around. But these two survive and thrive in large part because of cooperation from celebrities who come on their shows. For example, click here to read some summaries of Stern's program and note the celebrity call-ins. Imus supposedly appeals to a more high-brow crowd. That means those that would rather hear a filthy joke about House Speaker Denny Hastert, than one about Pamela Anderson. But if you've never really listened to the show (or watched it on MSNBC), than you may have missed the dark side. The racism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, and... Well, you get the point. Writer Philip Nobile has been trying to stir up a campaign (mostly through coverage at TomPaine.com) to alert people to exactly what goes on at the Imus show, and to call celebrities to task for their appearances. If they won't support the awful "jokes," then why do they appear? Of course, the answer is greed and fear. Stern and Imus are known for going after celebrities in vicious fashion. And they have huge audiences. You want that kind of power on your side, not against you. What if Imus and Stern were really called to task for the things they said? What if people refused to call in or appear on the show, because they could not support statements of intolerance? I don't know. I am reminded of the old cliche, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." |