What Got Imus Kicked Off The Air?.....

[global1]

and how long did it take for him to come back on? And hasn't he been muzzled to the point that he has lost most of his pre-off air audience?

[madinmaryland]

1. Is he still alive? The last time I heard him which was several years ago, he could barely string

two words together and even those two words were nearly unintelligible.

Cocaine is a hell of drug. Just ask Andrew Brietbart.

[underpants]

2. Being a jerk

If Robin Williams, for instance, had said the "nappy haired" comment there would have been no reaction. Why? Because people (especially "Folks&quot know that he is cool. Imus had not built up that reputation and so he had to go. Of course he was re-hired because we just can't offer the masses anything contradictory as they go off to work.

[malaise]

3. He called soem female basketball players

nappy head whores. I'll never forget it

[global1]

4. So It Was A Two Barreled Shot......

both racist and misogynist.

[malaise]

12. Yep n/t

[joeglow3]

14. You forgot already

It was "Nappy Headed Hoes."

[LiberalEsto]

5. One time it was for playing "My Ding-a-Ling" over and over and over

despite warnings from management.

I listened to the entire fiasco; Imus was being a jerk and asking for it.

This was in the early 1970s on a NYC station.

[ladywnch]

7. ah yes,My Ding-a-Ling. Middle School dance anthem......they just don't write them like that anymore.

[LiberalEsto]

8. If anyone had tried to play that in my junior high school

in the mid-60s, there would have been mass expulsions.

We weren't even allowed to wear jeans to dances.

[ladywnch]

13. this would have been 1970-73 era. and we were steel mill workers' and farmers' kids - jeans were it.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. We weren't allowed to have dances. Instead of a Senior Prom, we had a Senior Banquet.

[Honeycombe8]

6. He called a college basketball team of young Af. American women....

a derogatory term. I think it was - pardon the expression - "nappy-headed hos" immediately after the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, called the team "hard-core hos."

I think the intent was to convey that the winning team was not a group of gals to mess with...they looked like they knew what they were doing. Imus was always a wild guy, used to be hooked on cocaine & such, listened to all kinds of music, including rap, and was always trying to talk what he thought was cool. So I think that was some of his trying-to-be-cool talk that just slipped out. Unlike Rush's talk, which was a planned, previously written and re-written diatribe. I also don't think Imus has a racist bone in his body, judging from watching his show and knowing something about his charitable organizations. He and his wife run a large ranch for sick children of all races, with all kinds of afflictions. He pays for the kids to go stay in cabins at the ranch, ride horses, feed them, hire care providers, and have a real summer camp experience. It's a wonderful charity that is quite unique.

Imus immediately truly seemed to regret it. He met with the team in private to apologize...it wasn't televised. He made several genuine apologies publicly. But...it pretty much ruined his career. He was fired, but anyway, all sponsors dropped their ads, and the guests that used to be on (very famous politicians and entertainers) dropped him abrubtly, with a very few exceptions.

He had a hit show, more or less, I think it was on MSNBC? Which was simulcast on syndicated radio.

He came back to TV within a couple of years & has a show on Fox Business or HLN, in the previous format. And it might still be simulcast on radio. He made a point of getting an Af. American sidekick a time or two, but I don't think they're still on the show. But he doesn't have many listeners/viewers. I've watched part of the show a few times out of curiosity. It's not very good, and not too many famous people will appear on his show, particularly Democrats. Joe Lieberman will, and a couple like that. But it's by phone & not in person.

He looks very old, now.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

9. I think he's on Fox Business in the mornings.

I'm sure he's worshiped over there.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. He is on WABC 770 in NY

in his old slot.

http://wabcradio.com/showdj.asp?DJID=40880

[tularetom]

11. Poor ratings were the real reason he got canned from MSNBC

The network jumped on the "nappy headed ho" comment like stink on shit but they were just looking for an excuse to get rid of the silly old twit. (Not that his replacement is a hell of a lot better).

I think the CBS radio station he was on was contemplating a switch to sports talk format and he didn't fit the profile of a morning DJ for them. So they were definitely not reluctant to use the controversy generated by the racial slurs as a pretense to firing him. But it took them awhile longer and if I remember correctly he sued them for contract violations. And won.

[titaniumsalute]

16. Absolutely

Imus was in the cross hairs for awhile. WFAN really wanted to move to a sports morning show. This was a great "out" for them.