TYT: Don Imus Defended His Comments Today. Do You Buy His Explanation?

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 05:22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyybNHuyxD4   Posted on YouTube: June 25, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 25, 2008 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 1622

 
Also check out Cenk's new article, Do The Democrats Want To Lose? Or Is Caving To Bush Part Of The Plan...http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3511208&mesg_id=3511208

Finally, watch Cenk and Ben break down Rush Limbaugh's RIDICULOUS comments: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x149779

PS---Keep in mind that you can download the first hour of The Young Turks free every day through Itunes. Also, the show loops 24 hours a day at www.theyoungturks.com

[jobycom]

1. I don't know. It's plausible. Even Al Sharpton wasn't sure whether to believe him.

He said he hoped Imus's explanation was right, and that's how I feel. Whatever he meant, he opened an interesting discussion with his explanation, and he did choose to defend himself that way, rather than saying "nanny nanny boo boo, I'm on cable, you can't touch me."

I was all over him for the Rutgers incident. I give him probation on this one. Not that he cares what I think. :)

[skooooo]

2. I believe him...

But I don't blame some people for not giving him the benefit of a doubt.

On the show today, Imus had Dick Gregory who said that he recognized the facetiousness (sp?) and humor in what Imus was trying to say. Gregory said Imus was talking about racial profiling. "If I thought you were wrong, I'd be the first one to say it." However, Gregory also said that he has to deal with the consequences because some people will not give him the benefit of a doubt, and they don't owe him one.

[gateley]

3. Yep. I buy it.

I remember listening to Imus on a couple of occasions when he was pissed because cops got off after shooting a black person (when it was obvious they didn't HAVE to shoot).

So yep. I buy it. And I've never thought he was racist, even with that statement that got him fired. I've just heard too much from him indicating he's not a racist.

[mduffy31]

4. Whoever the DJ is totally twisted what he said

Imus NEVER said that Pacman Jones is an idiot because he is black.

[OhioChick]

5. Bookmarked for morning.

I'd like to hear what he has to say.

K&R

[Uben]

6. I try not ot put words in people's mouths

It could be construed as he says he meant it. There are a lot bigger fish to fry than Imus. Let's keep focused the the crimes these bastards in the WH have commited!

[ihavenobias]

7. Way ahead of you

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=150389&mesg_id=150389

This is part of why The Young Turks is my favorite show. They DO cover the crimes that the bastards in the Whitehouse have committed AND they lighten things up and keep things fresh by including segments on entertainment and other current events.

This seems to bother *some* people, but considering the fact that Cenk hits the big stories no one in the MSM talks about (and hits them HARD) I think he deserves the leeway to also talk about the smaller fish so to speak.

[whistle]

8. Imus is in a dry-drunk or has in fact relapsed and he is out of control

[DRex]

9. I'm with the producer dude.

We spend so much time picking apart people's words to see if we can construe them as racist. It's a waste.

If someone advocates a racist policy of exclusion or segregation then we can attack them for it, but let's not just sit around waiting for someone to make a slip of the tongue. It's getting to the point that you can't even talk about someone of a different ethnicity without measuring every word.

Of course we should try to be sensitive to people, but we are becoming overly sensitive to the point that it doesn't bring us together it actually drives us apart.

Its always crusty old white people on the news getting all righteously indignant about this kind of thing anyway. Whenever I see that, I always think it speaks to their own fear of being judged racist themselves, even though they might not have a racist bone in their bodies.

Even with the nappy-headed ho's thing, I think it was probably just a lame attempt at being funny and hip to the youth culture. I wouldn't say it myself (but then, I'm not a radio talk show idiot), because I think the young women involved deserved more respect than that, and in fact it was a profoundly disrespectful thing to say at the time, but I'm not sure if it was racist or not.

Lou Dobbs is a hell of a lot more racist/xenophobic than Don Imus has ever shown himself to be in my opinion, and its not because of his language or a twisted sense of humour, because Dobbs goes out of his way to hide his prejudice behind bland, PC language that has been approved for television use. It is because of the things I know he believes in.

[skooooo]

10. Have to agree with you about Dobbs there. nt

[DRex]

14. Forgive me for being a noob, but....

What does 'nt' mean? I am just getting used to all this forum slang.

[skooooo]

15. It means "no text.."

Sometimes people just write one line in the subject field, and let you know that by including either...

nt (no text)
eom (end of message)

And there are a few others probably.

[DRex]

23. thanks. nt ha!

[1Hippiechick]

25. You are not a noob (what is a noob, btw?) Can we help a new DUer with the lingo? List started below

IMHO - In my humble opinion
MSM - main stream media
POTUS - President of the United States
WTF - What the F**k

[DRex]

26. btw?

Ha, no, I'm just kidding (or j/k as they say on this crazy system of tubes).
Yeah, I'm getting the hang of this. Most of them I can figure out. I was a little off on IMHO, but I still got the gist. I thought it might mean 'I might humbly opine'. Same thing really, just a bit weird sounding.
Cheers!

[DRex]

27. Oh, and....

not sure if you are kidding about the noob thing, seasoned veteran that you are, but just in case, I believe it is short for newbie, or newcomer.

[1Hippiechick]

28. Thanks!

and I, too, amd a newbie to the lingo here, and have only been posting on this board for a few weeks. I LOVE it!
Cheers!

[tularetom]

11. I think it may be more of a case of an old guy trying to be "hip"

and failing very badly at it. Not to say old guys can't be smart, clever and topical. One guy like that died yesterday.

I think it's time for Imus to hang it up. Regardless of his intent, if he has to explain his jokes so people will "get" them, they aren't really very good jokes.

The times have passed him by and he hasn't kept up. I can't get inside his mind and know whether or not his remark was meant to be racially offensive, but to me the whole episode is sad. He needs to get out now while he still has a shred of dignity left.

[1Hippiechick]

24. "He needs to get out now while he still has a shred of dignity left." No shreds left, IMHO nt

[pansypoo53219]

12. imus is still lame

used to be funny. but now he is old. tho i think mcinsain is older.

[izzie]

13. I really was off on this. I thought he said the guy was picked on

because he was black.I took it as a slam on how we treat men of color that he was getting at. And I am white. I know this is a true thing with Am. Indians and also teen-age boys. Police do pick on these people.

[jonnyra]

16. Why does anyone care what this dumb ass says? I dont get it. nt

[DWilliamsamh]

17. Without the history, it's plausible...but Imus' long history makes this HIGHLY doubtful

He is at the point where he has had so MANY incidents of this nature that if THAT was his original intent he needed to spell that out at that time. Any conversation he engages in regarding race - even flippant remarks - need to be clearly expressed AT THAT TIME. This retroactive explanation, is a transparent attempt to save his ass once again.

Here's MY biggest question: he is like 80 years old and rich with what he says is a very fulfilling concern running in the service of kids. Why doesn't he just go away and enjoy his last years on earth? I know I would enjoy his last years on earth if he wasn't on the air anymore, injecting his special sauce of Imus bigotry into society.

[Brundle_Fly]

18. It's a distraction from everything.

that matters, anyways.

[ryanmuegge]

19. Well, what about what he said after that?

Something to the effect of, "of course you're going to get arrested at a nightclub. People are drinking, doing drugs, and fighting." That doesn't sound like it would be connected to a rant about cops persecuting black people.

Either way, Imus is boring, bad radio, and he has been for several years.

[theFrankFactor]

20. I Believe Him-Now What About Michael Reagan?

That fucker needs to go!

[ihavenobias]

22. I could see that in light of his recent comments but I could pick ONE person who deserves to go...

it has to be Michael Savage. Has to be.

[iamthebandfanman]

21. i dont like imus much but

i really dont see this as a big deal.

now what he said last time, that was outrageous.

[AmyCamus]

29. With vutures waiting to pounce on every word, he should be more careful.

I think the initial outrage was a result of how the quote was being framed.
Hearing it myself, later - no big deal.
Avoid making small stuff big. Focus on beating McCain.