Monday, April 09, 2007

Imus [UPDATED]
I never understood how the guy got treated like some kind of knowledgeable, legitimate outlet for news-related interviews. Every public figure - like Tim Russert, Lieberman, Harold Ford - who have been regulars on his show should be embarrassed for their association. His act is nothing more than a wrinkled Howard Stern, with politicians and news reporters playing the role of Stern's strippers and porn stars. And it has such a lazy, thoughtless, cliche-ridden sense of humor, he just naturally gravitates to caricatures of black people as, among other possible labels, "pimps" and "hos" for any he sees on TV, even college students - young women trying to make something of themselves through higher education and a commitment to teamwork, and from the looks of their effort - engaging in harder work than the I-man has even sniffed in quite some time.

It's just a 2-week suspension but good riddance. The guy's made plenty of money in his time I'm sure. Here's hoping he has such a hard time getting the same kind of interview to which he's accustomed that the show is forced to fold.

Democrats don't go on Rush Limbaugh's show - we expect that kind of hateful rhetoric from him. Being a guest with Imus should bring the same stigma.

Still, as ignorant and poisonous as he is, whatever goes on in the head of Imus is like Mother Theresa compared to Tom Delay. You've gotta read what he said to believe it.

[UPDATE: Here are a couple of must-reads if your blood is boiling about this story. PBS' Gwen Ifill, once referred to as a “cleaning lady cover[ing] the White House,” by Imus, has a brilliant and moving piece in today's New York Times. And Al Roker says Imus needs to be "remove(d) from the airwaves."]

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