Don Imus: Racist, or misunderstood?
Radio host Don Imus' most recent "racial garbage" shows his hateful, true nature once again, said Anthony Rieber in Newsday. Any "fair-minded person," said Stephen Kaus in The Huffington Post, will realize that Imus was condemning raci
What happened
Radio host Don Imus, who lost his job last year after making racially insensitive comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, faced fresh cricism after saying in an interview that Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Dallas Cowboys has been arrested six times since being drafted in 2005 because he's black. "What people should be outraged about," Imus said in defense of his remarks, "is that they arrest blacks for no reason." (CNN)
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After calling the Rutgers women's team "nappy headed hos," said Anthony Rieber in Newsday's The Final Score blog, Imus' defense was that he meant it, but made a mistake. Now he spouts more of his "his usual racist garbage" and he's got another excuse. "Nonsense." What is "in his heart is eventually going to come out in all of its ugliness."
There's no denying that Imus makes plenty of comments that "make me cringe," said Stephen Kaus in The Huffington Post. And I'm a big fan. But any "fair-minded person" who hears the full interview in context has to see that Imus meant that Jones "was arrested because he was black, not that he committed bad deeds because he was black."
You'd think after the Rutgers debacle, said Heather Muse in the Village Voice's Runnin' Scared blog, "Imus would keep his big mouth shut about issues of race with regard to sports." But when he does let fly another of his "ridiculous, offensive statements," should the media shower him with coverage? It's important to talk about the issue of race in America, but it shouldn't be up to a "second-rate shock jock" to drive the debate.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 17, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - history repeating, the Pope's white flag, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Derelict homes, Welsh mines, and vinyl
Podcast What can we do about abandoned property? Are old mines still doing us harm? And what do LP sales tell us about the economy?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Dresden: on the trail of a Romantic icon in Germany
the week recommends The Saxon city celebrates the 250th birthday of Caspar David Friedrich this year
By The Week UK Published