News Flash: Imus Exposed as Talentless Racist

I couldn’t care less about Don Imus. Not because he’s a racist, or he’s a grumpy curmudgeon, or he’s way too old to pretend to be a cowboy. I couldn’t care less because Imus has never been anything more than a third-rate Howard Stern imitator with an anemic audience.

I grew up in New Jersey where Imus started on WNBC-AM. He was a typical DJ who spun 8-10 records an hour, and somehow got an irreverent reputation by saying things like, “Quack quack, who loves you baby?” between songs. When Stern started on WNBC in the afternoon, Imus began stealing Stern’s bits and became legendary as the first, and probably the best known, Howard Stern rip-off artist. Imus started the truly horrible trend of “shock jocks” that steal Stern’s attitude and material, but lack not only Stern’s wit and humor but also his ability to draw and keep an audience. Whatever you think of Howard Stern, he is truly an original that changed radio. Stern moved to another station in Imus's air time and knocked Imus and his bastard progeny down in the ratings, where they have pretty much stayed.

Both Stern and his African American sidekick, Robin Quivers, detailed how Imus was extremely racist in real life since they met him. In fact, despite Imus’s bizarre ability to draw politicians and intellectuals to his tawdry show, he kept up a running commentary of racist comments throughout the last few years. Since Imus had no sense of humor and little intelligence, these rants repeatedly came across as the rantings of a bitter old man who had never changed his attitude. When last week’s “nappy headed ho’s” comment finally got him fired, I wasn’t shocked or outraged. I just thought, “What took so long?”

Imus also showed his idiocy by going to fellow racist Al Sharpton to beg forgiveness. The mind reels at this vapid decision. Who named Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton and Jesse “Hymietown” Jackson as the race police? Did anyone appoint them spokespersons for the black community? Does anyone outside the media take them seriously? Having long lived past their usefulness, these two have become the equivalent of racist ambulance chasers, pinning deserved and undeserved racism charge on anyone who allegedly affronts African Americans. Their recorded comments on the now-exonerated Duke lacrosse team belies their self-declared legitimacy. Imus gained nothing except further scorn for appearing on Sharpton’s show. Even showing up on Sharpton’s turf probably alienated Imus’s tens of real fans. Why not appear on someone like Tavis Smiley’s show, or just invite the Rutgers basketball team to his studio so he could have apologized on familiar ground to the only people that truly deserved an apology?

Besides the foolishness of kowtowing to Sharpton and Jackson, much has been written about how these two completely ignore the fusillade of far, far worse language that emanates from hip hop lyrics on urban radio on a daily basis. This criticism is well-deserved and is a serious problem in the African American community. There is a serious violent and misogynistic streak in rap lyrics that nobody is dealing with right now. It also shows the vacuum of a true moral compass in the black community when its two so-called “spokespersons” have numerous racial and ethical transgressions.

But Imus? Who cares? He was an unoriginal and unfunny hack who was caught doing what he has always done for years.

More Info:

Hypocrisy Toward Sharpton and Jackson from all sides of the political aisle. Here's Black Athlete, syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, Princeton University and The Washington Times, to name just a few.

Also, scroll down to see my earlier post on Imus' fellow racist Michael Richards.