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| Yes | 63% | 145 votes | Total: 231 votes | |
| No | 37% | 86 votes |
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Add to FavoritesAccording to Sean Hannity: "Yes!"
But this is only because Don Imus is white and his supposed racially motivated comments created a fervent amount of controversy. And as everyone should be well aware, controversy equals ratings.
Don Imus coming back to radio simply brings with it more ratings covering the same old thing. American's are nothing if not redundant. Before you tell me to get out if I don't like it, trust me, I plan on it. I hear Ireland is nice.
I digress. The problem with the entire situation is not based solely on the comments he made. It's a prevalent issue in this, the Divided States: When does comedy go too far?
Because, let's be honest, whether you like him or not, it's comedy. Of course, a fair amount of his show is news discussion, and the Rutger's Women's basketball team was news at such a particular moment, but Imus is well known for his visceral hatred and raw cynicism.
He's verbally castrated several people; a list so, long I dare say it could rival the client list of a Mr. Charles Manson. It's an act that comics engage in. Usually, it leaves them tagged with such uninspired adjectives such as angry or mean-spirited. Angry taking the head of the line in most cases.
It's an act contrived by people who understand very little about comedy.
Comedy isn't always pretty. It's well documented as having left a brood of people weeping and trying to put their lives back together. Especially after hearing George Carlin for the first time. Or second time. Or really, if you're weak spirited, anytime.
And as George so poignantly put it "I think it's a comedian's job to find the line and deliberately cross it."
One of the latest victims of the soft yup baby boomer culture is Don Imus. Nevermind Opie and Anthony. They're back on the air. It's important to remember, however, that they too were lambasted as vile human beings because of something they didn't say, merely broadcast.
If people really wanted to hang Don out to dry, they should have caught him years ago when Imus in the morning was first aired. He happened to make a comment about a black women's basketball team and the media hanged him for it.
Personally, nothing offends me. Barring the ice-capades, the Bush presidency, and painter's tape. So, perhaps I'm taking it far too lightly. I can't help but think though, that with the helplessness felt in today's society, be it because of the war, or the looming threat of China collapsing our economy, that we're misdirecting our anger to cope.
People are left in the wake because of such actions. I only hope that in the future, we'll focus our ambitions at the real criminals.
He that has a tongue, let him speak. And stop being offended. Jesus Christ.
Whoops. Don't burn my CD's.
Learn more about this author, Matt Butler.
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No
Don Imus should not be allowed back on the air because he's not funny. I'm all for free speech, but I'm not for being bored. Listening to a Don Imus show makes you long to be deaf. Even Rush Limbaugh (another waste of radio waves) at least makes a point of being despicable. Before Don Imus was fired, what WAS the point of his show?
In all of the controversy about the adjective "nappy-headed" and race relations in America, one fundamental factor was overlooked that entertainers who are not entertaining should lose their jobs. There are more than enough eager, hungry (and less expensive) DJs to employ instead of has-beens like Don Imus.
Besides, he's past the legal retiring age. Giving him a severance package wouldn't put him into any undue hardship.
So, what's going to be Don Imus' legacy? Nothing, really, except perhaps not being able to hold down a job. He's sort of the Vanilla Ice of disc jockies. Perhaps his biggest contribution to Western civilization was being one of several real life personalities that popular character Doctor Johnny Fever from "WKRP In Cincinnati" was based on. They both were fired for saying a bad word on the air. In Imus' case, he was fired a few times for things he said on the air.
Imus has always been a little stuck in his own head where he thinks he has brilliant talent. He habitually is out of touch with reality. During the first attacks of 9/11, he kept on going, even airing commercials, making them pre-empt the most important news story since the moon landing.
It's amazing that anyone paid any attention to Imus' broadcasts in the first place. Although nationally syndicated, so are a million other radio shows. There's just not enough of a radio audience to have what any disc jockey says to be front page news. Even the mighty Howard Stern's ratings dropped considerably after he went to paid radio. And he can sometimes be really funny.
Imus should thank his lucky stars he hasn't been lynched and quietly disappear into something like the Witness Protection Program. He could get plastic surgery so he won't be recognized. If not for his sake, please, for the sake of anyone who has to look at his face. It's nearly as scary as the fact that he's still employed.
Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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