Pacman a Blackman?

If you read Politico.com or AOL’s homepage you might have heard that Mr. Imus could be in a bit of racial trouble again. Even the esteemed New York Times ran a small story about it.

Based on that story, here’s the pertinent information:

When told by the program’s sportscaster, Warner Wolf, that [Adam “Pacman”] Jones no longer wished to be called by his nickname — so that people might forget his record of multiple arrests in recent years — Mr. Imus asked, “What color is he?’’

“He’s African-American,’’ Mr. Wolf responded.

“Well, there you go,’’ Mr. Imus said. “Now we know.’’

Oh my G-d. I-man is a racist!!!! Let’s lynch him now!!!

Wait just a cotton-picking (racist) minute. Lets rewind the show tape for a minute and hear the exchange between Imus and Wolf 30 seconds before the one above. Wolf reported on a golf reporter commenting that Rocco Mediate looked “Like he should be cleaning Tiger Wood’s pool.” Mr. Imus then chirped in and said, “What color is he?”

You get it people…it’s a joke now. And as predicted Fat Al (Sharpton this time…not Wynn) released a statement:

"It has been reported to me that statements were made by Mr. Imus this morning and National Action Network has monitored his show since his return. I find the inference of his remark disturbing because it plays into stereotypes. Any use of stereotypes is always counterproductive. We will determine in the next day or so whether or not his remark warrants direct action on our part as we did in April of last year."

Fat Al wrote that? Yeah, somehow I don’t think so. This man is so inarticulate that he makes Don King look like Maya Angelou. If you are going to judge Imus on his previous record (Nappy headed Hos) then as I’ve argued before we should judge the critics on theirs.

Al Sharpton:

• Dropped out of Brooklyn College after only two years because he says he “hates whites.”
• Tawana Brawley
• Crown Heights Riots
• Freddie’s Fashion Mart
• Duke Lacrosse Players Rape Case

Using Sharpton’s judging system any of those should be enough to disqualify Fat Al as being an authoritative source on anything other then inciting race riots and racial tensions. He furthers those tensions for his own gain and notoriety instead of helping to bring all people together. Of course if you use his system to judge me then I'm going to jail for a long, long time. Maybe me and Fat Al will get together and play a nice game of bloody knuckles, or maybe pinochle, whichever comes first.

Imus’ Return and Mea Culpa

On Friday I told you about my thoughts on the Great Don Imus’ return to radio. Well I’ve now heard the show (you can too at http://www.imusonair.com) and there were some good, some bad, and some that I don’t know what to think about.

The best part of the entire show was hearing the I-man’s voice again along with Charles McCord, “Fat” Rob Bartlet and the rest, not to mention the crowd enthusiastically cheering them on (it was held in Manhattan in front of a large live audience). It was also great to hear some of the familiar guests including Senator and Presidential Candidates John McCain and Chris Dodd, Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (who on a personal note, is a sweet woman and of the speakers who I’ve enjoyed meeting on several occasions now), and even political strategists Mary Matlin and James Carvel.

On the downside was the conspicuous absence of any sound coming from Producer Bernard McGirk’s microphone. He was there at the studio location, his bald head gleaming under the lights. He just was so much quieter then usual. Some of this can be attributed to the fact that the show in it’s current “incarnation” is still new with 2 new cast members (both black…hummm…might we be pandering to our critics??) and he wanted to let all the new voices be heard. Or it may be attributed to his “enabling” of Imus’ throughout the years including the now infamous comments about the Rutgers team in April. McGuirk was the one who called them “rough looking hos” when Imus took that and added “nappy-headed” and got himself in hot water.

On to those things that I’m not so sure about. The new “theme song” is chief among my concerns. The old simple “Imus in the morning ” was a staple on my radio from the time I was 11 or 12 years old (some 19 years). The new jingle isn’t much different, “Imus. Imus in the Morning”, but is clearly not the same and it will take some time to get used to. Hopefully they’ll bring the duck back. I won my (very rare) Imus in the Morning ceramic Bobble head almost 20 years ago when I called in to the show to report that the duck hadn’t quacked. Truth be told I don’t remember how the duck got involved in the show. Anybody out there know about it?

Five minutes into the show he delivered his official mea culpa, sitting alone on the front of the stage on a stool with his microphone on a stand. He told the story of the night he was fired from CBS radio on his way to see the Rutgers team to apologize. It seemed genuine and contrite but he kept hammering home the fact that he realize what he did and it was “reprehensible” and his punishment was just. But the best part was at the end when he assured his audience that the content of the show wouldn’t change. “Dick Chaney is still a war criminal. Hillary Clinton is still Satan and I’m still Imus in the Morning! ”

The I-man Is Back...

...well not quite yet. We do have to wait until Monday morning at 6am but for all intensive purposes Don Imus' 8-month hibernation from radio is over on Monday.

I shouldn't have to recap what happened to him back in April when he made some choice comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Bottom line, his words were in bad taste and could be offensive, BUT they were not against any law but yet he was punished like he shot someone dead on live TV.

The point is he is back and I'm psyched. He'll be broadcasting on WABC radio 770am in New York and syndicated by a few stations across the country on Citadel's Broadcasting Network. It will also be simulcasted on RFD network (currently available on Dish and DirectTV).

Most of the guests are coming back too with the exception of the spineless pantywaists at Newsweek, who are cowering behind the Management's decision to ban them from appearing on the show.

Now it's time again to discuss Fat Al Sharpton. I can only hope after the niceties are taken care of tomorrow morning (welcome back, good to be here, et al) that the I-man takes his verbal sword and sticks in threw this jackass's eye. No fate that Sharpton can suffer short of death is going to make me happier. He is the lowest of the low and the Black community in America deserves all the criticism they get when they let him "speak for them." He has no actual credibility but yet the news media runs to him and drools over every word he has to say. I can't even begin to understand why.

On a related note...I was reading articles about the I-man's return yesterday and came across this nugget from the Topeka, KS Capitol Journal.

Scroggins to protest return of Don Imus

The Capital-Journal

Published Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Human rights activist Sonny Scroggins will be at the Capitol at noon Monday as Civil War soldier James Whitfield Ross of the First Kansas Colored.

The appearance will coincide with the return of Don Imus to the airwaves on WABC radio in New York

. Imus was fired from his talk show because of negative remarks he made about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Scroggins is continuing the protest against "misogynist lyrics" in gangsta rap. The public is invited to attend and participate in the protest.

For more information on the protest at the Capitol, call Scroggins at (785) 232-3761 or (785) 845-6148.

As I pointed out in my letter to the editors can someone over there please tell me what a man dressed as a civil war soldier has to do with either a radio talk show host or "misogynist lyrics in gangsta rap? What do those 3 things have to do with one another (besides the fact that Lincoln's favorite music was gansta rap...he loved to shake "dat tang")? Is he protesting because Imus and the rappers both referred to nappy headed hos as "nappy headed hos"? Or is it because he's just a dope. I'm in for the latter. If you are in Kansas and reading this...call this idiot and really bitch him out. He deserves it for being yet another person in an ever continuing line of people who abuse their first amendment rights by protesting the things that nobody cares about. How is this news?!?!?!