Don Imus admits in a conversation with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace that Imus pays Bernard McGuirck to tell nigger jokes.
This is the same Don Imus that talks regularly with the likes of NYTimes' Frank Rich, Meet The Press' Tim Russert, the Chicago Tribunes' Clarence Page, Senators John Kerry, John McCain, Joe Lieberman and many others nationally prominent political representatives.
For obvious reasons, many white folks have problems with the term white supremacy as it is applied to contemporary society but only under a white supremacist and virulently sexist society would high elected officials and prominent journalists seek and accept invitation to chat with an unapologetic racist and sexist like Imus. Only under white supremacy would a billion dollar news and entertainment network, NBC, employ a racist and sexist like Imus without pissing off much anyone. On the contrary, the racism and sexism are obviously a big hit as evidenced by the continuation of Imus' programs. Like the term or not, white supremacy is what we have. And like all problems, denying it won't remedy it and will most likely make it or allow it to become more serious.
Far from the discovery of something obscure, this report was done by On The Media, part of NPR. And the report was aired over four years ago. The media isn't concerned. But like I said, in a white supremacist society, a racist Imus is no problem.
Listen to the On The Media report.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Imus Admits To Hiring People Tell Nigger Jokes
Several years ago, when I still lived in New York, a friend of mine told me I should check out the Imus in the Morning show on WFAN, a sports talk radio station in New York, and syndicated around the country. I remembered Imus from my childhood years as a DJ on WABC; back before sports and right wing hate radio dominated the airwaves, back when there was still music on the AM dial. I remember thinking that he was kind of an idiot, so when my friend suggested tuning into his program, I was skeptical. He reassured me that the I Man was hilarious and really knew how to conduct an interview with a host of seemingly reputable guests. Tuning in for the first time, I was immediately taken aback at the bigoted tone of the program; there seemed to be no end to the openly hostile racist and sexist content that was being passed off as humor. Indeed, interspersed with this barrage of off-color humor were guests who, for various reasons usually associated with some form of self promotion, would suck up to the I Man; seconding his glib political observations and attempting to field his inane questions; trying their best to lend a credible and respectable patina to the proceedings. I was appalled.
I reported back to my friend that I thought Imus was a racist, a misogynist, and a bigot and I couldn’t understand why any thinking individual would waste their time listening to such drivel. His reaction floored me; he said that the I Man wasn’t really a bigot; all that bluster was just part of his “shtick”. Besides, he said, every year on Martin Luther King Day he played Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in its entirety, and that proved that in his heart of hearts he wasn’t really a racist. I wasn’t really convinced then and I’m certainly not convinced now. I find this whole specious rationale similar to the “Good Christian Man” who shows up at church on Sunday and then goes out into the world to lie, cheat, steal and beat his wife the rest of the week.
It’s probably not a perfect comparison, but imagine if on the Tavis Smiley show someone like Cornel West or Michael Eric Dyson were to come on and make racists comments about “whitey” or “kikes”. So-called “progressive” voices like Frank Rich and Tim Russert would be the first ones crawl all over him and to call for some kind of censure. Their lack of comprehension as to how they actively participate in perpetuating the status quo racist norms of white, male dominated society is mind-boggling. By continuing to appear on Imus’ program, rather than treating the I Man as a pariah, their message is clear; “white supremacy is alive and well in America, and that’s just fine with us”.