Imus Be Missing Something…

Imagine that! MSNBC professes to be suddenly shocked that it’s long-running obnoxious shock jock says obnoxious, shocking things.

I don’t really have anything to add to all the overdone commentary, other than to suggest that a society (and a media establishment) that regards Al Sharpton as a responsible proctor to police the boundaries of acceptable discourse is in deep trouble.

Say What? (8)

  1. eddy April 12, 2007 at 11:30 am | | Reply

    John — You might appreciate Jason Whitlock’s perspective:

    http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/time-for-jackson-sharpton-to-step-down/20070411111509990001

  2. John Rosenberg April 12, 2007 at 12:23 pm | | Reply

    eddy – Thanks. Great column. All should read it.

  3. Cobra April 13, 2007 at 1:08 am | | Reply

    I have some problems with Jason Whitlock’s column, but first–my take on the Imus issue.

    The market took care of it. When corporate sponsors no longer wanted to have their brand associated with Don Imus, they cut their ties. The decision by the corporate heads of MSNBC and CBS was easy after that, despite whatever spin the newswire release gave.

    Freedom of speech?

    Don Imus, like everybody else in America, is entitled to say anything he wishes.

    He is NOT entitled to say anything he wishes on corporate sponsored FCC regulated broadcast airwaves, as we all found out this past week.

    Now, onto Mr. Whitlock.

    Jason Whitlock writes:

    >>>”I’m calling for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, the president and vice president of Black America, to step down.”

    The most powerful elected African-American leader in America right now is Rep. Charles Rangle, who is Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. John Conyers Jr. is Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Condolezza Rice is Secretary of State, the highest ranking African-American Bush Administration appointee. Justice Clarence Thomas is the highest ranking black jurist in America. Senator Barack Obama is the nation’s only current African-American Senator. Deval L. Patrick is the nation’s only current African-American Governor. Dennis Courtland Hayes is the interim President and CEO of the NAACP while Julian Bond is its Chairman. Mark Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League. There are 39 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. There are 16 African-American Mayors of Cities with populations of over 180,000. There are innumerable college professors, scientists, businessmen, sociologists, award winning authors, historians and clergy members who are also African-American. I specifically do not include athletes and entertainers.

    My point is that there’s no such thing as “one” black leader. If Jason Whitlock can’t find “black leaders” he isn’t looking hard enough. The Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are social activists who have a keen understanding of how the media (which is run primarily by whites) works. They’ve developed their oratorial skills to master the memorable soundbite, which is perfect for fast food cable news programs, and 11 o’clock local newscasts.

    This fits the script for the television and talk radio producers, along with their tabloid newspaper peers, in their form of confrontational- “pro-wrassling” brand of info-tainment. It’s a symbiotic relationship, IMHO, which is why you don’t see NEARLY enough of many of the African-Americans I listed above on these “news shows.” You have to monitor local news, NPR, Public Television, or CSPAN to see most of them, while Jackson and Sharpton are on speed dial for Fox, MSNBC and CNN.

    Now, I’ve defended Al here on this blog before, not because he’s perfect, but because he brings light and voice to topics (police brutality, race discrimination) that primarily-white run media isn’t inclined to cover. He can act as a voice for poor minorities who don’t have top-tier lawyers or defense funds, but I do get tickled when people attack Al Sharpton on this Imus issue.

    Ask yourself a question…

    Who did Don Imus and his handlers have on speed-dial to do the FIRST public interview on this matter?

    –Cobra

  4. Dom April 13, 2007 at 5:05 pm | | Reply

    WHitlock refers to Sharpton and Jackson as leaders because that is the title they answer to.

    I didn’t see Sharpton and Jackson bringing clarity to the Tawana Brawley case, and any number of other cases that I can think of.

    Sharpton is a buffoon. He should be an embarrasment to everyone. His claim to fame was to exploit a poor young girl who was frightened of her step-father. He was quoted (by his own chauffer) as calling himself a “bigger N** than Bill Cosby.” His hate speech is directly responsible for a number of murders. He should be dropped from ALL public air waves.

  5. Cobra April 14, 2007 at 12:43 am | | Reply

    Dom writes:

    >>>”Sharpton is a buffoon. He should be an embarrasment to everyone. His claim to fame was to exploit a poor young girl who was frightened of her step-father. He was quoted (by his own chauffer) as calling himself a “bigger N** than Bill Cosby.” His hate speech is directly responsible for a number of murders. He should be dropped from ALL public air waves.”

    You still don’t get it, do you? Look at what you’re saying. Look at the power YOU give Al Sharpton, that you’re quoting his “chauffer?” You’re indicting him for murders he didn’t commit? You’re bring up the Brawley incident which is almost TWO DECADES OLD? You’ve made him almost a mythological figure…a living legend. Why, he’s Eldridge Cleaver-meets-Rick Flair without the sequined robe and feather boa.

    That makes you a “mark”, too, in pro wrasslin’ terms.

    If Al and Jesse “answer” to the title of “leader”, who keeps calling them? (Hint: Al and Jesse don’t own or run anything in the media.)

    But you know what was interesting this past week? Since the Imus Affair turned into a 24 hour round the clock event on CNN, FOX and MSNBC, you began to see OTHER African-Americans on the air, both liberal and conservative. People like Jason Whitlock, Director Bruce Gordon from CBS Corp., Bryan Monroe from the National Association of Black Journalists, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, Reverend DeForest “Buster” Soaries Jr, and even one of John’s favorites, writer John Ridley, and scores of others who were always around, but NEVER seemed to be in the phone book for cable news producers for other stories. Of course, Fox News still tries to fill the space with New Black Panther Party members to scare soccer moms, but even THEY had on more black pundits and speakers this week than I’ve ever seen in Prime Time.

    Yet you still want to focus on Al Sharpton? If you do, then you bought the finish move, the pin fall and storyline just like far too many in America.

    Don’t “tap out” on this one, Dom.

    –Cobra

  6. Laura(southernxyl) April 15, 2007 at 7:54 pm | | Reply

    Cobra, you listed some African-American leaders, but the fact is that they are leaders who are AA. They are not leaders by virtue of leading, or pretending to lead, black people. It may seem like a small distinction but it is one.

    I agree that Jason Whitlock’s sentence about Jackson and Sharpton stepping down is silly. This is a free country and those two can say anything they want. The news media can report it if they want. Everyone knows, or should know, that there was never a black-only referendum that elected Jackson and Sharpton to be their leaders.

  7. Anita April 16, 2007 at 10:56 am | | Reply

    It is not totally honest to say that Sharpton is not a leader. Obviously, he is not just my uncle spouting off. Sharpton commands media attention. He commands it because a lot of black people do regard his as some kind of authority in the black community. I can’t put it more specifically than that. I can’t say how many regard him as a leader. But people do call on him when they feel they have been unjustly treated because of race. They call on him because he has power. So again he is not my uncle whom the news media does not care about. the other people that Cobra cited are not leaders. They do not pretend to speak for all or most blacks. Sharpton does. He addresses racial issues on behalf of black people. And many like him. if they did not he would not be where he is today.

  8. Cobra April 16, 2007 at 12:03 pm | | Reply

    Laura writes:

    >>>”Cobra, you listed some African-American leaders, but the fact is that they are leaders who are AA. They are not leaders by virtue of leading, or pretending to lead, black people. It may seem like a small distinction but it is one.”

    I agree with you. Take Jason Whitlock for example. He’s a former college football player who writes sports collumns for the Kansas City Star. He’s only “known” to some people in the rest of the country because of his being hired by ESPN as a regular on some of their talk shows.

    In other words, the “media establishment” gave him a platform to express his views and opinions. That doesn’t make him an “African-American leader”, neccessarily, but for the past week, he’s been invited on innumerable talk shows and outlets because of the position he took on the Imus affair, giving him more visibility than he ever had from ESPN or the KC Star.

    My point is this. If the people I listed in the above post received as much attention from the MSM as Sharpton and Jackson, people would NEVER consider the “only” black leaders in America.

    –Cobra

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