In the wake of the Don Imus career implosion, media critics, activists and
professional thumbsuckers are debating whether the rules of media argy-bargy
have changed.
In a long cover story, Time magazine asks, "Who can say what?" Civil rights
ambulance-chaser Al Sharpton says this is the "beginning" of a "broad
discussion on what is permitted and not permitted on the airwaves."
On the surface, it does kind of look like a new standard is emerging. After
all, by my rough estimate, this was the 1,981,293rd stupid or offensive
thing Imus said on his radio show, and yet for reasons hard to fathom this
was the one that made him a pariah.
The truth is, however, the rules haven't changed at all - and that's why
this story is so maddeningly annoying.
First of all, there are no champions here, no heroes. In fact, there
shouldn't even be victims. I agree entirely that Imus' "nappy-headed ho's"
comments were offensive and insulting. But what on earth is wrong with the
Rutgers' women's basketball team? One player dramatically protested that
Imus' insults "scarred me for life."
Really? An aging, dyspeptic poster boy for Viagra says something stupid
about you and you're scarred for life? What kind of pride is their coach
instilling in them?
Meanwhile, we're supposed to submit to lectures from Al Sharpton about what
is "permissible" to say in public life? When exactly did someone invest Al
Sharpton with such moral or intellectual authority?
Sharpton has real victims on his rap sheet. He incited Harlem protestors to
fight back against Jewish "white interlopers." When one of the protestors
invaded a store and set fire to it, killing eight people, Sharpton denied
he'd ever spoken at the rally in question. When tapes of Sharpton's
incendiary speech were produced, he responded, "What's wrong with denouncing
white interlopers?" And let's not even replay the Tawana Brawley episode.
Then there's the smug journalistic establishment, which has been kissing
Imus' behind for a decade. Suddenly, they're shocked, shocked by Imus'
insensitivity. Please. If they are so concerned with the damage done by
hurtful comments, why aren't they begging for forgiveness like Henry in the
snows of Canossa for their rush to judgment in the Duke lacrosse scandal?
And liberal politicians, too - most of whom once upon a time lined up to use
Imus' megaphone - are suddenly dismayed by Imus' comments. Sen. Barack
Obama, for example, called for Imus to be fired for his "ho" comments. OK,
but Obama and other leading Democrats routinely meet with rappers, such as
Ludacris, who use "ho" - and worse - so much that if you were to delete such
terms from some of their songs you'd have little more than a backbeat left.