Imus returns to Radio and TV - So overdue..

[intheflatfield]

In this new instant media (including blog) environment, it's like an out of control thread, once someone has been singled out, it just becomes an avalanche, that has no sense of it's own scope.

[Blarg]

I don't think freedom of speech is the issue here.

[intheflatfield]

not specifically, I was speaking more to the fact that people in the puclic eye, are so scrutinized in everything they say, especially politicians and celebrities and the ensuing rush to judgement can be so servere that people now shy away from saying anything that might be conceived as controversial and I can't seee how this won't have a negative effect on speech, and even though, I don't think that is its intentional the result is the same.

[Blarg]

I'm still reserving the right to say I think Imus effed this up pretty badly. He's being keelhauled for lousy judgment, not for daring to say something true or fair or expressing a political or philosophical opinion which any free society should allow by definition.

His judgment deserves some form of censure and disapproval, though whether taking him off the air is excessive or not can certainly be questioned. His freedom of speech isn't really at issue both because he works for a private firm and because he is not a journalist covering a news event nor being forced even by voluntary omission not to fully do so. He is free to say whatever he wants at home or when his salary is not being paid by someone else, until he's blue in the face, if he likes. While on someone else's dime, he can expect to have to conform to some sort of standards -- likely a morals clause written specifically into his contract, as is common with sports stars and other celebrities. The standards in this case had nothing to do with telling the truth about anything.

So not calling kid's ho's is not about censorship. It's just about not being a dick.

If Imus never called another person a nappy-headed ho in his life, the world would not be in any way the worse for it, nor would his conscience. If his calling kids nappy-headed ho's were to somehow wind up being completely validated, it would not strike a blow for free speech.

[intheflatfield]

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His freedom of speech isn't really at issue both because he works for a private firm and because he is not a journalist covering a news event nor being forced even by voluntary omission not to fully do so

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Blarg, I wasn't referring to his freedom of speech, I was talking about ours, in a broader sense.

If the politicians, public figures or the people that report on them, or entertainers / comedians for that matter, censor themselves, because of the intolerance that currently permeates the current socio-political climate, that can't be good

What Imus said was offensife, but it was said in a satirical context (not excusing it). I just think we have become an intolerant society and being so speech cannot help but be diluted. That was my point.

[Franchise 60]

So its bad to be intolerable to intolerance? Amiright?

[Blarg]

Diluting or eliminating some speech doesn't strike me as a problem, when the speech has nothing redeeming about it. And whether it's self-instigated or imposed upon a radio celebrity by his boss and/or sponsors. Contrarily, if Imus were to rip on one political party or another, I'd be all in favor of his right to do so no matter how idiotic it might be. But just calling people nasty names doesn't strike me as making either our freedom or our level of public discourse more robust. Nor more enjoyable or interesting either, really.

I mean, what passes for funny, smart, or cool needs to be a little better than calling school kids nappy headed ho's. That's just weak.

I kinda doubt Imus would have called a bunch of white kids ho's, too. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Overall, I think this was really an issue about a guy being an ass, and in so doing, putting his sponsors and his bosses in hot water unnecessarily as a result. The freedom of speech thing seems like a red herring tossed into the mix.

[youtalkfunny]

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I like Harold Ford Jr! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I don't hear much about him anymore, wonder why?

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Because the Ford family is to Memphis as the Kennedys are to Massachusetts, or the Daley's to Chicago--only the Fords are more pervasive in the political scene; less competent; and more corrupt. It seems like once a month, a political hack named Ford gets indicted for one form of corruption or another.

I think Harold Jr is laying low for a while, waiting for some of the stink that's coming off his family to blow over. Again.

[katyseagull]

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I think Harold Jr is laying low for a while, waiting for some of the stink that's coming off his family to blow over. Again.

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I was hoping that Harold Jr. would run for president one day. He's a great speaker and can get his ideas across so well. Pretty disappointing to hear that his family has been involved in corruption [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[katyseagull]

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His judgment deserves some form of censure and disapproval, though whether taking him off the air is excessive or not can certainly be questioned. His freedom of speech isn't really at issue both because he works for a private firm and because he is not a journalist covering a news event nor being forced even by voluntary omission not to fully do so. He is free to say whatever he wants at home or when his salary is not being paid by someone else, until he's blue in the face, if he likes.

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I'm not sure where I stand on this issue anymore. I used to agree with you, that people should be able to say whatever they want, no matter how idiotic, and it was up to the listeners and sponsers to use good judgment and choose not to listen (or in the case of sponsers, to pull their advertising). But our world has become so dumb and from where I stand I see a lot of hatred combined with middle school mentality. It's no longer the minority of people who embrace locker room behavior, it's the majority. People love it and think it's hilarious. It's everywhere. You read all the time about school teachers and principals behaving badly, bosses in the workplace acting like fools, people at the office referring to their coworkers as bitches and ho's, even congressmen acting like the lowest common denominator. It's so commonplace that no one seems to care at all, in fact, lots of us are getting down in the gutter.

Not only do a lot of adults not have any class, they are downright abrasive. I think it's only going to get worse not better. People right now look at the Imus comment and laugh. No one cares really. It will only get worse not better.