Rutgers Lady's Basketball Team Accepts Imus Apology

So, sponsors flee, MSNBC cans the simulcast, and CBS fires Don Imus, and yet the team actually accepts the apology by Imus.

Did someone overreact here by firing Imus? If the team can accept the apology is that not sufficient or were people out to extricate their pound of flesh?

I think this was an overreaction by the networks and sponsors. Suspensions were more than appropriate given the way that they've looked the other way for years when rappers, musicians, pundits, radio hosts, and countless others have made statements far more damaging.

UPDATE:
Macranger wonders why Viacom and CBS have no problem with Comedy Central and the Dave Chapelle show, which has run pieces far more damaging to the sensitivities that they claim caused them to can Imus. Double standards run amok and the firing has little to do with what Imus said and more to do with the pressure the company was under from various sources.

Over and Out and the Black Eye

CBS, WFAN, and Viacom have caved to pressure from the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and canned Don Imus. Eight days after Imus uttered that reprehensible phrase (transcript here), CBS determined that it went over the line and fired Imus.

CBS has been down this road before (see Rathergate). They wanted to test the waters. They didn't act to force an apology the day after the incident happened, and Imus was claiming that it was a joke gone awry. Then the likes of Sharpton and Jackson got involved and things took on a life of its own. Executives apparently didn't think there was much of a problem after the segment happened and only began to consider the situation to be serious once Sharpton and Jackson got involved.

Just a day ago CBS President Les Moonves was considering the options. What changed between yesterday and today other than the fact that they axed Imus in the middle of the annual telethon that supports the foundation founded by Imus to help kids with cancer among other charities? More sponsors decided to pull out and MSNBC canceled their simulcast. Money was quickly becoming an issue, but the sponsors were reacting to what Sharpton and Jackson were doing, not necessarily because they had a problem with Imus - who's been paid handsomely over the years because he generated tens of millions of dollars a year for all involved.

Imus made his apology (multiple times) however forced or coerced it may have been. He was supposed to meet with the Rutgers team that he denigrated to discuss the matter face to face. That goes by the wayside (and was not canceled because of despite a completely unrelated incident when Gov. Corzine was injured in a car crash on his way to attend the meeting).

"There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision. "That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."

If that was the consideration, he should have been fired long ago for various other indiscretions and hateful statements made on various broadcasts. Yet, no action was taken then, and none was taken until today.

Why did Moonves act now and not against others within the organization that have engaged in other acts that affect young people, minorities, and women?

CBS canned him because he supposedly violated some kind of standards. This is what I find so incredible distasteful. If he violated the standards last week, CBS should have fired or suspended him on the spot. They chose not to until pressure from outside sources became too great.

So much for standards. That's just cover for the fact that the suits thought that the network might suffer more economic harm by keeping Imus on than by letting him go.

Then, there's the issue of applying those standards to other aspects of CBS and CBS sister companies. How about applying those standards to the other divisions of Viacom (CBS's parent company). Movies? Music? Television?

CBS had no problem considering a season of the show Survivor where the participants were split along racial lines and didn't change its tune until people complained about the concept. No action was taken against the people who thought up that idea.

CBS had no problem trying to defend the wardrobe incident at the Super Bowl where Justin Timberlake ripped a portion of Janet Jackson's top revealing her nipple for all the world to see over and over and over again on TiVo. How long did the network stonewall on that one? No action was taken by the network against those involved.

Imus claimed originally that it was part of a joke gone awry. To him, it was art. Is that any different than Snoop Dogg saying nasty things about women? Oh, is there a difference because Dogg lived in the neighborhoods about which he sings and writes exploitative lyrics and Imus is an Upper Manhattan rich white guy?

The problem here isn't solely Imus. The problem is the way CBS operates. We saw problems with the way the network handled Rathergate. That was a big black eye for the network, and yet network executives are still tone deaf over crisis management.

There's a larger issue over the way people react to indecency and repugnant speech. Everyone has a right to free speech and a freedom from government interference in that right, but that doesn't prevent companies from acting to fire people who make stupid comments. I don't agree with the firing or its timing, but the company was well within its right to do so. Demanding that the FCC get involved or having politicians getting involved demanding he be fired were uncalled for here since there were no laws broken. This is one of many gray areas that people like Imus have inhabited for years. That doesn't just include talk show hosts, but cable television programs and other media outlets.

The inconsistency over standards and what people find decent or indecent is the issue. Consider that ABC has no problem allowing Rosie stay on the air despite the despicable and hateful things she's said (not to mention stunningly stupid things relating to 9/11 conspiracies). No one called for her to be fired.

Opie and Anthony got run off regular radio and ended up on satellite radio because of an on-air stunt that. Now they're back on regular radio. Bob Grant was also fired and ended up back on the radio some time later, but never recovered from the incident where he made insensitive comments about Clinton era Commerce Secretary Ron Brown who died in a plane crash.

So, who will replace Imus in the morning? That's going to be none other than Mike Barnicle, who was a frequent guest on Imus's show. Barnicle has issues of his own, including being involved in a plagiarism scandal and fabricating a story. This is who CBS thinks is a suitable replacement? Then again, they just fired one of Katie Couric's producers for plagiarizing a piece on libraries. They must have a blind spot for folks who have ethical or moral problems.

Actually, Paul at Wizbang has the kicker of the day: Don Imus was fired and Mike Nifong still has his job.

UPDATE 4/13/2007:
Despite Gov. Corzine's serious car crash, the meeting between Imus and the team went on for three hours and was described as being very intense and productive.

Gov. Jon Corzine Injured In Car Crash

News reports are coming through that New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was badly injured in a car crash that came as he was heading to a meeting between just fired DJ Don Imus and members of the Rutgers lady's basketball team.

The reports indicate that he broke his leg and suffered some kind of a chest injury and he was airlifted to a nearby hospital for surgery.

DEVELOPING

UPDATE:
Here is a photo and more details on Gov. Corzine's schedule. He had been in Atlantic City for a conference and was heading back to Trenton to be present for a meeting at the Governor's Mansion where Don Imus and the Rutgers team was supposed to meet.

He had been driving in a motorcade in a sport utility vehicle that was somehow involved in a crash with another vehicle:

State Police spokesman Capt. Al Della Fave said the accident was caused when a red pickup truck swerved into the path of another vehicle. That second vehicle then swerved into the path of the governor's vehicle which drove off the road onto the median to avoid it, striking a metal guardrail.

The driver of the second vehicle stopped, but the red pickup did not, Della Fave said. "If an individual was operating a red pickup truck in that area, we hope they contact the New Jersey State Police,'' he said.

A state trooper, a member of the governor's security detail, was also injured in the crash. Della Fave had no information regarding his name or the nature of his injuries.

A source close to the governor said that Samantha Gordon, the governor's personal aide, and the trooper were "shaken up" in the crash but not seriously injured. Both were taken to hospitals to be checked out by doctors as a precaution, that source said.

Corzine suffers from a leg fractures and multiple broken ribs. The surgery is to deal with the leg fractures.

I wish Corzine, Gordon, and the trooper a speedy recovery.

UPDATE 4/13/2007:
The extent of Corzine's injuries is quite bad: 12 broken ribs, broken sternum, broken collarbone, and compound fracture to his leg. It will be several days before he could resume his duties as governor and it will be several months before he'll be able to walk normally again. Law enforcement is still trying to find the red pickup truck that appears to have been the proximate cause of the accident.

A Day Later And Many Dollars Short

The fallout from the North Carolina Attorney General's report on the Duke case continues to reach far and wide. Still, Mike Nifong has been silent on the report, as has the accuser (and she's not going to face charges for her part in this mess).

Some people, like John Podhoretz are naming her and are calling her out. He thinks public shaming is in order, in addition to the possibility of criminal charges, though he notes that AG Cooper has already noted that no such charges will be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, two people who were quite vocal about the Duke non-rape case, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, have also been quiet about the turn of events and complete exoneration of the trio. Where are their apologies? They put their considerable energies into defending the accuser even as her story was coming apart at the seams.

Guess who's asking that question. Don Imus. Yes, that Don Imus who's busy losing his simulcast operation and is expecting to be fired by CBS at any time.

It's a good question, but why is it up to Imus to ask that question in defense of his own indefensible statements about the Rutgers lady's basketball team? Why haven't other media outlets and journalists asked that question? After all, Sharpton and Jackson have made quite a few inflammatory and derogatory statements over the years and have not been held accountable for their actions, and yet they want to go on a witchhunt.

Here's Sharpton today:

'It is our feeling that this is only the beginning. We must have a broad discussion on what is permitted and not permitted in terms the airwaves...

So, it's a broad discussion that Sharpton wants. He has no problem demanding Imus be fired, but when it comes to the much larger issue of misogynistic statements and derogatory comments against women and minorities by others in the media and entertainment field, he's looking to have a discussion? Where are the demands to fire those involved in the creation, production, and distribution of music that is derogatory of women and minorities?

Who is Sharpton to demand such things? Who is Sharpton to pass judgment on what others say.

Editor and Publisher has a long list of losers and possible winners in the Duke case. The media didn't distinguish itself over the case either, choosing to sensationalize the racial aspects of the case and ignored the clear problems with the case from the outset. There were several in the media and online who didn't succumb to the sensationalism and instead engaged in investigative journalism including the late Ed Bradley, whose piece on 60 Minutes showed the case for the farce that it was.

The calls to disbar Nifong have been growing. Well, join the club. Anyone who has been following this case for months knows by now that Nifong's actions were indefensible and the withholding of exculpatory evidence is one of the biggest no-nos in the criminal justice system.

UPDATE:
Durham DA Mike Nifong has issued a statement. He's apologizing, though the damage has been done by his abject failures and compounding error on error:

The local prosecutor who charged three Duke lacrosse players with raping a stripper apologized to the athletes Thursday, acknowledging that the North Carolina attorney general's decision to drop the case was correct.

"To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused," Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement.

While we're on the subject of apologies, where's one from the NYT for their biased coverage?

The Latest Double Standard On Repugnancy

Don Imus is rightfully getting slammed for his repugnant statements about the Rutgers lady's basketball team. However, where is the outrage from Sharpton, Jackson, et al., over the despicable comments, lyrics, and visual offerings from the likes of hip hop stars and rappers? Are they not just as demeaning to women as Imus' comments? Are they not just as worth of criticism and hitting back at the labels and producers? Are they not just as worthy of being picketed?

Apparently not.

There's a lot of selective criticism going on here, and that Imus would get picked out for his repugnancy is telling. Selective indignation and outrage by the likes of Sharpton and Jackson and their cohorts suggests that this isn't simply about the statements made, but about what Sharpton and Jackson want to accomplish.

Michelle Malkin has much more on this, including a sampling of rap and hip hop videos/lyrics.

UPDATE:
Well, MSNBC has had enough of Imus and his antics. They've dropped the simulcast of his WFAN morning show. It may be a matter of time before he's dumped from WFAN as well, especially as the sponsors flee.

UPDATE:
Here come the calls to fire Imus. Obama wants him fired. He's treading on thin ice here thinking that hosts who say derogatory things about women or minorities on the air should be fired. If that were the case, say goodbye to most rap and hip hop, which present negative images of women and minorities under the guise of art. Here, Imus was operating under the claim he was trying to be funny. Where would Obama draw the line? Certainly nowhere I'd want him to go.

Hillary has no love lost for Imus and wont appear on his show. Wonkette wont go back on the show, not like she'd be invited.

Yet, Imus has some supporters. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain among them. John Edwards believes in forgiveness.

Jesse Jackson is using the opportunity to call on the networks to hire more black hosts.

And then, there's the question of whether and when the government will step in and look at the matter further. Expect the FCC to come out and investigate the incident. The FCC is downplaying the reports that some complaints have filtered in against Imus.

Priorities Askew

Which story should receive more coverage: 1) Israel conducting negotiations with terrorist groups to secure the release of Gilad Shalit and which would also mean the release of hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails including notorious terrorists and murderers like Marwan Barghouti; or 2) Don Imus and his inane clown rantings on the Rutgers Lady's Basketball Team.

Well, considering that the top story on most of the online news outlets is the Imus kerfuffle, it is clearly Imus and his rantings are seen as more important than the life and death struggle of Israel, Gilad Shalit, and the considerable ethical and moral quandries in a prisoner swap.

Think about this: Israel is on the verge of even considering a prisoner swap where hundreds of Palestinians are released to secure the return of a single Israeli soldier. Those Palestinians released could include those with Israeli blood on their hands, and there's no reason to believe that those Palestinians wouldn't simply return to their former ways - going after Israelis at the earliest possible opportunity.

Such a release would result in undermining Israeli national security (and indeed much of the West) for years to come. That the feckless Olmert government is even entertaining the Hamas inspired prisoner lists is telling. There's no reason to negotiate with these terrorists and there's no amount of goodwill short of Israel pulling down its flags and quitting the country that would be acceptable to Hamas. These same groups are continuing their attacks on Israel and it is lucky that a major terrorist attack didn't occur during the past week.

Israeli officials are looking at prisoner lists that include murderers and those involved in terrorist attacks on Israel and think they can whittle down the list to a number and selection that will be acceptable to the Palestinians, let alone Israelis who should be outraged that the Israeli government would cave on a matter of such national import.

Any kind of agreement that Israel works out with the Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Fatah will result in a major coup for the Palestinians - and undermine Israel's national security. It will mean that kidnapping Israelis will result in further concessions.

Where will that line be drawn? For the Olmert government, it would appear that there simply is no line that can't be crossed.

Instead, we're treated to the non-stop coverage of Imus and his distasteful comments that landed him a 2-week suspension that will begin next week because he's set to host WFAN's annual 2-day charity event beginning Thursday. He's going to meet with the players, has already been chastized by the coach, and has already met with the dispicable Al Sharpton whose own gory history of distasteful comments should have been more than sufficient to require clothespins for everyone watching that encounter and demand for fealty/apology on behalf of the team.

I find that the priorities of those in the media are so far out of whack that they don't recognize truly important news stories for what are marginal pieces that will affect only a tiny segment of the population; after all Imus has a very limited audience, even counting the marginal coverage he gets on the MSNBC simulcast. That few in the media are willing to delve deeper into Sharpton's background to show his nature as a race-baiter and racist is appalling. The same people who demand that white folks apologize for saying inappropriate comments haven't been above using their own hateful language and have never apologized for them either. Instead, they're now perceived as kingmakers and politicians must consider their support in running for major elections.

I've given up watching or listening to Imus for years now. He isn't funny and that was his schtick for a long time. He made the Broadcasting Hall of Fame on his record, but that record is long past. He's made his apologies and his employer has made him sit in the corner for two weeks. Fine by me.

It is interesting, however, to consider that the issue of race relations now turns on the utterances of an over-the-hill shock jock and his kowtowing to self-annointed protectors of civil rights who themselves care little about racial equality and see incidents such as this as little more than props to stay in the media spotlight rather than on the actual advances made since the founding of the civil rights movement. There's a story in there, and that is where the story truly lies.