from MSNBC
A resolution to the Don Imus scandal, finally: He's been suspended for two weeks by MSNBC and CBS in the wake of his on-air racial slur against the Rutgers women's basketball team wherein he called them "nappy headed hos." Imus made the remarks on the air last Wednesday, which prompted an outcry from outraged viewers, followed by calls for his resignation, notably by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. MSNBC issued a careful statement condemning the remarks and distancing itself from Imus ("While simulcast by MSNBC, "Imus in the Morning" is not a production of the cable network and is produced by WFAN Radio...his views are not those of MSNBC"). On Friday morning, Imus apologized on the air, calling the remark "insensitive and ill-conceived," "completely inappropriate" and "thoughtless and stupid."
Let's refresh ourselves on exactly what was said:
IMUS: That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and--McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.
IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some--woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like--kinda like--I don't know.
McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.
IMUS: Yeah.
McGUIRK: The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes--that movie that he had.
Though Imus, the show's star, has received the brunt of the attention — nappy-headed hos! Incredible! — McGuirk's slur and reference is just as appalling.
Over the weekend, the story continued to percolate as media outlets re-told and revisited it, and MSNBC "continued to review" the situation (which, as WaPo's Lisa de Moraes noted, didn't necessarily mean much given Imus' pattern of offensive remarks followed by what de Moraes termed MSNBC's "form apology").
Then came today, and Imus' visit, cowboy hat in hand, to Al Sharpton's radio show, where he submitted to the harsh criticism of Sharpton and his listeners (Sharpton et al called for his resignation; Imus protested that his work with cancer-stricken children proved that he was not a racist since some of them were African-American. To a caller: "I've slept in a house with more black children that are not related to me than you have). A few hours following the occasionally testy broadcast (FishbowlNY has highlights), NBC announced that Imus had been suspended for two weeks.
Two weeks — and everybody wins. Imus wins, because he gets to receive appropriate punishment, expiate his sin, and be redeemed. MSNBC and NBC win, because they get to make an appropriate "show of strength" without sacrificing a ratings winner in a tough timeslot (and so low budget! Compare to Today or GMA!). Sharpton & co. win because the seriousness of the offense is acknowledged with punishment and public shaming. Everyone learns their lesson, and, after a small hiccup, they just keep rolling along. Is it enough? Probably not for the Rutgers basketball team, who saw their almost-Final Four performance overshadowed by the fact that, even at that pinnacle of success and accomplishment, they could be dismissed and debased with an offhand slur that was both racist and sexist. Probably not for member of the groups similarly slurred by Imus — gays and lesbians, Palestinians, PBS's Gwen Ifill, to whom Imus referred as the "cleaning lady" when she was at the NYT, MSNBC anchorwoman Contessa Brewer, whom he called a "pig" and a "skank" on the air in 2005 — to them, this no doubt appears like a slap on the wrist, the least the network(s) can get away with after so many repeat offenses and form apologies (for the '05 sexist slurs against Brewer, MSNBC expressed its "displeasure"). But — for Imus? He's taken a lot of heat for this one, and cannot be under the misapprehension that secretly it's no big deal, as perhaps he may have in the past. Perhaps, if he's shaken enough from the close brush with real repercussions for real — and major — infractions, he may just have learned when to shut his yap, at least while at the morning microphone. Or, at least, MSNBC will have learned to put him on a 5-second delay. Because this is the last of any possible strikes. Next one, and he's out. For good.
Imus called women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" [MediaMatters]
Sorry Excuses: MSNBC's Form Apology [WaPo]
With Imus, They Keep On Coming Back [NYT]
Earlier:
Don Imus and Contessa Brewer: Can he just say that? [FishbowlNY]
