Imus To Be Suspended From MSNBC

[Marnie]

Don Imus will be punished for his controversial comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

NBC News has decided to suspend him, allowing finish the week on MSNBC, but suspend the simulcast of his radio show for the two weeks after that.

NBC News President Steve Capus released a statement.

"Beginning Monday, April 16, MSNBC will suspend simulcasting the syndicated 'Imus in the Morning' radio program for two weeks. This comes after careful consideration in the days since his racist, abhorrent comments were made. Don Imus has expressed profound regret and embarrassment and has made a commitment to listen to all of those who have raised legitimate expressions of outrage. In addition, his dedication - in his words - to change the discourse on his program moving forward, has confirmed for us that this action is appropriate. Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word.

The previously scheduled Imus radiothon in support of the Tomorrow's Children's Fund, the CJ Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome research and the Imus Ranch will air, as scheduled, this Thursday and Friday on MSNBC."

This does not affect his radio show.

The news comes hours after Imus appeared on the Rev. Al Sharpton's show .

Sharpton began his show by saying Imus' comments were "racist" and "diabolical." He then replayed the controversial remarks from Imus' radio show, in which Imus referred to members of the mostly black Rutgers team as "nappy-headed hos."

Imus then appeared, reiterating his earlier apology for the comments. But he also said that at the time the conversation took place, he had no intention of his words becoming derogatory.

"I didn't think it was a racial insult," Imus told Sharpton. "I thought it was in the process of us rapping and trying to be funny."

Imus went on to say that he didn't think he should be fired, because doing so would not be based on an "informed decision." But he said that people like Sharpton had the right to call for his firing.

Sharpton said he still believed Imus should be fired because of making such racially hurtful comments on a mainstream show that routinely hosted political candidates and top-tier journalists.

Addressing Imus' argument that his intention wasn't to be racially insensitive, Sharpton said he believed the more important issue was regulating hateful speech on the nation's airwaves.

"(A person) could be fired, and you're the nicest guy in the world, but you (still) deserve to be fired," Sharpton said.

Imus said he felt especially ashamed of spoiling the Rutgers players' time in the spotlight after they had worked so hard to get to the NCAA women's national basketball championship.

"What I did was repugnant, repulsive and horrible," said Imus. "Here are these young women at the pinnacle of their life ... and I ruined it."

At one point, the exchange between Imus, Sharpton and a female caller grew testy. Imus became frustrated and exclaimed, "I can't get anywhere with you people."

"What do you mean by 'you people'?" Sharpton said.

Imus responded that he simply meant Sharpton and the woman.

In another encounter, Sharpton said, "If you walk away from this unscathed ..."

"How am I unscathed by this?" Imus interrupted. "Don't you think I'm humiliated?"

The "Al Sharpton Show" is a nationally syndicated radio program.

If Imus had been black, there'd be no story, IMO.

NBC

[Ovedya]

Persons of African descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Filipino descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Cuban descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Samoan descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Aboriginal Australian descent can have "nappy" hair.

The term "nappy" is not in any way racist.

What is more offensive is the "hos" comment!

Al Sharpton is a racist panderer.

(I wrote this as a man who is married to an African American woman)

[Wingwalker]

Persons of African descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Filipino descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Cuban descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Samoan descent can have "nappy" hair.

Persons of Aboriginal Australian descent can have "nappy" hair.

The term "nappy" is not in any way racist.

What is more offensive is the "hos" comment!

I agree with you. I did not find the comment racist but I did find it very derogatory.

[Ovedya]

Would he have called white girls "nappy headed hoes?" I don't think so.

Doesn't matter. Is the Rutger's women's basketball team ENTIRELY composed of African American women?

[Giaour]

My momma used to call me nappy headed all the time. I had long frizzy hair that I never got all the tangles out of. It looked nappy. White girls are called hos all the time.

[Giaour]

Yes, there are white girls on the team.

Why is noone asking Sharpton and Jackson about falsly accusing white cops of rape and using the phrase "Himey" town?

Imus apologized. Why ask for blood?

If rosie has free speech then so does Imus!

[Axxman]

Al Sharpton calling Imus a racist is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Al Sharpton has said and done more racist things than Imus has even thought about...he still has a radio show. NBC should have told Sharpton that they would fire Imus as soon as Sharpton was fired. That would be a postive situation all the way around.

[Smalcald]

It was over the top and it was derogatory, exactly what I would expect of Imus.

I do admit I am a fan, although I don't always agree with all he says. But the fact is rap artists are selling to the public, to mainly white suburban kids records which say "ho" all of the time, I don't see them being protested. Speech is speech it is either acceptable or not, for better or worse we have decided as a culture that what is played in general by these mainstream rap artists is acceptable, if it is acceptable for one person it is acceptable for another.

The only reason Imus is good or really the main reason; is that he makes fun of everybody, he likes nobody in general, that is what makes him unique. I think this is his end, he will either fade away or become so toned down that it won

[kat8585]

Al Sharpton calling Imus a racist is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Al Sharpton has said and done more racist things than Imus has even thought about...he still has a radio show. NBC should have told Sharpton that they would fire Imus as soon as Sharpton was fired. That would be a postive situation all the way around.

"What's up hoe" is what kids are saying these days. My 19 year old granddaughter and her friends say it all the time, and she gets a kick out of even her mom and me saying it to her. It's not racial or derogatory to them. It's just the jargon they use.

[None]

I grew up with a black step-dad and his huge family. Many cousins.

One lesson I remember learning quite well was,

"We are allowed to use racial slurs on each other but you are never allowed to."

(me being a nerdy white girl)

So. To avoid a beat-down I took the well-intentioned advice. It made sense sense to me and I was only 10.

A radio personality, well into his experienced years, should have known the unsaid rules

and the reprocusions for breaking them.

What bothers me is, did we really need to pull Jackson into this?

Edited April 13, 2007 by None