As Jordyn Flows

[After reading the New York Times article, "Off the Air: The Light goes Out for Don Imus," my teacher Mr. Franek asked his students to sound-off about Imus's racist remark and as a result the canceling of his show. Here are some of my thoughts:]

I brought up the New York Time’s article Off the Air: The Light Goes Out for Don Imus with one of the most opinionated people I know, my grandfather (informally known as Pop). Though his points are always valid, I often find myself disagreeing with his stance on many issues. It was no surprise that the recent ending of Don Imus’s career on TV and radio (as of now) sparked debate in the Shaffer household.
As a true libertarian, my Pop essentially believes that Don Imus should be allowed to say what ever he pleases on his TV show, Imus in the Morning, a paid program broadcasted by MSNBC. (Meaning that this TV is show is available to those who pay for cable.) And when my Pop says say “whatever he pleases” I am assuming this includes the derogatory term, “nappy-head hoes.” My pop thinks that since Imus in the Morning is a paid television program, people who pay for cable open the option for them to either watch or not watch his show.  

However, Imus’s show broadcasted on the radio by CBS, a public network, is widely available to all people. (Personally I found that his argument was too technical to rationalize Imus's words.) According to my Pop, this accessibility on the radio makes it unacceptable for Imus to use offensive language. For example, if an individual screams a false fire in a movie theatre, then this statement is inflammatory since the entire public has no option but to listen to it. Moreover, he then goes on to tell me that CBS and MSNBC “pulled the plug” and sponsors cut their support as a result of public pressure from consumers. Truthfully, I understand my Pop’s points, which are just microcosms of how he feels about policies such as freedom of speech. But like I said, I do not necessarily support them.
In regards to my Pop’s opinion on public radio versus a paid television program, I find that cable does not justify Imus’s remark. The decision to take him off the air does prove a point—”words matter”. Therefore, any network that requires antenna use should be help accountable to the same standards. Should this message not be applied to all TV shows or radio stations? If so, then I find the media as a whole to be very hypocritical. Numerous networks such as MTV, Vh1, and BET air music videos, degrade females (especially black females). On a daily basis, I hear songs that discriminate females on local radio stations including Q102 and The Beat. How come Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson are not asking these networks to stop airing these images and song lyrics? Anyone please feel free to explain. 

Personally, after reading this article I was less concerned about the controversy pertaining to Imus and his career because lets face it, females are discriminated against everyday males and females alike. Imus’s comments targeted towards the Rutgers’s Female Basketball Team did not surprise me. The only difference is that Imus said “nappy-headed hoes” on air as opposed to muttering it under his breathe to his friend. Many feel that the issue at hand is for people in the public eye to be more cautious of what they so that they do not offend anyone, but I find that people should direct their focus on whether it acceptable to say these racial and sexist comments both on and off the air. As a female, I was quite offended by his remarks, and though Don Imus was accused in the public eye, I find that plenty of people are just as equally as guilty for saying the same thing.