Some eyebrows were raised yesterday when Don Imus had this exchange, CNN reports: Sportscaster Warner Wolf told Imus that Adam Jones wanted to change his name to disassociate himself from past legal trouble.
"He's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005," Wolf said.
"What color is he?" Imus asked.
"He's African-American," Wolf responded.
"Well, there you go," Imus said. "Now we know."
This morning, Imus defended himself, saying that he didn't mean to say African-Americans break the law more often, but that the police were clearly "picking on [Jones]."
Imus said: "What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason, and I mean there's no reason to arrest this kid six times," he said. "They shoot blacks for no reason."
What do you think? Is this racist on the order of his infamous "nappy-headed hos" remark, or was it just a harmless, sarcastic comment intended to defend rather than degrade?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. I dont think anyone should care. Who the hell is Don Imus that anything he says is national news. Racist or not, if you dont like what he says, then dont listen to his show. I am sure Sharpton will jump on this one. He hasnt been in the news for a while.
CaptainCack at 2:43PM on Jun 24th 2008
2. don imus, you'd better give your pr person a trip to disney land for thinking that quick explanation up for you.
hannah at 2:51PM on Jun 24th 2008
3.
Imus is a hack.
mac at 3:39PM on Jun 24th 2008
4. imus is a racist toad, everyone knows that he is a racist toad - he will always be a racist toad and those who employ him know that he is a racist toad - that is why they pay him - to be a racist toad, so other racist toads like them will listen to his tripe.
If you are a racist toad, you probably listen to him and actually agree with him. Should he be off the air? No, if he was, who would the racist toads listen to?
I would never know what Don Imus said if the media didn't take exception to his racist toad remarks - so if the media cogs don't like what he is saying, then they shouldn't hire him in the first place. A racist toad cannot change his warts.
TJ at 5:50PM on Jun 24th 2008
5. LET FREEDOM RING...... FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!!!!!
Stephanie at 7:14PM on Jun 24th 2008
6. Well, Imus is from that group think crowd that believes as long as you take jabs at all the tribes: racial, political, religious and ethnic... it's OK.
I've listened to him off and on for years and he spreads it around. Equal opportunity bigotry (as it used to be called) has been around for decades. So Imus isn't breaking any new ground.
Willet at 7:26PM on Jun 24th 2008
7. TJ - Thanks for your dissertation on racist toads. (I think I want that 30 seconds of my life back, please.)
Dave at 10:01PM on Jun 24th 2008
8.
Willet.
Tribes? What moronic philosophy or thought process does the term tribes come from? How about breaking new ground and explain what you mean by tribe?
JefFlyingV at 11:13PM on Jun 24th 2008
9. WHO CARES WHAT IMUS SAYS?? HOWEVER, THIS PRO-ATHLETE, PAID GAZILLIONS APPARENTLY DOESN'T HAVE ENUF SENSE TO KEEP HIS A&%$^& AT HOME NO MATTER WHAT COLOR IT IS BECAUSE HE CERTAINLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE. NO-ONE IS PICKING ON HIM, HE'S JUST SELF DESTREUCTIVE.
libby at 11:26PM on Jun 24th 2008
10. Don Imus...master of controversy...nuff said
lisa at 12:28AM on Jun 25th 2008
11. JefFlyingV,
""Tribes? What moronic philosophy or thought process does the term tribes come from?""
Here's your answer:
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of working with a freshout engineer from Kenya. She was young, maybe 25 and educated here. She had about a year left on her student visa, and got this job as a temp.
Tribe was her term. When she spoke of political parties, various religious denominations, or other groups....she referred to them as tribes.
Willet at 12:50AM on Jun 25th 2008
12. Tribes? Isn't that anthropological-speak? Pseudo intellectual mumbo-jumbo from the far-away land of academia? Extraneous nonsense? Psychobabble? Or better still, maybe just crap. Yeah, that's it.
Dave at 12:53AM on Jun 25th 2008
13.
Willet, you have repeatedly used tribe in your postings.
So why do you use the word tribe and what does it mean to you? Keep in mind I'm an old codger and don't understand the new 'stupid speak'.
JefFlyingV at 1:23AM on Jun 25th 2008
14. i used to listen to imus over 20 yrs ago and his comments are tame compared to the "king" of shock jocks, howard stern. i'm no longer a fan of imus; but i would like to give him the benefit of the doubt that what he said came out wrong. these guys really need to think long and hard before they open their mouths. there are ways to be funny with out deliberately hurting/humiliating another person or groups of people.
glenda at 1:39AM on Jun 25th 2008
15. what does tj stand for? toad jerk-off! do you have a clue what a racist is? well let me clue you in. skinheads are racists. the klan is,was and will always be racists try listening to the 6 hours of showtime with dick gregory 5 interviews with dr. debra dickerson and reporter carl jeffers,with jessie jackson on the 30th anniversery of mlk's assasination instead of the 15 second sound bite, maybe you could muster an informed opinion instead of your clueless blather. what a totel blooter you are.
tim hoover at 6:01AM on Jun 25th 2008