Imus Apologizes; NABJ Wants Him Fired

Since the Imus show runs on MSNBC, how far will this carry is the question? Will this get as much play in the press and on the blogs as Ann Coulter’s remarks?

matthews_imus.jpgDon Imus has apologized for his racist remarks regarding the Rutgers basketball team on his nationally syndicated show April 4th. I won’t repeat them here, if you must know follow the link to the article. The President of the National Association of Black Journalists says this about the remarks:

“Has he lost his mind?” said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director for Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. “Those comments were beyond offensive. Imus needs to be fired. Today.”

From Don Imus the apology:

“(I) Want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team,” Imus said Friday. “It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, so, and we’re sorry.”

I find his apology less than heartfelt and sincere, note the use of the “Royal We” instead of “I”. This is the sort of train wreck that can happen when comedians try to be cool — at the heart of every joke is hurt. Someone must be the butt of it, someone must be denigrated for a truly humorous effect. The only jokes or humor that I can think of which do not usually attack an individual or group are Puns, and those just aren’t that popular anymore.

Since the Imus show runs on MSNBC, how far will this carry is the question? Will this get as much play in the press and on the blogs as Ann Coulter’s remarks? I doubt it. The press and the left have always accepted bigotry as long as you are liberal, and I predict that Imus will not be fired, and that his remarks will not carry any farther than this will. The left will close ranks on this, and the issue will quickly fall out of reporting.

UPDATE: I couldn’t have been more wrong about him not being fired here. I do not however think it was due solely to Sharpton, Jackson, and public outcry…. instead small audience share for a nationally syndicated show and advertisers fleeing did him in. Had Imus been hot, he’d still be on.