Black & White & Imus All Over

Some last thoughts

by j. brotherlove

An extremely hectic design project results in an oddly quiet week at thebrotherlove.com. But life hasn’t been quiet offline — mass killings at Virginia Tech, Supreme Court reversals on abortion rights, and lots of discussion about Imus, race and hip hop.

Our diverse global population holds a myriad of beliefs. There are no easy answers to these moral conflicts. The solution isn’t that we all need to be Christian, or heterosexual, or Republican, or American. That will not make the world a better place.

Watching the public outcry snowball into firing Imus was… interesting. But the issue is bigger than one man, one word, one culture. Communication, respect and an open mind are the best ways to reach resolutions where we all feel free enough to live the lives we want without hurting one another.

I didn’t expect much of a response when I blogged about Imus (a reworked version of my Imus article graces page 19 of this week’s Southern Voice). I felt like one of few African Americans who didn’t think Imus deserved to be fired from the airwaves for “nappygate”. Comments to that post plus other discussions prove I’m not alone.

To be honest, I’m this close to being over these discussions. Next week, I’ll share some thoughts about music I’m loving and why I’m accused of hating people.

Hey

Interesting post on the Imus controversy. I’m almost over with it…..but today noticed an interesting essay on Media 3.0. Shelly Palmer talks about how none of this controversy could have happened 3 years ago, when things like YouTube and podcasting weren’t widely used: Imus in a Techno-Political World

If that clip couldn’t be replayed on screens all over the country, would it have “blown up” so fast?

Howard

I agree Howard. Josh Hallet brought up similar points at this year’s PodCamp Atlanta. He illustrated how social media is changing everything. People can’t get away with shit anymore because “everywhere you go, you’re on the record”.

J. Brotherlove….I couldn’t have said it better myself :-)

I loved your article in that paper! I don’t think that Imus should not have been fired, as the comments didn’t warrant it,just like I didn’t think there should have been a witch hunt with I. Washington, and it was a way to start a dialogue about how and why people feel so free to demean black women and women in general as well as gays, which really dosen’t work into this debate. And, after reading the comments from that one annoying guy Nash and his totally condescending tone, and then to see how you bought up the Shirley Liquor thing whose fans say he is only showing love for the sisters!

Funny how the communities that seem to suffer the most at the hand of “the man” at times are also the same ones who can’t see their own bigotry, which annoys me more than anything a man like Imus could ever say.

hey podcamp atlanta pal, i always find your thoughts original. the imus thing kinda sorta brought to mind the jimmy carter poor word choice and misnomer (as he admits) in his recent book title. jimmy is both a friend, and not a friend of jews and of israel, and instead of tossing out this bubbababy w bubblebath water, i’ll passover his apartheid word (chosen to misrepresent/antagonize/score points) on describing israel’s official policies. i note that jimmy has an agenda w no connection to truth on this matter. so what? who cares? matters not a whit what he perversely states. it is how i as a jew and as an israeli behave toward my (israeli) neighbors and fellows wherever i am. i close w the in-house joke: two jews, three opinions. so please don’t anyone take my thoughts and think this is what jews think;-) i didn’t need to say that yet as my african-american siblings tell me of themselves, we, too, have reason to be somewhat paranoid;-)