Media Controversy Over Imus Remark

Don Imus is undoubtedly having one of the longest months of his life: the media controversy surrounding Imus since his infamous comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team has been relentless. The always obnoxious talk show host has become surprisingly apologetic and subdued. He has even taken being fired relatively well, and seems genuinely contrite for calling the women’s team ‘nappy-headed hos’.

Throughout the past few weeks, the mainstream media has not let this story die down: despite increasing numbers of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, further indications of climate change evidenced through bizarre spring weather, and a historic peace agreement in Northern Ireland, the North American news cycle seems perpetually stuck on the Don Imus incident. While Imus’s comment was completely out of line, it is difficult to see how the media controversy surrounding him has helped dispel myths about women in sport. If nothing else, this whole debacle has highlighted how hypocritical much of the mainstream news establishment is. This is particularly true whether we are looking at obnoxious right-wing pundits on Fox News, or supposedly neutral journalists and anchors on CBS and CNN.

Imus’s comment was hurtful to the women’s basketball team, and they deserve to express their hurt and frustration to the media over this situation. Women in sport face an incredible amount of sexism on a daily basis, and Imus’s comment is indicative of a culture that does not do enough to create equality between the sexes when it comes to recognition in sport. Imus’s statement also had a troubling racial side, and again shows how many barriers these women on the Rutgers team have had to face. The fact that the team includes a law student, a class valedictorian and numerous individuals with Honor Roll standing shows just how successful these women are destined to be. It is not hard to see how comments like Imus’s are a hindrance to the breakdown of racism and sexism in our society.

However, without downplaying the problematic nature of Imus’s statement, the media reaction has been equally frustrating. As ridiculous and offensive as Don Imus’ comment was, it was on par with much of what Imus’ show deals with on a regular basis. People who listen to Don Imus expect him to be on the wrong side of the good taste boundary. The guest on Imus’ show that day was saying similarly unpleasant things about women sports stars, and many of Imus’s regular guests come on the show to air their opinions in non-politically correct terms.

Most importantly, the commentators who are hanging Imus out to dry are the ones who make comments not too different from the one in question on a regular basis. Bill O’Reilly, who has made it clear that he thinks Imus was in the wrong, makes far more distasteful comments every single day on Fox News. Sean Hannity is not much better: he seems to think that being a Democrat means that you are willingly putting yourself out there to be constantly ridiculed by him and his cronies.

News coverage on other mainstream news networks has, as mentioned above, been over-the-top on this story: journalists who are supposed to be covering things that actually matter in our society have instead been devoting countless hours to covering Imus’s offensive comment.

While we can all agree that Imus made a mistake, and definitely deserved to be fired, it is still incomprehensible as to why this story will not go away. The press loves to vilify one of their own, and the Imus incident is a perfect example of this destructive tendency.

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