Asymmetrical Information

The offensive thing about Kondracke and Imus using the argument is that it only makes sense if the fact that some black male singers write songs with anti-female themes means famous white guys get a free pass to say nasty things to black women until every rapper everywhere cleans up his act. And, well, no.

"And, well, no", indeed. Isn't the point* that, errr, "anti-female themes" are completely normative in rap music and anyone who criticizes them is a fundamentalist bigot nut, while mention of them from someone who is playing a persona just as much as the rappers are is so earthshaking that Anna Nicole Smith is now only the second most important thing in the world?

* As expressed by everyone of my acquaintance, anyway -- I'm as surprised to learn that Morton Kondracke is still around as I was to learn that Don Imus is still on the radio.

He has a point, so far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough to recognize that there is a wide swath of predominantly-black culture that doesn't think this kind of language is a problem -- Until it comes out of the mouth of someone else who doesn't fit a particular stereotype, and then it magically becomes offensive and racist, as opposed to having been so all along.

When that kind of nonsense is allowed to propagate without receiving scathing criticism at every turn, you have established a working recipe for tribal wars.

In general, white men like Imus have more power and privileges in this country than do African-Americans and women in general. Yes, I know that Oprah has more money and more influence than I do, but I also know (and she knows it too) that if she and I walked into a convenience store in rural Maine I would get much better treatment than she would. Indeed, if she and I both attempted to walk out with a Coke in hand and were called on it, I could get away by apologizing for forgetting to pay, while the clerk would call the cops on the Black female.

That being the case, it ill-behooves a white male like Imus to engage in racist and sexist slurs about a bunch of women whom he doesn't know no matter what rap musicians do. Just because someone else does it never was and never should be an excuse for bad behavior.

Imus is free to talk that way IMHO, and his employers are free to broadcast that stuff if they wish. Imus has been engaging in this behavior for years whilst elite politicians and journalists begged to be on his show. Now, finally, sponsors are waking up to the consequences of being associated with this character and are exercising their freedom not to pay for this stuff.

I thought Imus was just being a homeboy-wannabe; obviously he admires the rappers' misogyny and wants into the gang. (Being men together is way more important than being white, after all.)

Jim Linnane, "Deliverance" was a movie, not reality, and it wasn't made in Maine. Oprah Winfrey is going to be asked for autographs and offered free drinks wherever she goes, just like any other celebrity. You, on the other hand, are just another guilty white shoplifter.

This has now devolved into a full-fledged hysteria, of the type so often portrayed on South Park. In fact, I’m waiting for Sourth Park’s Imus episode, and also looking forward to Mad TV this weekend.

What a parade of sanctimony!

I can see it now. South Park’s residents in full frenzy, carrying pitchforks and placards through the street, setting fire to buildings and cars.

Draw and quarter Imus! Hang him!

When the mob gets this hysterical, you’ve got to wonder if Imus didn’t touch a nerve that needed jolting. Mustn’t look at craziness of black community. Mustn’t look at craziness of blacks’ protected species status. Mastn’t look at vicious racism of black community.

I stopped listening to Imus years ago, because he was tiresome. This mob mentality, this outpouring of loathsome sanctimony, just about has me convinced that he really has something to say and that I should pay attention.

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