GM pulls ads from Imus show

[Flybrian]

General Motors pulls ads from Imus show
The Detroit News

General Motors Corp. has joined the ranks of sponsors pulling ads from the "Imus in the Morning" program following the shock jock's controversial comments last week about African-American, female college athletes.

GM said it will stop advertising during the Imus show, which is broadcast nationally during peak morning drive time over the CBS radio network and simulcast daily on the MSNBC cable television channel.

The automaker issued a statement saying "General Motors obviously does not condone the comments Don Imus recently made in reference to the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

"Mr. Imus has publicly apologized, and admitted his comments were "completely inappropriate and offensive." He has also stated his intention to make changes to his show. We acknowledge and welcome these actions. We have decided, however, to suspend our advertising while we continue to monitor the situation."

CBS and MSNBC have said they will punish Imus by suspending the program for two weeks starting April 16.

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, office-supply chain Staples Inc. and other sponsors already have pulled their commercials from the program, despite repeated apologies and promises of reform from Imus.

GM said it will continue will continue to support Imus' charitable efforts, which includes work with sick and disabled children.

[FAPTurbo]

What Imus said was pretty syupid... but I totally love this double standard. I mean, it's only because he is 'white' that he is getting torn to shreds.

Is anyone aware of the comments Bryant Gumbel made last year about the Winter Olympics and how they are akin to a 'GOP Convention'?

http://newsbusters.org/node/4057

What Gumbel said is pretty much on the same lines as what Imus said. Gumbel's comment got no real coverage. Saying that Winter Olympians are not athletes is an insult to anyone who has or will compete in the Winter Olympics.

[Flybrian]

But Bryant Gumbel is white, too.

[Z-06]

But Bryant Gumbel is white, too.

What is Obama?

[FAPTurbo]

This whole Obama, 'is he black, how black is he' discussion in America is also pretty sad. But I kind of hope that this thread won't go there.

So it's OK for other 'white' people to insult other 'white' people?

How about all those 'white' Jewish people who met their deaths at the hands of 'white' Nazi's? I'm half Ukranian, and I've been been called nasty names by some ignorant 'white' people.

But I haven't held a friggin' press conference with tears coming out of my eyes, claiming it has scarred me for life.

In fact, what Imus said isn't that out of the ordinary today. Have you watched MTV lately? Yes, what he said was stupid, but really, is all this necessary? The guy was obviously looking for attention, or trying to sound 'youthful' and it has backfired. It shouldn't have been so blown out of proportion. Maybe a joke or two on Leno/Letterman, but that's it.

[Flybrian]

My take:

What he said was wrong, pure and simple. He's an asshole and it shows.

HOWEVER, this would never 'take away the victory' I had earned as part of that team.

[Intrepidation]

What he said may have been wrong..I dunno exactly what he said...but we're all so politically f@#king correct these days anything can be taken offensively.

It also pisses me off that while it's not ok for some people to insult other groups it's ok for others. Example: Not ok for a white person to insult a black person...but no one minds if it's reversed. I hate that so much...double standards.

[Oracle of Delphi]

What is Obama?

One letter away from Osama!

Edited April 11, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[CARBIZ]

So the guy's an idiot, a big WHO CARES? In a world where a group of people tried to embarass the government of Britain a couple weeks ago because that government was commemorating the end of slavery hundreds of years ago, political correctness is out of control.

Though thugs are every where, there are also those "victims" out there just itching for an excuse for payback, or simply just money. Let's all just grow up and get beyond this.

[Dragon]

i laugh that he got in trouble for using a perfectly correct adjective, cause much of their hair is nappy according to the dictionary definition), but there's hasn't been a peep about the "ho's" part of the comment

[aaaantoine]

Don's looking pretty good in that pic...

[regfootball]

it my understanding that it is ok for those with dark skin to refer to others with dark skin using the N word and its fine. But it is not allowed for someone with light skin to refer to someone with dark skin using the N word. part of it is simply context and how the term is used and the emotion behind it, however, IMHO it is an example of double standard that previous poster talked about.

Likewise, scads of young females openly refer to each others as hos and b1tches. like its a great thing. its a sign of admiration and something to accomplish, being called a ho or b1tch. but look at what sort of trouble a man gets in to use the same terminolgy towards a woman.

And like I said in another post, how many times behind closed doors and in like company do you suppose light skinned folks have been refered to as honkies?

I am all for tolerance, absolutely. At the same time, I wonder if it just won't be our downfall.

A man makes an inappropriate sexul advance and goes to prison. If a woman does, is it punished the same way?

A woman courts a juvenile and never gets held to the same social and criminal standard as a man does. My father in law married his wife when he was 16. I wonder if he messed w/ her prior to marraige. that would have been punishable. Nowadays they would think its criminal regardless if they ultimately got married. What if she were the one older than 18 and he were 16?

Edited April 11, 2007 by regfootball

[ellives]

GM just piled on with the other sponsors. I'm quite sure they weren't doing it because they were "morally outraged." This was just stupid and shows the bean counters and "suits" continue to run this company and dims their future prospects in my eyes. It's time they grow a pair.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Imus has been cancelled by MSNBC!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

[ellives]

Imus has been cancelled by MSNBC!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

Gutless wonders.

[RJB]

What Imus did was wrong I admit that, but to have Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton as the spokes people against him is a double standard in itself. Jesse has no room to talk after having an illegitimate child with another woman and then bringing that woman with him to the White House! Al Sharpton has been in too many scandals to count also. These guys aren't fixing race relations at all, they are only stirring up the pot and dividing people more!! I never liked Imus, so oh well it was time for him to retire anyway.

[regfootball]

CBS fires Don Imus from radio show

Live Vote

Did Don Imus deserve to be fired by CBS? * 121049 responses

Yes, he went too far, and for no reason

26%

No, the comment wasn't that big a deal

23%

The suspension was deserved, but firing him is an overreaction

51%

I agree with the 51%.

Edited April 13, 2007 by regfootball

[ellives]

CBS fires Don Imus from radio show

I agree with the 51%.

Ditto. More lemmings and gutless wonders.

[balthazar]

I'm with the 23%.

[sciguy_0504]

So am I, Balthazar.

Edit: By the way, I have been horribly offended by the smut Rosie O has been putting out lately. I want her fired.

Edited April 13, 2007 by sciguy_0504

[GXT]

It would be a very hard job to be expected to be "on the edge" all the time but to never go "over the edge".

I don't think Bryant Gumbel's remarks are really comparable to those of Imus. If accurate, pointing out the ratio of various races within various groups is not necessarily racist. I suspect that Gumbel was right... there are probably realtively few african american in the GOP or on the US winter olympic team. I didn't hear the whole Imus transcript, but what I did hear was the use of innacurate and derrogatory terms (both gender and racial). If Gumbel had referred to the US winter olympic team as a bunch of cracker hos, he would have been Imused as well.

[ellives]

It would be a very hard job to be expected to be "on the edge" all the time but to never go "over the edge".

I don't think Bryant Gumbel's remarks are really comparable to those of Imus. If accurate, pointing out the ratio of various races within various groups is not necessarily racist. I suspect that Gumbel was right... there are probably realtively few african american in the GOP or on the US winter olympic team. I didn't hear the whole Imus transcript, but what I did hear was the use of innacurate and derrogatory terms (both gender and racial). If Gumbel had referred to the US winter olympic team as a bunch of cracker hos, he would have been Imused as well.

Never mind Gumbel. He's just a narcissist. Sharpton is the one that needs to be fired and ignored. He's said things as bad or worse than Imus and he's still around as the self-appointed spokesman.

[The O.C.]

Isn't it funny that none of this seemed to be even a hint of an issue until after those fools Sharpton and Jackson started running their mouths?

I don't remember any of the girls on that team raising any sort of stink until AFTER Sharpton came into the picture....or AFTER Oprah wanted to have them on her show, etc., etc....

[haypops]

It would be a very hard job to be expected to be "on the edge" all the time but to never go "over the edge".

That is the very point that Bill Maher made in defending Imus. Keith Oberman, on the other hand, brought out information that Imus had been incredibly cruel to co-workers at NBC.

[Drew Dowdell]

is there a double standard? sure

is Don Imus a doof? yes

do I care if he got fired? no, he'll be back, someone will sign him

[FAPTurbo]

Isn't it funny that none of this seemed to be even a hint of an issue until after those fools Sharpton and Jackson started running their mouths?

I don't remember any of the girls on that team raising any sort of stink until AFTER Sharpton came into the picture....or AFTER Oprah wanted to have them on her show, etc., etc....

Bingo.

[ellives]

is there a double standard? sure

is Don Imus a doof? yes

do I care if he got fired? no, he'll be back, someone will sign him

Oh hell ya. I'm sure he's already sniffing around the satellite providers... and when he's done he'll be thumbing his nose at all his pundits saying... "Thanks for getting me fired so I can now make TWICE AS MUCH MONEY!!!!!!"

[regfootball]

So am I, Balthazar.

Edit: By the way, I have been horribly offended by the smut Rosie O has been putting out lately. I want her fired.

I agree, she's a horrible ugly vindictive troll, but a word of advice, you can't mention Rosie around here or start any topics on her because for some reason you get it deleted.

[ellives]

I agree, she's a horrible ugly vindictive troll, but a word of advice, you can't mention Rosie around here or start any topics on her because for some reason you get it deleted.

Rosie, Rosie, Rosie!

[haypops]

I think that Sharpton and Jackson WISH they had some influence on this, but didn't. Apparently Imus had been cruel to so many people at NBC (supposedly to the point of tears) that they were out gunning for him. There was a lot of employee pressure to can him. When the advertisers started leaving too, he was history.

There was a column in the Los Angles column (Tim Reuten?) discussing Imus' departure. He brought up the interesting idea that "bad" speech is tolerated in this country except in the area of sports figures. He pointed to Lush Rimbaugh firing from Monday night football as an example. It is an interesting observation - true? I'm not sure.

Imus' chance for a lucrative new job on satellite radio is not what it used to be because of the proposed marriage of Sirius and GM's brand. Fortunately for Imus, he can probably easily buy and sell all of us.