Don Imus and an interesting double standard

Don Imus was fired. NBC decided to gently exit stage left and put a little space between the organization and the now radioactive, long time broadcast personality as advertisers started dropping like flies.

Now, Don really did make some pretty ignorant comments that shouldn't really have a place in any conversation and in all honesty, he probably should have been released many years ago by NBC, but this whole situation does expose a pretty interesting double standard.

First, if Howard Stern had made those same comments, not only would it have not made the news, but it would have been almost expected by the majority of his listeners. Second, if you have ever been exposed to a rap video on cable, the artists [if you would describe them as such] are using this kind of language and intent to support the multi-billion dollar industry. Why should we be surprised when it is almost considered a normal colloquialism?

Yet, Don Imus got fired. Perhaps every broadcaster or provider of entertainment should be taking a similar viewpoint to that of NBC, and make a bold statement to show that stereotyping, racism, sexism etc is unacceptable in public media by not carrying it or promoting it. But that would also mean turning away piles of cash...so I doubt it will ever happen.

TC.