Rich on Imus

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"It's possible that the only people in this whole sorry story who are not hypocrites are the Rutgers teammates and their coach, C. Vivian Stringer. And perhaps even Don Imus himself, who, while talking way too much about black people he has known and ill children he has helped, took full responsibility for his own catastrophic remarks and didn't try to blame the ensuing media lynching on the press, bloggers or YouTube.

A N.Y. Times illustration by Barry Blitt that accompanies the Rich column

"Unlike Mel Gibson, Michael Richards and Isaiah Washington, to take just three entertainers who have recently delivered loud religious, racial or sexual slurs, Imus didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t hire a p.r. crisis manager and ostentatiously enter rehab or undergo psychiatric counseling. 'I dished it out for a long time,' he said on his show last week, 'and now itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s my time to take it.'" -- from Frank Rich's 4.15.07 N.Y. Times column.

In all the hubbub I never looked at the YouTube clip of Imus committing his original sin. Rich's article had the link.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 15, 2007 at 9:56 AM

comment #1

JD says ...

"Catastrophic remarks?" That is some pretty intense hyperbole. I totally disagree with what Imus said but, at worst, his remarks could be described as mean-spirited, insensitive or nasty. But catastrophic? When people are murdered, it's not even called catastrophic. Usually, hundreds of people have to die before that word is invoked.

Posted by JD at April 15, 2007 12:19 PM

comment #2

Dan Revill says ...

The media shit storm that this teacup sideshow has inspired could be labeled catastrophic though.

Posted by Dan Revill at April 15, 2007 1:44 PM

comment #3

Rod32303 says ...

So get a better word. If the "media shit storm" that this "mean-spirited, insensitive or nasty" incident inspired means we get to discuss and hear each other about race and our culture and LANGUAGE, then good for the catastrophe.

Posted by Rod32303 at April 15, 2007 2:47 PM

comment #4

Wrecktum says ...

It's amazing how much the NY and DC elites drive our national discourse. 90% of the country didn't know or care who Imus was a week ago, but now he's a cause celebre for race relations is the U.S. I'm sure that Frank Rich would be shocked to realize that most people don't care what he thinks about Imus, and even more shocked to learn that most people don't even know who Frank Rich is.

Posted by Wrecktum at April 15, 2007 4:08 PM

comment #5

MovieBob says ...

Rob
"So get a better word. If the "media shit storm" that this "mean-spirited, insensitive or nasty" incident inspired means we get to discuss and hear each other about race and our culture and LANGUAGE, then good for the catastrophe."

The question is, is this "discussion" so important that it's worth, in order: Forever tarnishing these young women's victory by making them 'that team Imus dissed,' depriving dozens of otherwise decent people of their livelihoods (Imus is rich, the rest of the show's cat.. not so much) and throwing the entire media into a state of semi-paralysis in the fear that Sharpton and company will next train the noose on them?

Posted by MovieBob at April 15, 2007 9:18 PM

comment #6

bellepoitrine says ...

That Rutgers coach played this for all it's worth. Already Cicely Tyson is bitch-slapping Angela Bassett over the role. Those players hadn't even heard of Imus before the Sharpton movement and the media brought him to their intention. Scarred for life? Puh-leeze. Everyone in this drama played their part just the way they were coached.

Posted by bellepoitrine at April 15, 2007 11:08 PM

comment #7