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Should Don Imus be allowed back on the air?
Results so far:
| Yes | 60% | 178 votes | Total: 295 votes | |
| No | 40% | 117 votes |
Yes
by Michael Collins
Created on: April 11, 2008
Don Imus: a man who made a poor decision to make fun of a group of people by performing a terrible, stereotypical impression of a "nappy headed ho." The man has all the wit and sophistication of Beavis and/or Butthead. But since when did we forbid people with bad taste or despicable opinions from voicing them?
There is no question that Don Imus should be "allowed" back on the air, but one should surely be asking exactly what that means: allowed? By whom? To quote Ayn Rand, "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me?" If there's a radio station that wants to see Don Imus back on the air, that is willing to overlook or forgive a momentary lack of judgement, then that station is free to do so - even if Imus was to scream about full-blown genocide. The right to freedom of speech, and the right to own property, should protect such (thankfully) minority views. Alas, the existence of the FCC precludes those basic rights, but since we're arguing in hypotheticals, we might as well go whole-hog, eh?
It should be clarified, though - the argument that Don Imus should be free to express his views on air (or in print, or on the internet) should not be taken as an argument that he MUST be allowed back on the air. Imus's former employers were obviously concerned enough about his ill-considered remarks that they were perfectly willing to incur the cost of lost Imus fans than risk losing those who found his comments distasteful. This is, in keeping with the right to own property and the right to free speech as mentioned above, perfectly acceptable - even admirable. If one does not agree with the views of someone, they should be free to disassociate themselves from that person. Just because he has something to say does not compel anyone to assist him in saying it. You have the right to free speech, but not the right to an audience.
Don Imus should be so lucky to have found a new home - but this shouldn't be a problem for him, considering his past record of controversy and out-right despicable behaviour is what got him a job to be canned form in the first place.
Learn more about this author, Michael Collins.
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No
by Rena Sherwood
Created on: April 12, 2008
Don Imus should not be allowed back on the air because he's not funny. I'm all for free speech, but I'm not for being bored. Listening to a Don Imus show makes you long to be deaf. Even Rush Limbaugh (another waste of radio waves) at least makes a point of being despicable. Before Don Imus was fired, what WAS the point of his show?
In all of the controversy about the adjective "nappy-headed" and race relations in America, one fundamental factor was overlooked that entertainers who are not entertaining should lose their jobs. There are more than enough eager, hungry (and less expensive) DJs to employ instead of has-beens like Don Imus.
Besides, he's past the legal retiring age. Giving him a severance package wouldn't put him into any undue hardship.
So, what's going to be Don Imus' legacy? Nothing, really, except perhaps not being able to hold down a job. He's sort of the Vanilla Ice of disc jockies. Perhaps his biggest contribution to Western civilization was being one of several real life personalities that popular character Doctor Johnny Fever from "WKRP In Cincinnati" was based on. They both were fired for saying a bad word on the air. In Imus' case, he was fired a few times for things he said on the air.
Imus has always been a little stuck in his own head where he thinks he has brilliant talent. He habitually is out of touch with reality. During the first attacks of 9/11, he kept on going, even airing commercials, making them pre-empt the most important news story since the moon landing.
It's amazing that anyone paid any attention to Imus' broadcasts in the first place. Although nationally syndicated, so are a million other radio shows. There's just not enough of a radio audience to have what any disc jockey says to be front page news. Even the mighty Howard Stern's ratings dropped considerably after he went to paid radio. And he can sometimes be really funny.
Imus should thank his lucky stars he hasn't been lynched and quietly disappear into something like the Witness Protection Program. He could get plastic surgery so he won't be recognized. If not for his sake, please, for the sake of anyone who has to look at his face. It's nearly as scary as the fact that he's still employed.
Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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