Don Imus is obviously old school in his thoughts and prejudices. If he were more in tune with popular culture and current social mores, he might have realized that you can only get away with making disparaging remarks about one person's hair. And that is Sanjaya Malakar.
It would have yielded Imus equal amounts of publicity for his show and his name would not be on the tip of Al Sharpton's tongue. He could have also been a foil for the tone-deaf Jennifer Lopez, who couldn't get enough of her Spanish-singing crooner, Sanjaya, on American Idol last night.
As usual, it's Jon Stewart who is able to really nail the situation on its head. In this clip from The Daily Show, Imus' actual comment is followed by a hysterical montage of the news coverage surrounding a "lovely offensive comment, the kind of thing you never want to hear again."
Why is it that Jon Stewart seems to get everything right?
Check out other TV's Top 5! moments here.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-11-2007 @ 3:59PM
Where did my stars go? said...
What a flattering photo of Imus! He looks like a corpse propped up there.
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4-11-2007 @ 4:38PM
James said...
I don't think it was the hair part of the comment that got him in all this trouble.
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4-11-2007 @ 4:54PM
bd said...
>What a flattering photo of Imus! He looks like a corpse propped up there.
Looks like?
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4-11-2007 @ 7:42PM
Buns and Chou Chou said...
Bob Dylan has a comment on Sanjaya's hair...see it?
http://www.rabbitbites.com/archive/mcvlog.html
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4-12-2007 @ 9:37PM
jeannette said...
Dan Abrams,
I am writing you regarding the matter of the MSNBC and pending CBS decision of continuation of Don Imus' Show.
It is my professional and personal belief that the "offendended" performances of female black Rutgers basketball players were orchestrated by racial activists and have stimulated radical and pre-emptive judgement which is consistent with the activities of Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. These actions are greater not equal to the simple offensive comments made by Mr Imus. The Reverands have created Civil Unrest for personal reward and have continued to acknowledge that this is not a personal matter when the woreld knows that the said reverands await incidents of human fraility to pounce and parade on public figures and corporations in part for their own pronounced engrandisemend and in part for recognizemend of an error in judgement. The era has come hopwever in 2007 that this pouncing and dancing in the streets methodology is no longer an effective method as it was in the 1960's as the comments od Mr Imus were no longer effective as they were in the 1960's. As equal to the actions on Don Imus these actions and insults of character associated with a comediacic radio and then digitial television show must stop. The actions of these actiovists must styop and turn to reflect on more positive forms of reform than they have used over the lasst twenty years. Their antics are old, ineffective, teaching our youth the wrong messages of violence verses collaboration and teamwork and are a carryover of the racial confilcts of a past era. While these Black leaders are entertaining, they are becoming relics of a time past and do no longer represent the future generations of our societal values. It is 2007. The age of radical racial commentary should have leveled as the age of feminism has cooled. We have not achieved the results desired, but we do not support the continuation of days of bra burning and racial protests instead of collegial discussions that have proven to nudge appropriate executive behavior.
Jesse Jackson and Rev Sharpton have both used antiquated methods of communication. ( as they have accused Mr Imus of and I believe need to learn from their error and decide to sit down, talk and listen to each other and come to a plan of action without 1960 radical actions that are now antiquated and troublesome to the general population, black, white, Asian Hispanic and multiracial. )
I am one of the top 5 % of women executives in the United States. I used to be one of the top 1% and white males call that progress, grew beards and got cocky. Like the statistics? You are probably running them across MSNBC now. CYA Sweats. Been there. CBS is too. OUCH!
The Corporate advertisers already have their numbers-they have been there done that too. It is very painful.
You need to ask yourself the question that Jeff Greenfield so gracefully asked (check the reels to nit pick as you will....I am an artist not an editor.... )
"Don, over all of the time of your show, has ANYONE, executive, advertiser, owner or staff ever taken you aside and talked to you privately, or coached you about the comments you make on your shows?"
Don answer
"NO" I am responsible for my show"
A very poor executive set of actions and a very clear activist view. And by the way, I truly support Shaarpton and Jackson, but their ways need an update as well. The crap we put up with as minorities is insane in the white man underground and they have lost their effectiveness. Sorry Boys!. Go to the Ranch with Imus if you can't handle it, if not, help him with a solution. Attacks are old, very old. He has the same issues that you do, but is open about them, racism, sexism, narcissim, borderline personality, giver, lover of children, opener of dialogue about government injustices, point person on children with cancer, the green environment, discusions on politics and the war, the impacvt on people and children and questioning the things that we all think about but never ask.
It is essential that you ask two questions:
1) Have you done your job so effectively that you may execute this termination without guilt and negligence? I believe that is questionable.
2) Other than focusing on Don Imus what have YOU personally done to increase your personal awareness of your fiduciary
responsibilities for the actions of your organization regarding race religions, sexual preferences et al to make yorself a better person?
3) same as above......others on your team more effective people in your organization?
4)vendors more effective organizations???? proactively????
when you have done some of the above, and coached IMUS, I will agree that you can fire him, otherwise, forget about integrity. YOU HAVE NONE. JG
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4-17-2007 @ 9:08AM
jimmy g. said...
What he said was not RACIST !!!!!! IT WAS SEXIST!!!!!!! If you think the word's nappy haeded ho's only refer to AFR.AMR women then you also are racist.
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