The Black Commentator - April 12, 2007

Imus in the Morning will be in mourning for two weeks, as the show’s host fights for his professional life after being suspended for calling the African American players on Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hoes” and “jigaboos". When asked by the Rev. Al Sharpton on his radio show, Keeping it Real, what possessed him to utter such vile remarks to a group of hardworking athletes and stellar students, Imus’ retort, "I didn't think it was a racial insult. I thought it was in the process of us rapping and trying to be funny". But over the years, “funny” for this shock jock, has constantly crossed the lines of civility and acceptable on-the-air commentary.

Imus’ humor about the Rutgers athletes was inexcusable. Why? Because jokes framed around distorted concepts of race and gender invalidates the behavior, culture and accomplishments of the group. The jeering and ridiculing of the women’s physical features suggest a norm of beauty, femininity and class, in both Imus’ and the show producer Bernard McGuirk’s minds, these women do not possess.

"That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos ...", Imus said. "Some hardcore hos," said McGuirk. Imus responded: "That's some nappy headed hoes there, I'm going to tell you that."

These women’s strength is to be lauded. However, African American women’s strength for beating the odds or being strong in the face of adversity is either demonized as being emasculating of black men, or seems impervious to stereotypes that obfuscate our real countenances. When a disparaging comment such as Imus’ is accepted as a joke or brushed aside as distasteful humor and not acknowledged for what it is - hate speech, it closes the window of opportunity to educate. But in the competitive world of the broadcast industry, where ratings compute into corporate sponsorships, this shock jock, whose off-colored remarks and politically incorrect acid-tongue is his signature, has one of the top shows in the business.

While no one wants to be butt of Imus’ acerbic jokes, his no holds barred humor has peculiarly both entertained and offended millions, broadcasting on more than 70 stations across the country and simulcast on the cable station MSNBC. Imus' offensive behavior has increased his viewership by 40 percent since last year. And this recent incident will increase it even more.

What wrong with this picture?

We have become a culture more concerned about being entertained than caring about the souls we hurt for a laugh.

BC columnist, the Rev. Irene Monroe is a religion columnist, public theologian, and speaker. She is a Ford Fellow and doctoral candidate at Harvard Divinity School. As an African American feminist theologian, she speaks for a sector of society that is frequently invisible. Her website is www.irenemonroe.com. Click here to contact the Rev. Monroe.