Kinky weighs in on the Imus sacking
April 15, 2007 5:14 PM   Subscribe

He ran for Governor...but lost But he makes a damn good read. Hate Imus or love him. Kinky sums it all up.
posted by shockingbluamp (43 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: You really, really want an excuse to chatter about Imus more? -- cortex



 
Yeah, 'cause what the world needs right now is yet another bloviation on a fired talk-radio host.
posted by docgonzo at 5:17 PM on April 15, 2007


Mothers don't let your sons grow up to be cowboys
posted by Postroad at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2007


Kinky loves niggers.
posted by basicchannel at 5:23 PM on April 15, 2007


Also, this:

"There's no excusing Imus' recent ridiculous remark, but there's something not kosher in America when one guy gets a Grammy and one gets fired for the same line."

... is one of those comments that is on par with "I'm not racist, I have black friends!" If you cannot distinguish the difference between an old, rich white guy saying "nigger" and a young black man saying them same, then, yes, you are a racist idiot.
posted by basicchannel at 5:27 PM on April 15, 2007


Yeah, I'm a little irritated by the hypocrisy and hours of network news coverage interviewing every member of the Rutgers girls basketball team to ask them about the legacy of Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks but come on. Imus "knows how to ride, shoot straight and tell the truth"? We're not talking about some iconoclast like Noam Chomsky here, we're talking about Don fucking Imus. I hate the Post and hate that Friedman wrote this.
posted by inoculatedcities at 5:28 PM on April 15, 2007


I've always had a soft spot for Kinky, but I hop I never again hear the phrase: "rugged individualist."
posted by sfred at 5:29 PM on April 15, 2007


Oh God... sorry for posting so much, but when he compares Imus to Mark Twain and Jesus... I go into convulsions.

Is it too early to nominate this asshat for Douchebag of The Year™?
posted by basicchannel at 5:31 PM on April 15, 2007


I never much cared for Imus, not because he was offensive, since I like plenty of offensive people, but because he wasn't all that funny or interesting. Kinky Friedman on the other hand, I've always admired. I do kind of agree that this story got way more fucking ink than it deserved and that plenty of people are making political hay out of it.
posted by jonmc at 5:32 PM on April 15, 2007


Jesus also had an irreverent sense of humor. That's the connection.
posted by found missing at 5:33 PM on April 15, 2007


Oh God... sorry for posting so much, but when he compares Imus to Mark Twain and Jesus... I go into convulsions.

This is KINKY FRIEDMAN. The man who sings "Get The Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns In Bed."

Of course he's offensive, but he also has his tongue firmly in his cheek at the same time.
posted by dw at 5:34 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


To go a little further on the Christian theme here: I belive Imus got what he deserved, but at the same time watching all of us trip over ourselves to publicly condemn and handwring smacks a little of sinners lining up to cast the first stone, to say nothing of the hypocrites praying in the town square.
posted by jonmc at 5:37 PM on April 15, 2007


"Take heart, Imus. You're merely joining a long and legendary laundry list of individuals who were summarily sacrificed in the name of society's sanctimonious soul: Socrates, Jesus, Galileo, Joan of Arc, Mozart and Mark Twain, who was decried as a racist until the day he died for using the N-word rather prolifically in "Huckleberry Finn."

I'm familiar with his stuff but, to me, that doesn't read with a wink and a sip of southern charm.
posted by basicchannel at 5:37 PM on April 15, 2007


If you cannot distinguish the difference between an old, rich white guy saying "nigger" and a young black man saying them same, then, yes, you are a racist idiot.

...but if you call someone a "faggot" you just might get an Image Award from the NAACP.
posted by dhammond at 5:40 PM on April 15, 2007 [2 favorites]


Wow is this tiresome.

You know, when Bill Maher got shit-canned for his ill-advised (but largely true) bit about Al Qaeda not being cowardly, that was unjust. Imus got the boot only for his most recent dour, humorless, and mean-spirited put down in a career chock full of them.

Political correctness, a term first used by Joseph Stalin, has trivialized, sanitized and homogenized America, transforming us into a nation of chain establishments and chain people.

Wow, Kinky nails it. His folksy wit and wisdom has cut to the core of what's wrong with America. It's not the greed, corruption, hostility and selfishness, it's the political correctness.

For fuck's sake, this is retarded.
posted by psmealey at 5:40 PM on April 15, 2007


...smacks a little of sinners lining up to cast the first stone, to say nothing of the hypocrites praying in the town square.

Jonmc everything seems like that to you. We know :P
posted by delmoi at 5:41 PM on April 15, 2007


delmoi: c'mon. you don't think Al Sharpton broke out the party hats the minute this hit the airwaves? And by hypocrisy, I mean this, we can condemn the Imuses of the world for their callous gaffes, but does that absolve any of us of our part in the staus quo? Think about it.
posted by jonmc at 5:44 PM on April 15, 2007


Imus was fired for that stupid hat. The sexism and racism are just excuses. You're next, Kinky.
posted by stavrogin at 5:46 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


dhammond: I believe that calling someone a "faggot" actually makes you an idiot homophobe (unless you're Dan Savage, apparently).

Also... Yes, you're correct. I believe Isaiah Washington received his award in the "Best Use of Playground Slander" category. Bully to you, sir.
posted by basicchannel at 5:47 PM on April 15, 2007


Well, I didn't vote for Kinky and never listened to Imus? Do I win something, or is it just another booby-prize from these sideshow hacks?
posted by Robert Angelo at 5:49 PM on April 15, 2007


I'm torn. Literally torn. Here's Kinky, Texas Jewboy, who I've loved like I love my black momma. Then he goes all illegitimate and postulates that Imus might be human.

Kinky on the one hand....my understanding liberal friends on the other.

Don't make me choose!
posted by stirfry at 5:53 PM on April 15, 2007


stirfry: go with kinky. He's more fun than all the understanding liberals in the world, Imus or no Imus.
posted by jonmc at 5:57 PM on April 15, 2007


Kinky Friedman on the other hand, I've always admired

I used to, then I worked with him a few times, and realized that, deep down, he's just another racist bastard. He's much better spoken than most, but in the end, he's just another bastard.

The fact that he's defending Imus surprises me none.
posted by eriko at 6:02 PM on April 15, 2007


Kinky's defense here is ludicrously over the top, but I have some grudging admiration that he stands up for a friend in trouble. There were plenty of people kissing Imus's ass to get on his show who now they act like they don't even know him. "What - you mean Imus is a racist? Wow, I had no idea!"
posted by madamjujujive at 6:02 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


I have seen a lot of "taking it back" rhetoric, and a lot of questions designed to derail ("But why would you WANT to use that word?"). Personally, it boils down to the idea that if one group can do something, and another group is not allowed, it's discrimination. Whether it's drinking at a water fountain or using the N-word. To beat the reflexive principle to death, equality is equality. If you don't want the Phelpses of the world saying "faggot," pry it from the mouth of Dan Savage, too. Fair's fair.

"Nappy headed hos"? It's certainly not flattering, but I hear worse whenever I tune into my community radio station and catch one of the rap shows. The whole thing smacks of opportunism and doesn't exactly further any cause.
posted by adipocere at 6:04 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


Well. Fuck all of this. I will miss the interviews on my commute each morning.

When Imus was stupid and juvenile, I changed channels. BUt when he was interviewing Biden or Kinky or Friedman or Harold Ford Jr or some on-the-scene reporter and letting them have 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to develop a story and explore what the hell is going on in the world, I listened and I learned and I will miss that.

Is Imus a racist? No. I've listened to him on and off for at least 10 years and while he may sometimes be a grade-A asshole, I don't think he's really a racist.

What he said was stupid and mean and he should have some consequences. But his apology was straightforward and honest and contrite. I believe he realized he is was wrong and wanted to atone. He is after-all, a 12-step veteran.

But it became a pile-on. Kinky is right.

So, I say fuck this, my commute just got boring.
posted by mmahaffie at 6:16 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


"Biden or Kinky or Friedman or Harold Ford Jr"

I mean, of course, Tom Friedman.
posted by mmahaffie at 6:20 PM on April 15, 2007


I was just having a discussion about subverting language earlier.

If you cannot distinguish the difference between an old, rich white guy saying "nigger" and a young black man saying them same, then, yes, you are a racist idiot.

Yeah, I feel that but it doesn't really stop with Imus for me. The comments that Imus made are incredibly stupid, insensitive, racist, and plain ol' dumb. I cringed so tightly the first time I heard them my sphincter nearly popped.

But I also cringe when I hear it in hiphop/rap/hypey or in young black men. Snarking aside, should that be construed is racist as well?
posted by YoBananaBoy at 6:21 PM on April 15, 2007


is  as
posted by YoBananaBoy at 6:23 PM on April 15, 2007


Funny is not good enough, or excuse enough.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:29 PM on April 15, 2007


To sum up Kinky's take:

Imus is a good ol' boy like me. There ain't many of us left.


Thanks, much better informed now. And very happy to know that y'all are dying off. I will not miss you nor your kind.
posted by django_z at 6:38 PM on April 15, 2007


Slacktivist had an intresting quote on his blog:
I think this is the key to understanding why the Rutgers incident suddenly brought the whole Imus parade to a halt. The guy's been a frikkin' cretin for years, and this was really not that different objectively -- you really have to listen to the whole thing, by the way, to get that this was a good solid chunk of time dumping on these young women, not just the magnificently constructed "nappy-headed hos" sound bite. McGuirk in particular is just hateful ... Anyway, why this comment and why now?

For all these years, Imus stayed, barely, on the right side of the power equation. Always gone after public figures, or his bosses ...

... but then he screwed up. He didn't steal power, he used it. Used it to say just shitty things about people who, in our minds, just didn't deserve it. He broke the power equation. And when he did, we balked, even if we don't quite understand why this one got under our skin. The wiring goes both ways. It's actually heartening, because it confirms one of the admirable things about American society at large:

America loves a rebel.

America loves a bad boy.

But America hates a fucking bully.
posted by delmoi at 6:42 PM on April 15, 2007


If you cannot distinguish the difference between an old, rich white guy saying "nigger" and a young black man saying them same, then, yes, you are a racist idiot

Imus did not use the word nigger in this latest action that got him fired.

Just FYI.
posted by Ynoxas at 6:44 PM on April 15, 2007


If you cannot distinguish the difference between an old, rich white guy saying "nigger" and a young black man saying them same, then, yes, you are a racist idiot.

Uh huh, so only if you're the correct race, can you can say certain things. Isn't this a racist sentiment at heart itself? First it accepts the construct of 'race' as reality. And second it proscribes behavior based on race. Ok speech for some, not for others... based on skin color.

To be clear, I don't think anyone should be profiting from mysoginist hate speech, either rap artists or talk show hosts no matter what their skin color. But hey, I guess they both have a paying audience.
posted by scheptech at 6:45 PM on April 15, 2007


If you don't want the Phelpses of the world saying "faggot," pry it from the mouth of Dan Savage, too. Fair's fair.

Congratulations! You get the Image Award in the Most Ridiculous Comment of the Year category!
posted by mediareport at 6:49 PM on April 15, 2007


But I also cringe when I hear it in hiphop/rap/hypey or in young black men. Snarking aside, should that be construed is racist as well?

If one good thing came out of this, it would be reform in the rap/hiphop area. I think it's pretty obvious that it's "holding black people back." and I think it not only serves as an excuse, but even causes racism in others. So it's not a good thing

But, I don't think it's "racist" itself, I mean it has nothing to do with anything, and it's basically just foulmouthed bullshit. Honestly, rappers and so forth should be able to express themselves as the cretins they are without it reflecting back on all other black people. Just as Don Imus doesn't speak for all whites, all blacks shouldn't be responsible for 50 cent and the game.
posted by delmoi at 6:49 PM on April 15, 2007


But America hates a fucking bully.

So why do Limbaugh, Beck, Michael Savage and their ilk still have jobs?
posted by octothorpe at 6:51 PM on April 15, 2007


There's no excusing Imus' recent ridiculous remark, but there's something not kosher in America when one guy gets a Grammy and one gets fired for the same line.

To be fair, MC Strawman's Grammy-winning album, The Rutgers Women's Basketball Team Is Some Nappy-Headed Hos, is fucking amazing.
posted by aaronetc at 6:52 PM on April 15, 2007 [1 favorite]


Uh huh, so only if you're the correct race, can you can say certain things. Isn't this a racist sentiment at heart itself? First it accepts the construct of 'race' as reality. And second it proscribes behavior based on race. Ok speech for some, not for others... based on skin color.

Race is generally considered a social construct, but that doesn't make it any less "real" then any other social construct, such as "school" or "government" or "marriage." I mean come on. Social constructs can become obsolete (such as "slavery") or "divine right monarchy" and so on. It would be nice if race went away as well, but we're certainly not there yet.
posted by delmoi at 6:55 PM on April 15, 2007


I have some grudging admiration that he stands up for a friend in trouble.

That is the best thing about this. That's what friends are for. On the other hand, the ending, about Imus being "the only guy [to] tell the truth," is ridiculous. (I haven't followed this story too closely, but apparently the Rutgers basketball team is not made up of "nappy-headed hos.”)

I do kind of agree that this story got way more fucking ink than it deserved

Yikes! I'm on the same side as jonmc! To me this whole thing is reminiscent of Claude Rains in Casablanca: I'm shocked, shocked, to find that a shock jock said something shocking to try and shock people.
posted by LeLiLo at 6:55 PM on April 15, 2007


Used to love Kinky, and he's written a couple of great songs ("Sold American" is a damn classic). But he loses me on this one, as he has frequently in recent years. Being brave and telling the truth ain't got nothing to do with calling a group of successful young women what Imus called the Rutgers team. Where's the "truth" there, Kinky? Where's that vaunted Southwestern manly-man cowboy code there?

Lots of people raise money for charity, often to cover an otherwise egregious source of income or a bad reputation or personal guilt about something. I don't give a much of a shit about Imus' charity work. It was maudlin sentimentality, a public performance of his "goodness," always, on the level of "some of my best friends are black people crippled children with cancer and autism."

Good riddance to an odious asshole. Too bad Lieberman wasn't there to participate and end his career too.
posted by spitbull at 6:58 PM on April 15, 2007


So why do Limbaugh, Beck, Michael Savage and their ilk still have jobs?
posted by octothorpe


Oh, don't tease me like that. Add Jim Rome to the list, just for fun.
posted by stavrogin at 7:00 PM on April 15, 2007


Yikes! I'm on the same side as jonmc!

(will someone please compile a list of everytime some variant of this phrase has been uttered in these parts, because I know it's a lot. For people surprised to agree with me, you sure do it a lot)
posted by jonmc at 7:01 PM on April 15, 2007


delmoi: thanks for some clarification.

So why do Limbaugh, Beck, Michael Savage and their ilk still have jobs?

Beck? The "I'm a loser, baby" Beck? Other than being a weirdo Scientologist, what did he do?
posted by YoBananaBoy at 7:01 PM on April 15, 2007


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