Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A Different Standard for Imus?

The media again covers a minor story until it becomes a major story, but is reporting on what Don Imus said about the Rutger's basketball team more than a celebrity-gone-crazy-bad story? Is he being held to a far different standard for word choice? If he was so grossly out of bounds, how is that the public, or at least the media, constantly gives a pass and a wink and a nod to the likes of Ann Coulter?

Her career-long nastiness and virulence gets an occasional news report, and she has lost outlets and advertisers in recent months for her lowbrow name calling. Most news outlets, for instance, have said little to criticizer her for her column last week as she bemoaned the idea that the genoicide in Darfur is taking too long. As if some more efficent and quicker efforts were used to kill the millions there would be a better thing.

"
These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever - and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA? This is truly a war in which we have absolutely no interest."

Her take on Imus? According to her, Imus should be praised for being "the only person who watches women's basketball."

Hell, even I watch women's basketball. A massive thunderstorm knocked out my reception for the UT-Rutgers match-up, sadly, but I did watch most of the UT-NC game and it was as intense a game as I've ever seen.

News Hounds reports on the odd disconnect as Coulter goes on (where else) the FOX Network to say Imus is apologizing too much. Others, I noticed this morning, are also asking much of the same questions about the constant media pass handed to Coulter.

I do think that Imus, with his program offered via television on MSNBC, has a far larger audience than Coulter has ever had, so perhaps that's why he is on the roasting spit du jour.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:14 PM

    I've always thought Coulter (aka, Skelewhore) is a far more insidious pundit than the likes of Imus. That the media rarely reports on Coulter's rancorous remarks but latches onto this particular Imus incident shows a weakness on the part the media.

    Make no mistake, I'm not letting Imus off the hook for his ugly comments, but Coulter makes a habit of hate speech. If we're going to be up in arms about this sort of thing, if we are going to act all "How Dare You?", we really need to be offended across the board.

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  2. well, she did say on FOX yesterday it was fine with her if she is called a ho. though i think words like shallow, dim and greedy serve her 'jes fine.

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