April 11, 2007 10:43 AM
A black woman responds to Imus
Jemele Hill is a sports columnist for ESPN:
Take a Stand Against Indecency and Cruelty
4/10/2007The oversexed Jezebel. The welfare mother. The mammy. And now the latest catch phrase to be added to the lexicon of stereotypes about black women: the nappy-headed ho.
Thank you, Don Imus, for your valuable contribution.
If it were up to me, security would have escorted the longtime radio jock out of his CBS Radio cocoon with belongings in tow days ago. But for now, I'll have to settle for a two-week suspension that doesn't begin until next week. That'll show him.
Days have passed since Imus, executive producer Bernard McGuirk and sports announcer Sid Rosenberg took turns taking cheap shots at the Rutgers women's basketball team, but I'm still boiling because too many people continue to defend Imus behind lame free-speech arguments -- remember, speech is free, but consequences are not -- and the idea that black women just don't know a good joke when they hear one. Tell you what, if this "nappy-headed ho" comment is as harmless as some of you say it is, say that phrase to your wives and girlfriends tonight (or even a woman on the street). If they laugh, I'll write an entire column about how humorless I am.
Imus' comments were harmful to all women -- especially for female athletes who still struggle to gain acceptance in our society -- but they really cut black women deep.
Our looks have been the subject of ridicule for decades. While history has kindly portrayed white women as bastions of purity and decency, black women have been characterized as hypersexed and indecent since the 17th century. So the phrase "nappy-headed" didn't bother me nearly as much as the "ho" part.
In case you're wondering, I would have been equally outraged if Imus were black, Asian, Latino, Portuguese or Italian. The ethnicity or skin color of the perpetrator matters none.
And since some of you -- actually, a lot of you -- have done the predictable thing and used Imus' predicament as a platform to hold African-Americans responsible for hip-hop, I'll briefly address that. Although I hope you know hip-hop didn't become the No. 1 music genre in the world because only black folks support the music.
For the record, I am equally offended by the rappers who make music videos and songs that demean women -- although hip-hop artists didn't invent the concept of objectifying women.
Many African-Americans have been outspoken about those destructive elements of hip-hop. Instead of just taking his lumps, Imus tried to challenge Al Sharpton on his stance on hip-hop when Imus appeared on Sharpton's radio show Monday. I don't stick up for Al Sharpton often because I consider him an agitator, but Sharpton's views on "gangsta" rap have been consistent and clear.
Last week, Sharpton and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons held a public protest against rapper Tony Yayo -- who is associated with 50 Cent -- for his alleged assault of the 14-year-old son of a rival record company executive. Sharpton even called for a 90-day, FCC-mandated ban on all gangsta music.
But that doesn't air on CNN and Essence magazine's Take Back the Music crusade -- a nationwide campaign that promotes up-and-coming hip-hop artists with positive values -- and it doesn't make the front pages of newspapers.
But none of this has anything to do with Imus, whose apology I can't accept or take seriously. Imus has become a Hall of Fame broadcaster using race-baiting, offensive tactics. He is routinely offensive to people of color and women, and if he needs to lose his job to understand that there is no place for that, so be it.
As a society, there are times when we need to stand together against indecency and cruelty.
Posted in Current Affairs | Permalink
Comments
I hear what she says and I agree with her.
But, I would like to see similar outrage when these and even worse insults are hurled at black women and all women, set to a beat, and blasted out of our radios, ipods and televisions continually. I think that is a bigger problem than she's making it. Imus gave this insult ONCE. MTV will probably blast 1,000 such insults this week, and no one seems to mind.
Posted by: Marie | April 11, 2007 1:25 PM
True, true--"speech is free, but consequences are not".
Amen and amen.
Posted by: Shelley | April 11, 2007 2:39 PM
I keep hearing this chappy's name cropping up here and there [re the autism context] and now I gather he's a radio chappy. I was inclined to see if I could find his broadcasts and have a listen for myself.
Now I think I won't bother.
Cheers
http://whitterer-autism.blogspot.com
Posted by: mcewen | April 11, 2007 5:37 PM
Maybe I am wrong in this thinking, but I don't see how this comment is Racist. I think it's very rude and anti-female and for that I am outraged.
There are white girls as well as black girls on this basketball team and yet it seems that it has become more of a racial issue than just an issue of attacking all women.
I think Imus' comment was wrong - inappropriate - stepping over the boundaries of "free speech" and for that he should suffer the consequences. I do not see how it equates to racial slander though.
Can someone please enlighten me?
Posted by: JulieP | April 12, 2007 9:39 AM
I stopped listening to Imus long ago. He has crossed the line too many times. Whenever someone disagrees with him, he calls them "fat". If a woman isn't bone thin, he calls them fat, etc. I cannot imagine what went through his mind to so denigrate young women. I guess society accepted all his years of rudeness, and it has finally caught up with him. And I agree that what another person says is not a ticket to say whatever you want.
Posted by: Shannon | April 12, 2007 10:14 AM
You know, I think what Imus said was vile and disgusting.
But I think the outrage is hypocritical, at best. From what I have heard, he is an equal-opportunity offender, not just a misogynist or racist. In other words, he's just fine with insulting anybody, including white Christians.
Al Sharpton may have demonstrated against disgusting rap lyrics, but they certainly aren't getting the kind of negative attention and consequences they ought to be. If you have the unique opportunity to be torutured by listening to rap music, and you are decent person, you can fully expect to be physically sickened by the sex-crazed, woman-degrading, violent lyrics.
People who are calling for Imus to be fired should be putting way more energy into *serious* boycots of that ugly type of rap music and should call for the firing of any radio dj who plays any of those degrading tracks.
Posted by: Margaret | April 12, 2007 1:26 PM
Julie P,
I think the part of the insult which said "nappy headed" was the part that made it particular to black women. Apparently that phrase is a denigrating reference to the more typically coarse hair of African Americans.
Confusingly, it is used in other contexts without being found offensive (Stevie Wonder used the phrase in some lyrics he wrote, for instance).
Posted by: Marie | April 12, 2007 2:05 PM
Marie - I agree with you - Jemele Hill did just brush the music problem too quickly.
Margaret - Just want to make it clear that I don't think Imus should be fired. I think he should resign.
I'm with you - my point about the hypocirisy and double standards in our culture.
Posted by: barbara | April 12, 2007 3:40 PM
