Free Speech, Ignorance and Racism

[Conan71]

I'm still not anywhere close to absolving Imus.  Nor do I think Sharpton should walk away with a double-standard.  What Sharpton was saying on Beck last night was that Imus was using FCC regulated airwaves to say "Nappy-headed hos".  

Rappers use the same FCC-regulated airwaves to say basically the same thing and worse, like advocating drug use, killing cops, and other humans.  The term "ho" emerged from hip-hop culture, and the spelling came from how many African-Americans pronounce the word "whore" which by all accounts has always been a degrading term directed at women.  

As a parent, it's not something I care for my daughters to hear if they are listening to the radio.  But I believe they have less of a respect for the hip-hop culture because of it's self-portrayal.  It's offensive and shows a disdain toward women and society in general.  It's a disdain which appears to be a staple in the hip-hop community.  But that doesn't appear to upset Rev. Al too terribly much when it is people of his own race who are denegrating it.

[iplaw]

quote:Can we differentiate between street culture and public discourse?

Not when the garbage like Ludacris is played on public radio stations where we all can hear it.  Imus is just like 105.3 here in town, and if you don't like it change it.  

quote:
If a person chooses to listen to rap, then they will expect to hear things which are offensive in many people's minds.  But that doesn't mean it should carry over into public discourse, which I think where Imus lies (not that he has a large following or much credibility).  People who are the audience of the stations in which he resides normally don't expect rap culture to break out on the set.

The public airwaves that play Ludacris are the same that carry Imus, you can't have it both ways.  What's good for 105.3 or 106.9 is good for KRMG.

quote:
And rwarn makes a good point in that this was a directed comment, unlike the comments made in rap songs.  

So it's okay if we generically refer to black women as *****es or ho's, but not if it's personal?

[Breadburner]

It's really been takin out of context...What Imus said...It was in more of a humurous tone than anything....Anyone can be nappy headed and a hoe....

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

It's really been takin out of context...What Imus said...It was in more of a humurous tone than anything....Anyone can be nappy headed and a hoe....

I think the spelling is ho, not hoe, which is a garden tool, get your ebonics straight.

[Conan71]

Sorry everyone for a chronic mis-spelling error, Sharpton in Rev. Al's case is spelled $harpton.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Sorry everyone for a chronic mis-spelling error, Sharpton in Rev. Al's case is spelled $harpton.

Hehe...Glenn did work him over last night.  I know the two have a good relationship, but $harpton's feigned "offense" is just too much.

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

It's really been takin out of context...What Imus said...It was in more of a humurous tone than anything....Anyone can be nappy headed and a hoe....

I think the spelling is ho, not hoe, which is a garden tool, get your ebonics straight.

I apologize to all gardeners on the board.....

[rwarn17588]

iplaw wrote:

Do yourself a favor and turn on MTV for a couple of hours tonight and tell me what you see.

<end clip>

Shoot ... I thought MTV, to no small amount of irony, quit playing music videos years ago.

[tim huntzinger]

A problem is that hip-hop culture is exciting and different, with catchy phrases and funny phraseology.  I feel sorry for the hip-hoppers, constantly having to come up with new tricks and what not to stay ahead of suburban culture ripping it off.  You fizzle me?

[Chicken Little]

MSNBC drops Imass.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

Sidenote:  Man, you wingers watch a lot of cr*p.

[rwarn17588]

Conan wrote:

Nor do I think Sharpton should walk away with a double-standard. What Sharpton was saying on Beck last night was that Imus was using FCC regulated airwaves to say "Nappy-headed hos".

<snip> But I believe they have less of a respect for the hip-hop culture because of it's self-portrayal. It's offensive and shows a disdain toward women and society in general. It's a disdain which appears to be a staple in the hip-hop community. But that doesn't appear to upset Rev. Al too terribly much when it is people of his own race who are denegrating it.

<end clip>

Hmm. Too bad you're wrong.

From 2005:

Al Sharpton demanded that the Federal Communications Commission ban violent rappers from radio and television, and he launched a boycott against Universal Music Group, which he accused of "peddling racist and misogynistic black stereotypes" through rap music.

Sharpton expressed special concern about white perceptions of African Americans. Rappers and their corporate supporters "make it easy for black culture to be dismissed by the majority," he said, and the large white fan base "has learned through rap images to identify black male culture with a culture of violence."

Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition signed on to the boycott, as did Princeton professor Cornel West, who issued a statement claiming that music companies and rappers made it easy for whites to "view black bodies and black souls as less moral, oversexed and less intelligent."

The link is here.

http://tinyurl.com/2d5gsk

I guess the attempt to paint Rev. Al as a hypocrite doesn't square with the facts.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

iplaw wrote:

Do yourself a favor and turn on MTV for a couple of hours tonight and tell me what you see.

<end clip>

Shoot ... I thought MTV, to no small amount of irony, quit playing music videos years ago.

HAH! It did.  It's their other crap they play on that station.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by Chicken Little

MSNBC drops Imass.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

Sidenote:  Man, you wingers watch a lot of cr*p.

Eh.  I watch Glenn Beck, that's about it.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by Chicken Little

MSNBC drops Imass.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

Sidenote:  Man, you wingers watch a lot of cr*p.

Beck, Olbermann, Cooper, King, H & C, O'Reilly, and my voyeuristic guilty pleasure to check on the decline of society is Nancy "Anna took 600 peeeels" Grace.

I flip around a lot between channels 41 and 55 after 9pm.  I try to stay informed on both sides of issues.

Interesting of note is that both the libs and the righties have treated Imus the same on this.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588


Hmm. Too bad you're wrong.

From 2005:

Al Sharpton demanded that the Federal Communications Commission ban violent rappers from radio and television, and he launched a boycott against Universal Music Group, which he accused of "peddling racist and misogynistic black stereotypes" through rap music.

Sharpton expressed special concern about white perceptions of African Americans. Rappers and their corporate supporters "make it easy for black culture to be dismissed by the majority," he said, and the large white fan base "has learned through rap images to identify black male culture with a culture of violence."

Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition signed on to the boycott, as did Princeton professor Cornel West, who issued a statement claiming that music companies and rappers made it easy for whites to "view black bodies and black souls as less moral, oversexed and less intelligent."

The link is here.

http://tinyurl.com/2d5gsk

I guess the attempt to paint Rev. Al as a hypocrite doesn't square with the facts.

$harpton mentioned as much on Beck the other night.  His efforts have been summarily dismissed as a token effort.  What has it accomplished?  Nothing.

Rap and Hip-Hop have been around now for over 20 years, I think he was a little late jumping on that band-wagon.

How is decrying whites and their stereotypes of black people, while at the same time ignoring what was going on amongst black rappers in the music industry for 20 years not hypocrisy?

Speaking of Rev. Jack$on, he was nowhere to be found yesterday to apologize to the three Duke LaCrosse players after tarring and feathering them in public with racially charged comments.  Granted, apples and oranges vs. the circumstances of what Imus said.