Jim Austin

His previous columns are archived HERE.

JIM AUSTIN

Hip Hop-ocracy

PUTNEY, VT | If you were shocked when Don Imus of the "Imus in the Morning" radio and TV show referred to the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team as "nappy-headed hos" then you must be a new listener. Imus has been pulling this type of garbage for years.

His radio sidekick, Bernard McGuirk, has made snide racist remarks his stock and trade for years. To be fair, he doesn't just pick on African-Americans -- he does an impression of Cardinal Egan that is flat-out hilarious, despite its sacrilege.

Women, gays, lesbians, Arabs, and Indians are all from time to time in the crosshairs of the xenophobe McGuirk. Imus, of course, is his catalyst and will egg him on while pretending to be offended.

The latest foofaraw seems to be outstripping his past indiscretions. I think the reason is that he chose 17,18, and 19-year-old women. Had he aimed his blasé bigotry at Oprah Winfrey or Condalezza Rice I think the backlash would have been more tepid than the tsunami of outrage that has occurred.

After no doubt reeling at the strength of the protest against his remarks, Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show. He gave a sincere apology, which was not accepted. His apology was similarly thrown back in his face by Jesse Jackson.

But wait -- Jesse's Lord said "Let ye who are without sin cast the first stone."

Well I am still waiting for an apology from Jackson to the three Duke University lacrosse players who were unjustly accused by a lying plaintiff and indicted by a vote-hungry prosecutor. Jackson whipped up hatred for these boys in the black community and howled for them to be thrown in jail.

Now, the charges have been dropped and in an unprecedented statement by the North Carolina Attorney General they have been proclaimed "innocent." Their scars are far deeper and the possible outcome of those charges was far worse than any damage done to the Rutgers women.

Where is their apology?

Sharpton, similarly, raised hell in the black community when he accused police of atrocities committed on the person of one Tawana Brawley. Brawley was found to have made the entire incident up and subsequently moved to Virginia along with her mom and $300,000 raised for her by suckers like Bill Cosby.

Sharpton never apologized for his role in the fraud.

Not so ironically, the Rutgers coach and basketball team met with Imus and accepted his apology. These women showed class from the beginning of this public stoning.

Imus has been fired from his radio show by CBS and from his TV simulcast on MSNBC. I don't feel too sorry for him. He is a multi-millionaire who will not be at the end of an on-ramp holding a sign that says, "Will insult the race of your choice for food." Imus is a super-arrogant pig whose public excoriation and whimpering apologies looks good on him.

It's the hypocrisy that sticks in my craw. Hip Hop music is sold to our kids and makes millions of dollars for producers and "artists." The misogynistic lyrics include words like, "nigger, motherfucker, ho, and bitch -- not to mention the violence and glorification of drugs.

The fun part of this fiasco is that so many of Imus's former pals are heading for parts unknown. Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. was a weekly guest on the Imus show, sucking up Imus's influence and nationwide audience.

Where is blubber face Tim Russert? Russert flogged his hideous books about his dopey father on the Imus show for months and must have made a fortune from the publicity. He hasn't called in lately. Jerk.

Well, the witch-hunt is over and the witch is dead. He'll no doubt be resurrected on satellite radio or some other venue. He is nothing if not entertaining. And think of the fodder for insult he has generated after all his pseudo-friends have abandoned him. Just make sure your insults are directed at old white guys, Imus. Then you'll be safe.