One Thing Don Imus Shouldn’t Have Said
I really don’t have anything to say about Don Imus — I am no fan, to be sure — but living here in New Jersey, and my husband being a Rutgers alum — I have been appalled, or just outraged, at his use of “crude, offensive language” about the Rutgers women’s baskbetball team last Wednesday while discussing their defeat in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
I do not know understand how any national autism organization can be associated with someone who can use such hateful words.
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POSTED IN: Media, New Jersey, Race & Ethnicity, Stereotypes
31 opinions for One Thing Don Imus Shouldn’t Have Said
Leila
Apr 10, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I agree. The first time I saw Imus’s name at a local autism parents listserve as if he were some kind of hero, I couldn’t believe. He’s a disgusting bigot, and has used hateful words towards minorities and women on all his shows.
It’s just sad that a person like that has his own program on major media outlets. People like him, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter are bad for America.
Daisy
Apr 10, 2007 at 7:31 pm
His comments were outrageously insulting. The young women from Rutgers can speak for me any time; I’m proud of the way they’ve handled this situation with class.
livsparents
Apr 10, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Oh well, at least Hackensack University Medical Center got a good children’s wing out of his name. I have a feeling that this MAY be the last we here of Don Imus, Diedre and an autism connection…
natalia
Apr 11, 2007 at 9:24 am
I don’t really understand college sports or sports TV, but… didn’t the other guy visiting on the show say something almost as ugly? Shouldn’t people be mad at both of them?!
livsparents
Apr 11, 2007 at 10:35 am
Yea, his PRODUCER started the foray with a comment about the team being tough. The comment was just as disturbing which also may be another nail in the coffin of the Imus show. His mainstays on the show are politicians, and you know what rats do on a sinking ship. He won’t be able to get a town council member on his show.
Maybe Imus and Michael Richards can get a tour going…
Another Voice
Apr 11, 2007 at 10:41 am
I wish these young ladies would not meet with Imus. That merely creates another media event for him. He is a media person and therefore needs “press”. Good or bad does not matter, he needs to be an “item”; someone being in the news. He does not deserve the attention.
The best course of action, in my opinion, would be to publicly call out the companies that bought advertising slots on his program. Let them know that by supporting this type of program they are loosing revenue. Having the companies called out by name in the media will cause a little scurrying in the board room.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 11, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I have a feeling that the members of the basketball team are not having a complete say in any of this—-they’ve been thrust into the spotlight and are also representing their university. This has certainly overshadowed the NCAA win of the other team…….
Joe
Apr 11, 2007 at 4:25 pm
A local sportstalk host this morning said the best thing the members of the Rutgers team could have said was: “Who’s Don Imus?”
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 11, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Another Voice: looks like someone has your idea—
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/04/11/ap/business/d8oekl4o0.txt
blivet 2.0
Apr 11, 2007 at 7:41 pm
The Only Thing I’ll Say About That…
I fail to understand how a national autism organization can be associated with someone who so easily uses the language of hate. [Kristina Chew at Autism Vox]
No Tags……
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 11, 2007 at 7:47 pm
And also, regarding his MSNBC simulcast:
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/04/11/ap/business/d8oekl4o0.txt
Another Voice
Apr 11, 2007 at 7:52 pm
The students at Rutgers now have several very well respected corporations that are publicly traded, so they can find the names of board members and send letters of protest to where it will really count. These are first rate companies, I would imagine internally their own employees are upset and the boards are already livid. Now the youngsters can participate in a real economics project.
Their advertising dollars give Imus a mirophone, redirecting those advertising dollars shuts off that microphone.
Autism Vox » Who speaks for autism? How do you “treat” autism?
Apr 11, 2007 at 11:29 pm
[…] is definitely Autism Awareness Month: Media coverage about autism is everywhere (and a little controversy has only added to the pile). A few stories stood out to me, the first from today’s Hartford […]
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 11, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Here is the statement from Rutgers’ President. It’s a good project you propose—I am going to see what my own students think about this situation.
AJ
Apr 11, 2007 at 11:41 pm
My feeling about Imus’ affiliation with Autism Speaks came only through his association with the Wrights, through NBC. But I also understand that there was a falling-out, for some reason, between Don & Dierdre and the Wrights. And, as a result, Imus quit mentioning Autism Speaks (or autism as a subject) on his show.
It’s all about who rubs whose back, I guess. All about the money? Between the Imuses and the Wrights, that’s a lotta cash.
Correy Lennox
Apr 12, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Not a big fan of Autism Speaks OR Don Imus, but I find it ironic that (this speaks to another post as well) the R word is used CONSTANTLY everywhere on TV, but nobody ever gets upset about that.
And NBC seems to be somewhat patting themselves on the back for firing him… but he’s been spewing this same hate for years! And they keep mentioning every five minutes “We have Alison Stewart” as if their ONE African American anchor renders them “non racist” somehow.
Priscilla
Apr 12, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Personally I think it’s a DISGRACE CBS fired Mr. Imus…All because of “Words once again being twisted in to “RACIAL” accusations!” CBS, a long with ALL other certain people don’t realize the “GOOD” Mr Imus “HAS DONE” and “IS CONTINUING TO DO!” He opened up a Facility for Disabled Children “Imus For Tomorrows Children” In Hackensack N.J. for ALL RACES of ALL disabled CHILDREN!!! All I can say is Mr. Imus “God Bless YOU!!!” CBS YOU lost a GREAT MAN!!!
Autism Vox » In the wake of Imus’ ouster
Apr 12, 2007 at 7:07 pm
[…] I asked a few days ago: I do not know understand how any national autism organization can be associated with someone who […]
Harold L Doherty
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:53 am
Priscilla
You are absolutely right about the contributions that Mr Imus has made. Those contributions should not be forgotten at this time. It is also unfortunate that Ms Chew and other visitors to this site have used this recent controversy to smear the Autism Speaks organization.
Ms Chew, you have lowered your standards by using this incident involving Mr. Imus to attack Autism Speaks and the parents in the Autism Every Day video whose real crime in terms of this site is their dedication to improving the lives of autistic children and adults.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 13, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Thanks, Harold Doherty, for your kind observations.
Kay
Apr 13, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Things like this is exactly why the media can have a hay day with stories, and I am just adding to it. First off, I do feel bad for the girls. There is so much hate and offensive language against one racial group to another. But it is okay to use hate language towards people in your own race. I am embarrased to turn the radio on to the lyrics I hear in every genre of music! I hope this opens the ears of people to their own words.
And another thing I want to look at, I humbly look at Mr. Imus. I do this because he possesses a trait which I long to have…he understands giving. Thousands of parents and children SUFFER every hour with Autism. Learning how to cope and manage any type autism on the spectrum is a challenge. I just want to give this man credit where credit is due. Even though he did screw up with poor judgement and not being politically tactful, he does so much good, too. I pray that this time he learns and his good works will outnumber the hurt he has made. I am so glad that there are people that are not cowards and are stepping up to the plate for children with Autism. Racism is a horrible thing, and so when children are discriminated for their disabilities. I do now know what would feel worse than being trapped in your own body, as some severly autistic people do.
Can we start reaching out to people instead of just breeding more hate? Until we can love one another, we have nothing. I am going to start working on it today.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 13, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Kay, your words are powerfully expressed—thank you. Hoping to be able to reach out to Mr. Imus.
Kassiane
Apr 13, 2007 at 2:58 pm
The things Imus said about the basketball players were unacceptable. For one thing, his hair is…well…made for radio, if we’re going there. Secondly, the sex lives of the young women on the team are none of his business, my business, or anyone’s business except theirs and their partners, should there be any.
And…well…Autism Speaks doesn’t speak for me. No organization that glorifies homicidal PLANS will ever be an acceptable advocacy organization in my eyes. IRSA, the Rett Association, manages not to. The Mitochondrial Foundation manages not to. If you delve into both Rett Syndrome and the mitochondrial disorders, you’ll see that like autism, there is a spectrum, and like autism, there are a lot of associated things that suck and some bits that are like “well ok this is life and I can live with this”. But you just don’t HEAR “I thought about driving my mito kid off Big Famous Bridge because it was better than waiting to see which direction it progressed” (and yes. mito diseases progress. ALWAYS.)
It isn’t a matter of smearing Autism Speaks. It’s a matter of Autism Speaks smearing autistics, of Imus verbally smearing feces all over all kinds of people, and about carefully choosing who speaks for whom–know who you’re voting for before you enter the booth.
Rochelle
Apr 13, 2007 at 5:24 pm
I think it’s also important to note that Imus’ producer referred to these women first as “jigaboos”–another highly offensive word with connections to “blackface.”
I would like to note that Imus and his producer were calling educated, successful, athletic, healthy African American women “nappy headed hos.” Of course, if these were not educated women it wouldn’t make it any less offensive, but I think it’s an important point all the same.
Priscilla
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Thank you Kay for responding to my comment! I do have a 7 yr old child with Autism…severe Autism. That is how I know of Imus’ Tomorrow’s Children in Hackensack NJ. My son was diagnosed there at age 2 in 2001. I think the funds Mr. Imus has put forth for this Facility was a GENEROUS and WONDERFUL cause. He has helped children with not only Autism, but many other disibilaties and I am most GRATEFUL to him. I truly feel that words do become taken or even twisted to sound “RACIST” and sometimes words do come out the WRONG way. I do feel the Affiliate of CBS was highly WRONG for firing Mr. Imus….this is MY opinion and everyone has their right to an opinion (doesn’t mean we are all right). I am looking more toward the GOOD that this man has brought to OUR, (what I CAll) “Autism”, the “Mystery Epidemic Disease”..it is getting WAY out of hand and I feel not enough people are being Educated enough to understand what this EPIDEMIC is going to do for ALL OF OUR PEOPLES FUTURES. I have to say, we All have the same body parts, organs and same blood running through our veins. “Where is the love?” I will leave off with John Mayers title to a SO TRUE song “Waiting on the World to Change” Will it? It is just getting worse out there, not better. And what I mean by that is “We need to love one another, no matter what race, disibility or Religion.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Or wherever we are, or our childre are, on the spectrum.
Priscilla
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Rochelle,
Thank you for emailing me on your feelings towards Mr. Imus’s accusations, but you lack to see that there are two non African American women on the Rutgers Team as well. I feel this has all gone “OUT OF HAND”, Mr. Imus SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FIRED! Once again,that is MY opinion. I am a white women (Italian decent) and my Autistic son is has Spanish. My boyfriend is half Puerto Rican and African American and I am very far from RACIST. We as human beings with a heart need to learn to put “WORDS” aside sometimes and love one another. But in a world today, in 2007, it seems impossible because there are so many ignorant people out there. WHEN WILL THE HATE END?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 13, 2007 at 11:23 pm
I think it is starting to because we can have interchanges such as these.
Michael Katz
Aug 27, 2007 at 2:42 pm
The only Auism resource I found where I live is the local autism society of america chapter. They don’t want to talk about what service I can go to to find other Autistic people. They don’t want to talk about civil rights. When they make it clear that they are not intersted in what I have to say, I havve to think that they are treating their children like this. They say they are trying to help their children, and at the same time not interested in hearing input from their children about what they say they need.
\
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 27, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Have you found any autism groups where you live that are more supportive?
Getting to the Bottom: The Imus Center and the Northvale autism “cluster”
Dec 27, 2007 at 6:23 am
[…] not be terribly difficult to take this meaning and apply it to Don Imus’ tendency to use offensive language, as he did in regard to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. His wife, […]
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