rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

Nappy Headed Faggots

      I never thought I'd find myself coming to the defense of the likes of Imus and Ann Coulter, but the brouhahas (brouhahai?) raised over recent comments by both has led me to this keyboard w/spleen all a-ripe for venting. Coulter's remark ("I was going to conclude my remarks w/some thoughts on John Edwards, but apparently you have to go to rehab if you use the word 'faggot'") while, to my mind at least funnier than Imus' 'nappy headed hos' (and how many times have we all heard that phrase in the last week? Maybe enough to drain it of it's power? Naw, not for this Crybaby Nation) remark, but I find both equally harmless.

     I find it interesting that Coulter's remark went in and out of the public conciousness/news cycle awfully quick, especially when compared to the shitstorm of righteous indignation and now loss of livelihood thrown at Old Imus. Now what might that mean? Maybe gays have a better sense of humor than blacks? Or perhaps it's just that America is more willing to quickly forgive a hot blonde than it is to cough up some compassion for an old white man.

     Again, send all hatemail to timbyrnes@antimusic.net.

     The questions I have, apart from where might a 66 year old white man have learned the phrase 'nappy headed hos' (I don't know, hmmmmm HIP HOP, perhaps)?, is this: where the hell do Al 'Tawana Brawley' Sharpton and Jesse 'Hymietown'  Jackson get off calling this particular kettle black. Or gay. Or, you know what I mean. Is this really the most important issue in American race relations today. That an old guy made an extremely bad joke/comment on the radio? One for which he has taken immediate responsibility and apologized for repeatedly?

     These basketball players know that they are not 'nappy headed hos', don't they? Does anyone actually think they are because of a radio comment? I'm so sick and tired of the 'words have power' argument. Yeah, words like 'you're fired' have power because they change yr life. An inadverdant insult, no matter how unthinking or, to use the medias favorite word 'deplorable' (although I'd personally save that adjective for lines like 'Mission accomplished' and 'You fight a war w/the army you got, not the army you want', but maybe that's just me.) is just that; an insult. Get over it.

     Now it seems that Imus' firing has become the focal point for a supposedly honest and open debate about racism in America and that would be a good thing if it were actually honest and open. But as long as you've got the flawed berating the flawed, as is the case w/the Sharpton/Jackson Axis of Victimhood vs. Imus' slip of the tongue - and really that's all it was, the man's philanthropic accomplishments (should) speak for themselves, then it's all just more media bloviating, postured outrage and airtime for everybody until the next nonstory comes along.

     I mean, aren't we still enmeshed in a questionable war in Iraq? Don't we have a questionable Attorney General problem? Wouldn't know it to watch our newsmedia this week. From where I sit it's not what you say, it's what you do and throughout this mess I'm obviously more impressed w/Imus' handling of the situation. He admitted his mistake, apologized and has sat quietly throughout the slings and arrows of hypocrisy flung at him by Sharpton and Jackson. Perhaps he'll man up and tell the both of them to shut the fuck up, 'cause I really don't think he can be pushed much farther. I'd respect that, even though it'd cause Imus a bigger ration of shit, but at this point what does he have to lose.

     Call for Snoop Dogg's firing. Or Jay Z or Eminem. Call for the record companies to cut loose all their million selling misogynists. Either go all the way or (and this one's for you, Imus) shut the fuck up.

      (dedicated to the memory of Kurt Vonnegut, a true American hero)

Posted by: timbyrnes at 15:49 | link | comments (3)

Comments:

#1  12 April 2007 - 16:52

 

I thought this would be the other way 'round (i.e., I was FULLY expecting a eulogy for Kurt here), but anyway, I agree. Besides the obvious above, I find it a little late and even more than a little hypocritical for a society to penalize someone for making the same exact kind of comment they've egged him on to do and avidly supported him for doing for 40-something years.

burninglight

#2  23 April 2007 - 15:58

 

Hey. I thought the Imus post was a tribute to the freethinking side of KV, although he would have hated the profanity. I couldn't bear a full blown eulogy, I'm still missing the man too much. Silly, I know, but he taught me more than many teachers I'd actually met. I remember the 1st thing of his I read 'Cat's Cradle'. I was like maybe 15, just past the worst summer and the way the book (and the rest of his work, which I still reread on a yearly basis) presented reality in all it's absurd venality (and venal absurdity) made me shake my head in recognition of a fellow curmudgeon at the same time swelling my psychic chest, just a little, in pride and hope for our little species. This is one of those times I hope yr right about heaven, 'cause I can just imagine Lester and Kurt's conversations.
Perhaps coming soon to a blog near you.......

timbyrnes

#3  01 July 2007 - 11:03

 

"I find it a little late and even more than a little hypocritical for a society to penalize someone for making the same exact kind of comment they've egged him on to do and avidly supported him for doing for 40-something years."

Good topic, Tim.

Yes, there was something very fishy about the whole thing.

What you guys need to understand, and what people in general need to understand, is that Imus' firing had nothing to do with what Imus said. It had everything to do with that he was going to be a strong Hillary-detractor until the 2008 election. That is exactly why there was an uproar. It was an orchestrated and planned political move, by the Clinton bunch and their supporters.

Mrs. Clinton's emerging hit-man is a group called Media Matters, and they are the ones responsible. Read all about it.

http://www.aim.org/aim_report/5435_0_4_0_C/

I hope this well help you guys to consider voting for the Republican Party in the next election.

A 3rd party vote would merely be laying out the red carpet for Hillary Clinton. a woman with no conscience a black hole for a soul.

She's already acting like the The Third Reich and she hasn't even been elected president, yet.

Jim

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