2008 Woodie Awards
::Editorial::
Getting Fired in America
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: Op-Ed
It is very interesting what one has to do in America to lose his or her job.
Don Imus, host of the radio show Imus in the Morning, made a racially and sexually offensive comment towards the Rutgers University women's basketball team on April 4, 2007. His insult gave way to media uproar, being covered on television news broadcasts, making headlines and landing the cover of Time Magazine.
Imus was first placed on a two-week suspension as consequence for his actions. Major advertisers, like Staples and Proctor & Gamble, then decided to pull their commercials from Imus' airtime to show that they do not support his loaded comments. On Wednesday, April 11, MSNBC went public with the decision to no longer televise his radio show. The following day, CBS officially decided to pull Imus' show from the radio airwaves.
Imus now joins many unemployed Americans. Why is he in their ranks? He exercised his freedom of speech.
For those not familiar with Imus' style, he has been compared to Howard Stern. Imus has made many offensive comments in his time on the air. He has been described as: a racist, a homophobe, a sexist and an anti-semitic for many years. If these remarks are found offensive, the listener has every right to change the channel and, better yet, to boycott him!
Why are his comments coming under major scrutiny now? Was this just the final straw? Were the talented women of Rutgers the first ones to stand up to him? Is there something major going on Iraq and we are being told by the media to look elsewhere? It is interesting that this story is so popular at the same time that the soldier's deployment time in Iraq has been extended by three months.
Steven Stanton has served as the city manager of Largo, Florida for the past 14 years. He recently went public with the fact that he is a transsexual and plans to transfer genders. He will be taking the name Susan, the name his mother would have given him had he been born a female.
Don Imus, host of the radio show Imus in the Morning, made a racially and sexually offensive comment towards the Rutgers University women's basketball team on April 4, 2007. His insult gave way to media uproar, being covered on television news broadcasts, making headlines and landing the cover of Time Magazine.
Imus was first placed on a two-week suspension as consequence for his actions. Major advertisers, like Staples and Proctor & Gamble, then decided to pull their commercials from Imus' airtime to show that they do not support his loaded comments. On Wednesday, April 11, MSNBC went public with the decision to no longer televise his radio show. The following day, CBS officially decided to pull Imus' show from the radio airwaves.
Imus now joins many unemployed Americans. Why is he in their ranks? He exercised his freedom of speech.
For those not familiar with Imus' style, he has been compared to Howard Stern. Imus has made many offensive comments in his time on the air. He has been described as: a racist, a homophobe, a sexist and an anti-semitic for many years. If these remarks are found offensive, the listener has every right to change the channel and, better yet, to boycott him!
Why are his comments coming under major scrutiny now? Was this just the final straw? Were the talented women of Rutgers the first ones to stand up to him? Is there something major going on Iraq and we are being told by the media to look elsewhere? It is interesting that this story is so popular at the same time that the soldier's deployment time in Iraq has been extended by three months.
Steven Stanton has served as the city manager of Largo, Florida for the past 14 years. He recently went public with the fact that he is a transsexual and plans to transfer genders. He will be taking the name Susan, the name his mother would have given him had he been born a female.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
posted 4/17/07 @ 7:46 AM EST
The Constitution only protects one against government interference with free speech. Private employers, like Imus', are free to decide whether to keep an employee. (Continued…)
Natalie
posted 4/19/07 @ 3:04 AM EST
In addition to Dr. Weiss's point, the airing of his show was probably affected more by the loss of advertisers than his actual comments. No money, no show. (Continued…)
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