Imus and Racist Language

Posted by Mary Rayme Apr 15, 2007

I will admit this. I used to be a huge Howard Stern fan. When I Iived and worked in Baltimore and then Philadelphia, I hung on every titillating and juicy word of my favorite shock jock. His world was full of racist and sexist commentary, all of which was seemingly OK when his co-host Robin Quivers was a black woman.

The interesting thing about Howard Stern was this: he was adored by liberal Democrats as well as conservative Republicans. Why? Here's my theory: The Democrats perceived Howard as a social commentator and/or a sly satirist who was not really a racist, but merely commenting or reflecting the racism and sexism of our time. Conservative Republicans viewed Howard as one of them and took his comments at face value, all the while chuckling at the idiocy of porn stars, the homeless, and the freaks who frequented Stern's studio. The truth of Howard, as with all humans, lies in the middle of these two points of view. Howard Stern is quite human just like the rest of us, including Imus.

But the world changes, just as our ideas about race, sex, and equality change to keep up with where our society takes us collectively.

I noticed recently that an art exhibition by Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping created some controversy in Vancouver, Canada, with a piece of art that pits live insects and critters against each other. The piece is entitled, Theatre of the World, and is a giant turtle shell shape that one can look through and see various snakes, lizards, insects, and scorpions, battling it out in a life and death coliseum.

This piece has already toured though the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art with no controversy or fanfare. In Vancouver, Canada, this piece has been called into question by the Vancouver Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

What does this have to do with Imus? It's about how our idea of what is ethical changes both through time and geography. Imus' words that got him fired were nothing new. He has always spouted the same naughty and un-politically correct words that got him fired. It is us as a society that has changed. The corporate sponsors and the general public decided that enough was enough.

There are other factors at play here as well. Imus' comments were targeted and displayed on YouTube, the great social and politcal equalizer, where you can watch Michael Richards freak out and give a racist tirade. (You can also watch Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction, or watch President Bush read My Pet Goat on the morning of September 11.) I would also be willing to bet that it was a convenient time to fire Imus. His ratings have no doubt dropped since there's no Howard Stern to do battle with on the radio airwaves, and his salary must be exhorbitant considering his years with the same company.

But more importantly, perhaps we realize as a society how important words are, and how they can be used to build up or to drag down. I am strangely grateful to Don Imus for this whole imbroglio because it demands that we talk about and discuss issues of race and racism and sexism. Why? Until we have a society of equality, it is absolutely essential that it all be discussed.