The Real Source of Imus-Type Flaps? Management

Don Imus is no total idiot. OK, he’s a clod with a microphone who from time to time offers diatribes that cross the line between mild offense and outright racism. But again, he’s no total idiot.

By now, everyone and their mothers have heard about Imus’ on-air comments referring to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as a group of “nappy-headed hos.”

Why do I say that Imus is no total idiot? Because he does exactly what his bosses want him to do.

And that is to get ratings. Got that? R-A-T-I-N-G-S. In other words, attract as many pairs of ears (in television, the name of the game is to draw pairs of eyeballs) to your show so that your salespeople can sell those listening ears to advertisers willing to pay big bucks to sell their wares.

Prominent African Americans, including officials of the National Association of Black Journalists, have called for Imus’ firing. Turned out it was wishful thinking, as CBS, which syndicates the show to 70 stations around the country, suspended Imus for two weeks. Following suit was MSNBC, which simulcasts the program.

I won’t rehash the controversy, there are plenty of places in cyberspace reporting on it ad nauseum. A good place to start is Richard Prince’s Journal-isms column.

My thing is this: Come on, folks, how many times have we seen this? And why are we surprised?

Controversial and offensive riff, spoof or skit – usually mocking or demeaning minorities or coming across with heavy sexual overtones – hits airwaves, then firestorm of controversy ensues with calls for firing of those involved. Then management apologizes and fires some hapless producer or other behind-the-scenes staffer while the on-air personalities get a wrist slap but keep their gigs.

Think back to New York’s Hot 97’s utterly tasteless 2005 parody mocking the victims of the South Asian tsunami complete with epithets such as “screaming chinks.” A producer of the hip-hop station’s “Miss Jones in the Morning” show was fired, but the rest of the staff each ponied up one week’s pay for tsunami relief. Station management apologized.

And how about that pre-Monday Night Football stunt in 2004 that had Desperate Housewives’ Nicollette Sheridan dropping her towel in front of then-Philadelphia Eagles wideout Terrell Owens and jumping into his arms? That was unsavory enough, but add to it the unmistakable racial overtones (white blonde coming on to muscular black stud). No calls for firing this time, but ABC, the National Football League and the Eagles apologized after facing the inevitable torrent of criticism.

What I think of these apologies? They’re bullcrap. In the above instances, those involved in putting them together knew exactly what they were doing and I believe, especially in the case of Hot 97, had management’s tacit approval. Anyone with a smidgen of intellectual honesty who really cared could have raised a red flag and said, “Uh, do you think this might be offensive?” Either that didn’t happen, or that person who raised the concern was ignored.

After all, controversy creates ratings – it creates buzz, it gets people to listen in to see what the fuss is about. Then the Neilsen or Arbitron ratings climb, and the network or station can command higher ad rates.

Imus’ type of radio is cut from the same cloth – management’s message to him is “you’ve got carte blanche to say what you want. Come as close to the line as you can without going over. If you do, we’ll apologize to the howling masses and suspend you for a couple of weeks.”

If Imus’ bosses had granted NABJ’s wish and fired him, how long do you think it would be before another competing outlet snapped Imus up, thus bringing along his all-important audience, along with the dollars it represents?