Thursday, January 06, 2005

IMUS STEPS IN IT AGAIN. Don Imus has taken time out from his busy schedule of making fun of black people (click here and here) in order to make fun of Jews. Belief.net carries this UPI story about Imus making a reference to "thieving Jews," and then apologizing by saying the phrase was "redundant." Nice!

When the Anti-Defamation League complained, Imus reportedly replied, "Leave me alone, Jesus, God. Go after people who are actually doing something wrong."

Hey, I-man - you actually did something wrong.

The story, which appears to have originated with the New York Post, has already made it as far as the Jerusalem Post. I think we can accurately guess what the "two words" were.

I used to listen to Imus quite a bit, and no, I don't think he's racist or anti-Semitic. But there's no question he plays with race, ethnicity, and religion in ways that slide right up to the line, and that often cross over it. He's got to cut it out.

Speaking of dubious humor, Eric Alterman today picks up on Mallard Fillmore - and finds a new link. The meme is spreading. I hope.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think Imus will stop dealing with ethnicity. If he were to refer to Michael Savage or Eddie Andelman in a stereotypical and unkind way, it's part of the game. That's the way they behave on their shows. But if he charged that Hollywood Jews who control the film industry [being circulated on the talk circut] are preventing Mel Gibson's "Passion" from getting it's due, I think this is where you really should be called out.
*** Conan O'Brien recently had a skit in which "Brick House" was introduced as the offical anthem of Kwanzza.I winced,but it was funny.
ProFromDover

Anonymous said...

If you go to the Imus or WFAN web pages, they say something interesting (and depressing) about what sells in radio in NYC. Lots of unfunny potty jokes and stuff you could NEVER get away with in Boston, with a "you got a problem with that?" sensibility.(Not sure if it's still there but the Imus site once had a Louise Woodward-Shaken Baby Syndrome joke that compelled me to write their management. So much for "Tomorrow's Children"). If even a portion of what I've read on the web is true about the "per-child" cost of the Imus Ranch, this guy puts Kozlowski and Tyco to shame.

Anonymous said...

Re Mallard:
Looks like "Boss Hawg" on "the Dukes of Hazzard" to me....