Should Imus be Fired?

I've been asking myself that question, regarding Imus' reference on the air to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy headed hos" as the scandal has unfolded.

And my answer is: that's a business decision to be made by his corporate overlords. Not me.

That doesn't mean I don't think his comments were grossly inappropriate, racist and sexist. They were.

But I am trying to see the brouhaha in a larger context. Fire Imus, and someone will replace him.

Pam at Pam's House Blend argues that he should be fired because he and CBS and MSNBC are making a profit from hatred.

And Imus is the only one doing this? Have you seen "Mind of Mencia" on Comedy Central? Shouldn't we be trying to get him fired? He's making a profit by playing off racial stereotypes.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to defend Imus. I hate his show and I don't understand it and don't listen to it. I don't know what is funny about saying "nappy headed hos" and I don't understand people who make a point to listen to jerks like Imus (or Ann Coulter, for that matter) for their own amusement.

Except I wonder if there's something anti-establishment about it -- we're not supposed to make comments like that so when Imus says it then it appeals to the American sense of rebellion. Again, I'm not making a defense of Imus, I'm trying to understand why what he does has made him rich. I do think he represents an American culture that has gone wrong, a culture that appeals to the worst aspects of our nature. And one could hardly claim that someone with as big a mouthpiece as Imus has who uses it to demean college students is acting in the traditional sense of our heritage to tell authority to go screw itself.

To get rid of the Imuses of the world our culture will have to change. It's happened before. Amos 'n Andy, a TV show that played to racial stereotypes was once thought of as acceptable and funny. That show's time has past. Will and Grace, and notably the characters of Will Truman and Jack MacFarland are the Amos 'n Andy of our day. Both characters played to gay stereotypes and were vain, selfish and shallow. I mean, would you want your son to date Will Truman? Really? I hope that one day our culture will not support the viability of shows like that just as we don't Amos 'n Andy today.

That's why I say this is a business decision. Today, our culture wants a Don Imus. Fire him and another will emerge.

In the meantime, don't like Imus? Don't listen to him. Pissed off at the politicians who go on his show? Don't vote for them. Hate the fact he's been given his platform by his sponsors? Don't buy their products.