Hirp Says..

So once again there’s a story in the news. We’ve heard it before, but it seems to be a monthly occurrence now. Celebrity makes an ignorant, hateful statement and then all hell breaks loose. We get the child-like forced apology. We get outrage from all those who seem to make careers off telling us what is offensive. There are the subsequent cries for them to lose their jobs. Wait a few weeks, repeat.

This time its “shock-jock” Imus. What he said is vile and disgusting. You probably heard about it, he refered to a women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hoes.” It’s blatantly racist, and there’s no excuse for it. But you know what really annoys me about this situation? Its not even the ignorance, or the hate that bothers me. Its all the bullshit that follows. Look, if those are his beliefs and he’s that asshole, fine. Imus, own your beliefs. Don’t apologize. We know you’re doing it just to try and save your ass, so it’s a waste of time. Also, I don’t think he should automatically lose his job. I don’t think he should get a raise or anything either. I just think he should be allowed to be an asshole without getting fired for it. If sub sequentially, his ratings fall so far that they need to let him go because it’s the right business decision, then so be it.

But lets be real, I can write hateful horrible things here if I so choose, and I won’t lose my job for the statements themselves. Doing it on company time or property could possibly change that, but this isn’t my job. Shocking statements, well that sounds like it just might be part of the job description of a “shock-jock.” Losing your cool and having a sudden case of diarrhea of the mouth is a hazard of the job for a comedian being heckled, as was the case with Michael Richards. They’re complete assholes for what they said, but in America, you’re allowed to be a complete asshole.

We can disagree with their statements, and hopefully it sparks conversation and perhaps they actually learn something and if we’re really lucky, like the guy who hooked up with Britney Spears in rehab lucky, maybe they’ll even change their thinking. But I’d respect these idiots a lot more if they had the chutzpah to stand up for themselves. Fred Phelps might be the biggest piece of shit on the planet, or at least belongs in the conversation, but at least he stands by his ignorant thinking. I can at least respect him for that, even if he’s so obviously stupid.

Imus, you said what you said and it was stupid and it makes you a complete jackass. Don’t apologize for it just to save your ass. He seems to be trying to do both. He’s telling Matt Lauer “Well, perhaps I can’t (change),” when asked if he’ll clean up his act. He’s passing the buck, and saying that the phrase started in the black community. But he’s also gone on and apologized. Sounding like the politicians he was so quick to call out.

CBS radio, quit it with the suspension and the talk of firing him for his comments. Let his listeners, your advertisers and the general public decide his fate and yours. You wanted the rating by putting someone like him on the air, don’t cut and run now. I’m not suggesting they jump behind him, and reiterate his comments by any means. But this is their mess too.

I’m just sick of people who are ballsy enough to make a bold statement, and then backpedal like me in the ring with Mike Tyson. Isiah Washington called someone a fag on the set of “Grey’s Anatomy” and checks into rehab. Rehab? Are you effin’ kidding me?! Dude, you’re an asshole. But you’re a damn fine actor (have been for years too, always underrated) so do your job, and be a dickhead. If by running off at the mouth you end up having experiences that change your views, great. There should be no rehab, no meetings with leaders of the community you offended and they should keep their jobs.

To quote a wise man, “never let anyone outside the family know what you’re thinking,” and “you could act like a man!”