Don Imus in talks with RFD-TV

I like RFD as well. In fact, I wish we got it here in NYC. They show old broadcasts of classic Country shows like Porter Wagoner (with Dolly Parton), The Wilburn Brothers (who pretty much suck, BUT their regular on the show was Loretta Lynn!), and Jimmy Dean's network show with Ralph who I believe was the first muppet.

Great stuff. If it becomes the home of Imus, so be it, but he's a first-class jerk. I know lots of first-class jerks and I don't want them to have a morning show either.

 

A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own.

A racist is one who holds the belief that members of one race are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other races. Anyone who believed that way would never let all races of children on to the ranch the way that Imus does, cancer or not.

 

Imus may indeed be a bigot but I do not believe he is a racist. I also believe he got a raw deal, as what got him fired was the kind of material said on his show all the time.

Evan

 

But, what he said on his show all the time make it OK?

No, Imus is not a racist. That distinction goes to people like Bill O'Reilly, Mel Gibson, Michael Savage, Joe Biden, and John Gibson.

Imus got what he deserved, but deserves a chance to redeem himself.

 

Most likely no, Grant. But keep in mind that was what he was paid to do, right or wrong.

I actually met Imus when he did his show here in 1999, and I thought he was one of the biggest a-holes I ever met.

Evan

 

Well, different strokes, I guess.

My wife and I were absolutely hooked on his broadcasts, and we particularly liked to watch it over breakfast. Where else could I see Levon Helm and his band perform live, then hear an intelligent discussion about politics from the likes of Tim Russert or Anna Quindlen or Sen. Joe Lieberman or Sen. John McCain, followed by some absurd humor with Wilford Brimley basting the Thanksgiving turkey?

It was exceptionally well understood by radio insiders that Imus' unique mix of humor, music and politics drew listeners from NPR. That might sound contradictory at first glance, but it's absolutely true. He may not have had the largest audience, but the audience he had was smart, powerful, influential and had lots of disposable income.

The 'audience size' argument can often be misleading. Britney Spears sold millions and millions of pieces of crap. Lucinda Williams has sold a relative pittance. Is there anyone on this forum who seriously thinks that Britney is a more important artist just because she sold a lot more CDs and concert tickets than Lucinda?

Same thing with Imus...and if you don't like him, fine, but the guy is talented and smart and funny and crotchety and obnoxious, and yeah, he took his humor wayyyyy over the edge to the point of being highly offensive. I guess no one here has listened to a Lenny Bruce album lately.

I hope Imus comes back, and soon.

 

LOL!

I also saw Imus at that 1999 show in Burlington VT, and yeah, he was an a-hole.

My wife and I also had drinks with sidekick Bernard McGuirk in the hotel bar the night before the show, and he told us that Imus' "a-hole act" was no act, he really was an a-hole, and he didn't care what people thought about him.

I'm hopeful Bernard also makes a comeback, that's a talented guy who crossed the line and has paid a very heavy price for doing so.

 

Imus has a new deal with Cumulus Broadcasting and starts on the air again in New York(on WABC)on December 1st. Hopefully he'll be back in your market son as well.

Evan

 

Citadel

 

Oops--my bad! Thanks!

Citadel it is!

Evan

 

BTW, Imus will have Charles McCord and Bernard at his side as usual.

Evan

 

Exactly. He did some great interviews in the last year also with Jerry Lee Lewis, Dwight Yoakam, and an unexpectedly funny interview with Harry Connick.

Looks like I'll be listening at first to streaming audio from WABC. I'm hoping the TV simulcast works out, and I can see it in this area. It was great to see in-studio music performances on the show.

 

Well, he settled with CBS, so, that must mean they indeed told him to say stuff. But, as far as i'm concerned, he shouldn't have agreed to it.

I don't doubt it.

 

It's like the old saying goes, if you don't like a radio show, turn the dial.

Evan

 

Turn the dial? I don't even have the station on! But, once in a while, I will check up on these guys to see what they are up to. I want to be informed if I am going to criticize them.

 

Happy days are here again!

 

My guess is to don't expect business as usual. he won't be as caustic as before, not after what he went through a few months ago!

 

The problem with that statement is that Lenny Bruce was satirizing bigots, while Imus IS a bigot.

 

That's your perspective, and I absolutely don't buy it.

Imus and Lenny Bruce are cut from much of the same comedic cloth. If you don't agree, well, that's your right.

 

Are you saying that Don Imus
is strongly partial to his own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ
because you sure can't get that from his show. First off I doubt that any of us here had better say anything about people who are strongly partial to their own group, second on the subject of religion, Don being a Jew has hardly let up on his own personal heritage and regularly had a Catholic priest and Christian minister on thw show, as far as race he's had great shows featuring members of almost every race that exist, and please, "politics"...he the best there is at it and is unaffiliated to the centermost, and in no way can anyone accuse him being intolerant of those who differ "listen to the show", it would be impossible to act that way and still have a successful talk show you wouldn't be able to book hardly anyone. So unless you know him personally or something I just don't see why you would call him a bigot, and if you don't know him personally I'd say that you are, at best, approaching the line of personal slander.

 

You must be kidding!

How about an anti-semite? http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2535

 

No, that's like saying Carroll O'Conner was a bigot, which he certainly was not! Sounds like the Imus fans are looking for excuses to not to hold him accountable for anything offensive he ever said.

 

No I'm not kidding.
And it's one of those things where it's ok for you to talk about the group you belong to,
but nobody else can...you know what I mean.

 

Just trying to make a point. I was curious to how you'd react to any comments that may be anti-semitic if you thought that he was, but you didn't respond. Anyhow the point is that it is not ok for a member of a group anymore than it's ok for someone not part of the group, IMO.

 

I wasn't online between post #73& 74 to respond, but I still don't get your point. And just to clarify: he's definitely NOT Jewish and (I'll qualify by saying IMO) he IS anti-semitic.