The Rutgers women’s basketball team did not deserve to be the butt of cruel, prejudicial jokes, but the players also do not deserve to be synonymous with the fall of Imus.
Don Imus’ commentary has always been extreme, but the response to his insensitive comments last week has been equally so. Imus should have been punished. His commentary needed to be checked. However, his dismissal from MSNBC is not the answer. It’s an extreme solution to problems that are often fought on extreme levels. The need for healing is great nationwide, but the only way to do it is by dialing back the battering ram of media and engaging all sides in even-keeled discussions.
It’s a double-edged sword. Keep Imus on the air and racism and sexism persist. Take him off the air and racism and sexism still persist. Something needs to change, but Imus’ firing is not going to do it. What will be the follow-up? Who’s going to start the dialogue of change? There are a lot of people stepping up to vilify Imus, but who’s stepping up to formulate the lesson we should take from all of this? Who will help us move forward?
Bueller?
Sadly, Rutgers still ends up on the losing side in all of this. The team will never be rid of this shadow, which they did nothing to instigate and nothing to perpetuate. The situation should not have been overlooked by any means, but it snowballed and now every broadcast or every column about a Rutgers game or a Rutgers player for the next several years will always include this sad footnote.
And this is an unfortunate chapter for women’s athletics as well. Female athletes finally make the front page, but it has nothing to do with a championship victory or an amazing tournament run. They've come so far and achieved so much, but this is not how female athletes want to make headlines.
2 comments:
Unfortunately I agree with you. They can fire Imus and put someone else on the air. But he will get hired by satellite radio or some other entity after the smoke clears. Just you watch/listen.
Rutgers has a good team returning in '08 and I doubt anyone will mention it. Coach Stringer might want to use this free publicity to say something about it. "Yes, this is a terrible thing that happened. By the way, we have most of our starters returning next year. Get ready Vols. We'll be back and pissed off!"
I would have to agree as well... firing the man accomplishes nothing but the appearance of action. What really needs to change is the underlying hatefull and/or hurtful statements that are made daily on tv and radio...
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