Don Imus vs. Rap Culture

2007-05-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

It is time for the media to start paying attention to what is being said on television and the radio regardless of who makes the comment.

Don Imus was fired from his job with CBS radio after calling the Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed ho’s.” This statement caused a lot of debate on whether or not it was appropriate for him to make this particular comment about black women. Even though this remark was not necessary, it has caused too much attention that is also not necessary.

Why are comments like this a big issue now? I am not justifying what Imus said because the comment he made was not acceptable, but why was it made such a big deal for him. Is the statement wrong because Imus is white? What if an African American female or male made the same remark?

I have thought about this statement “nappy-headed ho’s” for a few days and wondered how I would feel if someone was to refer to me as one. I have heard many opinions on this topic, read about it Online and even watch a clip of when Imus made the comment. This is not the first time there have been unnecessary comments made by people who are on television.

Sometimes women tend to let people, especially men, from different races and backgrounds call them out there name by the way the present themselves. If you wear clothes that are too tight and everything is popping out in the wrong places, they are going to say you look nasty. If you give men what they want and put your business out in the street, people will call you a ho. So why get mad if someone refers to you in this manner? This name is not acceptable, yet we continue to let people call us rude names.

In popular culture, it seems to have become a fad calling females names based on how they look or act. One way it is shown is through rap music. After this comment made by Imus, people have started to wonder whether or not rappers are wrong for referring to females as a ho, slut or b---h. I choose not to listen to this type of music because I personally do not want to agree to a type of music where people are degrading women.

In an interview with MTV, Snoop Dogg says that he doesn’t think that rappers should be compared to Imus.

“It's a completely different scenario,” says Snoop. “[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money.”

I understand what he meant by saying that rappers just talk about what they are feeling and are not pinpointing a certain group of females, but the language should not be acceptable. If we continue to broadcast their music where they are degrading women, then we are saying that it is allowed. If we continue to dance and sing to this type of music, then we are calling ourselves these names. Not all females who wear skimpy clothes are ho’s and not all of them that aren’t doing anything for themselves are ho’s either.

In other words, should we take offense to those who call us names or refer to you as a particular name? Should we accept these names or instead try to do something about it?

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Don Imus vs. Rap Culture