I find it mind-boggling that the firing of Don Imus has led to the discussion of hip-hop music and the deleterious effects it has on the always ambiguous "children." The Don Imus controversy should be opening up a national dialogue about the content, quality, and tone of the civil discourse, as well as the broadcasting standards (or lack thereof) in place since the 1987 repealment of the FCC's Fairness Doctrine (and its corollaries, such as the "personal attack rule" and the "equal-time rule").
The fact of the matter is that gangster rap does not have the same impact on the civil discourse as the news and opinion media (of which Don Imus was a part, addressing news and political issues), and arguments that equate the two are indefensible and unsupportable. You can argue that Don Imus was just an entertainer, but that's simply not true. Imus in the Morning was a political and news show, despite his former reputation as nothing more than a "shock jock," and the public influence of his show grew as a result. Less than a decade ago, TIME magazine placed Don Imus on their list of the "25 most influential people in America."
Of course I'll admit that certain lyrics found in certain kinds of hip-hop are reprehensible. But the fact of the matter remains that hip-hop doesn't have the same kind of influence that the news and opinion media does, and it can't be judged by the same standards. Apparently conservatives would have us judge everyone by the same standards, and that should tell us in what regard they hold the press. We should hold the news media to higher standards than mere pop music.
And a comment to those who suddenly care about young African-Americans: if you want to have a positive effect on the African-American community (and it cannot be judged by the content, merits, or standards of the the so-called "hip-hop community"), stop talking about gangster rap (of whom the listening demographic is 71% white) and start strongly advocating and supporting affirmative action, affordable housing, anti-poverty initiatives, equal opportunity employment. Start donating your time as a counselor or tutor. Donate money to the United Negro College Fund. But condemning gangster rap is a transparent ploy when only used after a conservative gets burned for using hate-speech.
To those pour souls who think Don Imus got "lynched": You don't know what a lynching is.
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2 comments:
I just totally disagree. Hip Hop is much more influential. Its audience is younger and bigger than Imus' - bigger by far. And younger means more open to influence, in general. No one listening to Imus is going to go from egalitarian to racist because of his ignorant foolery. But millions of kids listening to hiphop have taken on faux-gangster identity, and think it's fine to demean women, carry a gun, and act like a thug. I know this because I taught middle school. Every single student liked rap. No one ever heard of Don Imus.
Bottom line: It's a false dichotomy. Hiphop is mostly positive, not negative, and the negative stuff sells because our culture is sick and has been for some time - long before grandmaster flash and run dmc came on the scene. And hiphop HAS been criticized for this by black leaders quite often and loudly. Pointing to hiphop is a distraction from imus' comments. But if hiphop gets a pass, it shouldnt be because rap isnt influential - it is one of the most influential forces on the planet. It should get a pass because oppressed people are free to cope with injustice however they want, including using crude language. Imus, on the other hand, as a member of the dominant group, has to watch his mouth. That makes sense to me, and white America just doesnt get it.
thanks
www.lefthandjesus.blogspot.com
Good point Daniel. Matt Taibbi also had some interesting things to say on this issue. You might want to check it out here:
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/50744/
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