Strange Behavior: Don Imus and the Case of the "Nappy-Headed Hos"

I was just as surprised by the comments of MSNBC commentator Don Imus when referring to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as anyone else.

I mean, it doesn’t get much worse than being referred to as a "nappy-headed ho" on national television.

The team, which includes eight black women, had lost the day before in the NCAA women's championship game.  Imus was speaking with producer Bernard McGuirk about the game when the exchange began on the show, which is broadcast to millions of people on more than 70 stations and the MSNBC television network.

And while I am joining the chorus of Blacks calling for the immediate firing of Imus from MSNBC, I am also turning a critical eye on us.

On any given day of week, million of Blacks condone the use of the word ho being used to refer to the Black woman.

Rappers commonly refer to the women in their songs and videos as hos and bitches.  In fact, it’s celebrated in rap music. 

The reality is that what Imus said was despicable, and downright deplorable and yes he should be fired for it. 

But the door was opened a long time ago for the degrading of Black women, and it was opened by us. 

When Black men began to make a living, and a good one at that, off of calling us hos, bitches and other derogatory terms, sooner or later it was going to become ok for others to do it.

And I am not blaming us for Imus’ racism and stupidity, but I am pointing out the fact that many Blacks, including Black women support rap artists who degrade them and in fact refer to themselves as “hos” and “bitches” much in the way that a large number of Blacks refer to themselves as “nigga.”

So, at the end of the day, while we can and should be demand for Imus to fired, we should also be turning to ourselves and reexamining why in 2007, people still think it’s ok to degrade and disrespect us.

I mean if 50 Cents can call you a ho and you bounce your hips to it, then what’s to say some white male television commentator can’t do the same?

What’s the difference?

Exactly.

It’s kind of hard to demand respect from others, when you can’t even get it from your own.

And as would be expected, because it’s an attack on Black women, cooler heads must prevail and the network must review the Imus situation.

All the while, you and I both know that had Imus replaced the word nappy with frizzy, not only would he be out of a job and probably in protective custody, but the MSNBC building would probably be burnt to crisp.  And if he had replaced the word hos with dykes or “carpet munchers,” you better believe there would be no reviewing the matter coming out of MSNBC, he’d have been fired the same day.  Only when it comes to Black people does it require this careful thought process about what the appropriate punishment should be. 

At the end of the day, if we’re going to call for Imus to be fired, and we should, we should also turn attention to the rappers that also call Black women hos and turn a profit off of it.

I don’t know what’s worse, being called a ho by some white man or being called a ho by a Black man.

So What Can You Do?

If there’s a protest in your city, show up and be counted.

You can also sign the petition calling for Imus to be fired by clicking here.

At some point, enough is enough.  Michael Richards, Shirley Q. Liquor, and now Don Imus.

We deserve better and if we expect Black people to take us seriously, we have to make our voices heard.

Ummm, and in case you were wondering.  No, there hasn’t been an official release regarding this from the national NAACP headquarters, at least not one that’s been sent out and posted on there website.

So Just Who Was Imus Referring To?

• #22 Matee Ajavon
• #5 Essence Carson
• #4 Dee Dee Jernigan
• #43 Rashidat Junaid
• #24 Myia Mccurdy
• #10 Epiphanny Prince
• #35 Judith Brittany Ray
• #15 Kia Vaughn

I guess the irony in Imus’ comments is that you will notice that most of the women on the basketball team have straightened hair, not hair that is “nappy.”

Comments

[Charmaine Green]

I just have to let the writer know that I do not agree with what she wrote. First off I agree with Teka 100%. Cable should be banned. I don't watch t.v. I find it a waste of time. And as a Black woman I am tired of seeing the All American Girl or Male as White. So t.v. does not get any recognition from me.

And to the writer Jasmine or whoever wrote this about Imus. How can ou sit there and say black people need to check themselves? Why are you trying to even make a debate of this? You should be appalled! When he speaks of these basketball players, he's talking about you, me, and every other black woman out there. There is no debate when it comes to the disrespectfullnes of this man. It's not our FAULT! For someone to have the guts to even say that on television and not even think before speaking, please!!!!!!!

Bottom line wrong is wrong. What reason did he have to disrespect these ladies?
These women are outstanding Black women that are trying to live above the statistics and influence and set examples for young black Americans. And you say we need to check ourselves. No honey you need to check yourself. Whenever you come back from your oblivious state of mind and realize that whatever black people do that is POSITIVE!! Whites are gonna still find something wrong with it and have something to say. This is reality and it's called RACISM!

As far as rappers, sweety look at your history white men are the originators of the degradation women. Before blacks were even considered a human being. They abused their women. White women were not allowed to speak. White women were disrespect in front of their children. They had to fight for their right to work and speech.

And furthermore. White women degrade themselves all the time. And it's not an issue. If you watch porn, watch MTV, watch anything white America. And see how they embarass themselves on National T.V. ALL THE TIME. So why is this an issue to you?
You cannot sit here and say that you have never called a black female a bitch. Impossible!

Black men only know what they see and are taught, commonly by the white man. Women have been degraded since the beginning of time. I'm not saying it's o.k. because it's not. It's a worldwide issue. In every culture women are usually #2.

When we (women) finally get freedom from being a house wife. Look at how we show off our goods on t.v. and magazines. It's like, "hi today i'm gonna wear a mini skirt and a see through top with my nipples hard and showing and expect you to treat me like a lady." I don't think so. If we want men to respect us we have to respect ourselves first.

But what does Nappy headed hoes have to do with rap. Most rappers do not refers to black women as nappy. It's too close to home, they have nappy hair too.

Just because a rapper calls a black woman a hoe you're right it doesn't make it o.k. But it is acceptable.
Its like when a white calls a black person a nigger, it's not o.k.

But it is o.k. for blacks, there is no rascism behind it when we do it. The correct thing to say is why do we call each other Niggers, bitches, and what not.

But this has nothing to do with what Imus said. He probably doesn't even listen to rap. And furthermore he called innocent women in basketball JERSEY'S,(not skin tight clothes), HOES! He has no respect FOR BLACKS and he is RACIST!

And as far as black disrespecting each other it's called sociology. When you take people, surpress them, call them Niggers and whatever else, and you are the higher power/role model (whites) that did this. Blacks will do the same, because this is how we were taught to view ourselves, we accepted it.
It's just like parenting, if you do and say things in front of you're children. They will 99.9% pick up your habits.

White people called blacks Niggers. We answered to it because we had no choice. That word became us. This is why we use it so much. Thats what we have been called since entering into America. Yes we can change it, but this is the only word that links us and gives us a common ground to the whites. Whites are our new ancestors and the people we answer to. So they call Nigger and we respond. We don't know where we came from, our heritage is lost, we are lost, and we had our own history created through whites. Whites were all we knew and had to survive. And we kept this structure even after the end of slavery. This is why it's so easy to use these words towards each other. We use these words and block out the meaning.

Look at how easy it was for them to manipulate us and change the meaning of Nigger to an ignorant person just so we would shut up and quit complaining, and so they could use it even more and make a mockery of it. We are just a game, a joke to them. So there is no more black vs. white. We are too easily manipulated and controlled.

Look at all the black people that hate being black. Ashamed of how dark they are. They all wanna be lighter thinking that it makes them more acceptable when it doesn't.

This really annoys me about the mixed race people. Being a lighter skinned woman myself does not make me any better. For some reason lighter skinned people especially women, think that they are better and that darker skinned people are jealous of them, lol. Look at this ignorance. We are no different from each other. This is a common misperception of ourselves and it shows how lost we are. Darker skinned women are honestly probably laughing to themselves at the confusion of these lighter skinned women. Saying, "some white person is gonna let them know that they are still a Nigger."

It just amazes me at how we try to be as white as we can be. Why? Why can't we be proud of who we are, no one is jealous of lighter skinned people, because we are all viewed as the same by whites. But if you would like to be called a light skinned Nigger, that can be arranged to suit your needs. It just shows how ashamed we are and how we hate ourselves.

I see plenty of white chicks in rap videos being disrepected just as well as black women. But you fail to realize and mention all the songs that were made to respect and honor black women.

I will always support rap and hip-hop. That is one of the only things that we have. At first i did not agree with rap, but heavy metal rock is just as bad. So who am I to judge my people's choice of music this is our created culture. I watched a few free styles and I was amazed. How many people do you know that can make a poem (because thats what it is), of their life and life's issues that rhymes in a 3 mins no pen no paper????????? Rap is an art!!! There are few that people that can do this off the top of their heads. This is our culture, this is what we were taught. To be poor, crazy, thugs, hoes, etc.

Whites over power us, were not even competition for them. They are out trying to conquer other countries like Iraq, etc. And they use us, their little pawns (blacks and other creeds) to do help them do their dirty work.

So you like to talk about small petty topics, talk about real issues here. Don't talk about why we call each other Niggas, hoes, bitches, etc. This is Minor. Study sociology and you will have a better understanding and statements will be answered.

Let's talk about why we can't get tax breaks and 40 acres and a mule. And why foreigners can come here and get all the assistance they need to be successful, and take it back home to their country. let's talk about how big of a trap welfare is, and how it teaches us to be baby factories, live on a small poverty budget, and does not educate us. let's talk about all the innocent blacks are oincarcerated every year. let's talk about why a black man's sentence is 4x harder than a white man's. Lets talk about why once we have served our prison sentence we can't get a wiped clean slate so we can start all over. People do make mistakes, and last I checked, in life you can pretty much screw up your 20's. Ruin half of your 30's and recoup in you 40's and still be able to live a descent life since we do have an average life expectancy of 72. These are real issues here.

We as blacks have been conquered, only a few of us will make it out, and make a difference. It just like what crack does to a family. If you kill the root (mother), you will destroy the seed (child). Being at the bottom of the food chain, we will do whatever it takes to get attention and recognition from the world wheter it's negative or positive. Whites are like our parents/ guardians, they are the closest that we can relate to and look at as role models. Do a test with your kids and show them pictures of white and black people, or dolls, and ask them which one they like best. They will 99.9% pick the white.

What Imus said was wrong and he deserved to lose his job. I could see if he talked about someone who actually fit the description but his words and timing were inappropriate. He is entitled to his own opinion, but offensive opinions should be kept inside. Opinions are like asses everyone has one some are big and some are small. So Imus since you're so stupid and enjoy making jokes, I guess the jokes on you this time welcome to the world of employment.

Lastly being African American, I have one question and I will shut my mouth after this. Why is it that we only make up 12% of the population and we have the #1 AIDS rate, Criminal, Poverty, and uneducated statistics, I probably forgot some. SO STATISTICALLY SPEAKING ALMOST EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN EXCEPT FOR OPRAH, IS POOR, UNEDUCATED, HAS AIDS, AND IS INCARCERATED OR ON THEIR WAY. I just think it's kinda crazy myself to make such a drastic assumption. Hmmmmmmm.....kinda hard to sleep on this touchy subject.

[mcquaidla]

Would we maybe be having the discussion on race that American is so desperately in need of? Probably not, but anyway...I disagree with your projection regarding the difference in response had Imus called the Rutgers athletes "carpet munchers," it's still open season on us queers - just check what that rabid cur Michael Savage said about that poor transgendered woman who was found dead in SF last week.

And now, allow me to add the "Old White Lady" perspective to this discussion. Let us pause for a minute as we consider that we are currently engaged in a discussion regarding the proper public use of the expressions "nappy-headed" and "ho." Let us consider further that we are discussing whether the use of the word is more objectionable when it is by an affluent elderly white man, or when it is by a seemingly- endless stream of much younger and probably more affluent black men.

Let's try this on for a second: It's not acceptable by either group. We shouldn't even be having this conversation. There shouldn't be a need to have this conversation. Anyone who refers to women publicly (particularly women who have never engaged in prostitution) as "a Ho" is out of line. Is low class. Is socially unacceptable.

In other words; Why the hell are we talking about this in 2007? We have about 5000 more pressing things to figure out and address and yet, here we are, discussing this kind of crap. I don't know what kind of progress this is.

[Serena Storm]

I know where you're coming from Jbyrd; I do see your point. He is a paid "professional" and should have chosen his words carefully. About the difference between whites and rappers...I know that's right!

I don't agree that suspension is enough. I recall some years ago when Jimmy the Greek made a very derogatory analysis on why blacks run so fast and he was fired. Mr. Imus has expressed wanting to meet with the team privately to apologize and I don't think that that's enough. He should apologize to them as publically as he insulted them.

[jbyrd130]

...and, lets keep in mind that not even a hip hop artist would get away with using "bitch", "ho", or "nigga" on a basic-cable tv network.

[jbyrd130]

Serena,

I respect your opinion, but my issue with Imus is not that he's a white guy who said something derrogatory to black females, but that he's a **paid professional** network personality who said something derrogatory to **anyone.** It was completely inappropriate and he deserves to be fired, plain and simple.

I'm not a "n-word" (ab)user, but context **does** play a role in whether a term is used offesively or not. There's a difference between being "wrong" and being illegal or in breach of a contract, so while all of the explicatives in hip hop (or any other form of music) are brash, at the end of the day they have freedom of speech, just as you have the freedom to speak against it or not purchase their album.

[Ron Lee]

Where is Obama, we know where Sharpton and Jesse stand,but where is Obama the man? Is he scared of controversy? Thats why I say Jazzy,he is not the one.

[Martha Jean]

I see it as much ado about nothing, he said what the vast majority of people in this country say about black women, good grief, you've got an obese white gay man prancing around on a stage with black paint smeared on his face and white folks say its just good clean fun, and black women should be happy to have him emulate them in such a positive light, well, positive to them at least. This like most racial issues will go away, until the next one, and a teary "I'm not a racist line."

Imus isn't worth the ink or press, he is a racist, just like 95% of whites in this country, and black people need to stop being offended by their trash and dish it right back at them and in the same vile manner. Sorry, I'm from the school of thought, whites are never going to change, so, treat them all like the trash they are.

And no Tiger, it isn't right for Chappele and his trash either, but, I guess you missed the memo which he got that making fun of hers gets old when the joke is actually on you and not he ones you are mocking. Just like those fool "rappers" who spew that vile, uncreative trash, and the black people who continue to buy it, all fools.

[Serena Storm]

Jbyrd,

I totally agree with what you're saying and in my opinion it's as wrong as saying that it's ok for fellow African Americans to refer to each other as the "N" word and excuse it as a term of endearment and then be pissed if anyone of another race or ethnic background uses it as a term of endearment or just simply repeat the very rap jams of 50 cent, JaRule, and Bone Thugs n Harmony. No matter who says it, it's out of line.

[ChicagoChild]

Excellent posts! I think that if Imus had made the comment about Black men, then the outrage would have been LOUDER and the NAACP would have been ON THE CASE.

Although Black women (like most other women) are the backbone of the Black race, we are still seen as "less than" compared to Black men.

Black women (like most women) see men as PEOPLE, and will support a man and his issues. Men view women as persons with pussies to be used until she is of no further use to him.

A lot of women, in order to fit into a man's world, have gamely taken on the disrespectful titles of "bitch" and "hoe".

We have all failed. But I don't think that this issue should be shoved aside and disregarded because Imus said it about BLACK WOMEN. Suppose this had been YOUR CHILD on that team? Oh, yeah! It would have been ON!

[Serena Storm]

Tiger,

Why is it considered "ok" for that Shirley Liquor act to continue? If you ask me it's time to stop stereotyping races all together.

Now as for Don Imus...he's got a whole lot of NERVE calling ANYONE nappy headed when it looks like he can't get steel gardening rake through that raggedy mane of his.

[jbyrd130]

There is a clear difference between using disrespectful derogatory language as a commentator or news reporter on national broadcast television, and using the same language in the context of a song as a recording artist. If we're "banning" 50 Cent, we have to ban Monica, Trina, Missy, Eve, and other female artists who refer to themselves or other females as "bitch" or "ho." Depending on the context, these words don't necessarily translate into mysogyny or sexism.

[TigerUppercut]

Why is it ok for Dave Chappelle to make fun of Asians on his show?

[nunya]

I see the whole "look at ourselves, black people" thing as actually circular. I think many black people's behavior and name calling is the result of internalizing hatred we've learned from white supremacist society. I'm not saying black people don't need to take some accountability. But this is one of the reasons why black people not doing or saying XYZ is not going to change white people doing or saying XYZ about us...after all, they started it, and we, at least partially, got this stuff from them. It might not have been exactly in the form of calling each other "bitches" and "hos" (which not all of us do, btw, along with calling each other "nigga"), but you know whites and other non-blacks have always had names for us. Some of us have just taken their hatred of us and modernized/expanded it.

In addition, black women develop some really silly ideas about how they need to support black men (not saying the idea is silly, just that the depths to which many black women will go is), and I think a lot of black women support black men to their own detriment--our public degradation on TV and in music videos and songs being one of those ways. Ask most of us, and we will tell you we have a problem with those songs and videos, as far as content and images, but ask most of us to publicly say so and...well...good luck, because it will hurt black men or make blacks look divided in front of white people, and too many black women aren't willing to do that.

Finally, I don't know how "fizzy" is worse than "nappy"...this might just be my own lack of education. Also, enough of people claiming that if something happened to gay people, the reaction would be different than when it happens to blacks. Sometimes running over gays *and* blacks is allowed, and sometimes neither is allowed. Often, running over both is allowed, otherwise both still wouldn't be happening so damn often...and publicly, too.

[teka]

I vote for everyone getting rid of cable and their TVs completely. I truly do not see the point of television. I really do not see the point of corporate TV.

I think the human community in general should fire their TV. It does nothing but reinforce nasty stereotypes and the state that it's in now, it doesn't even educate.

We should all start by getting rid of cable. If everyone got rid of cable TV their stress level would go down by about 20%. You wouldn't think anything was wrong with the person you were dating or your job or your lifestyle. You wouldn't have to be insulted by various assholes who don't get that just because you may be different in some ways doesn't mean that you're not human. You would save money. It's just a good thing.

TV is bad. TV you have to pay for is more bad. TV you have to pay even more for is the most bad.

:)

Teka