Who'd a thot three words could bring down a career? And - technically - not even three valid words, but only a hyphenated descriptive followed by a colloquial slang term.
As a young broadcaster I learned the truth about the adage "sticks and stones," and it turns out the part that explains "words will never hurt me" ranks right up there with "a bird in the hand" being worth "two in the bush." No one wants a bird in the hand. Messy - just like the fallout from those words.
In my own case, the lesson was not by way of an open microphone, but words in a soundproof recording booth. It wasn't. I can't bear to repeat what was said, and have to ask myself if that was really me, speaking in that way, back then. The words were overheard, and they hurt even then. Today, they still cause anguish, the pain of my own shame.
On the air, I could never have been as quick-witted as Don Imus. It isn't so much a matter of intelligence, although I could fall flat on my cerebellum in a head to head Iowa Test of Standardized Development with him. Smarts come in several forms. Somewhere, for reasons unknown to me, I developed a governor that held my words in check, a device that forced me to hear the words in my head before they flew from my mouth. Scotch whiskey affects the governor, as many of my acquaintances will attest. I've been in trouble from words before, too.
Quick-witted from me on the radio had to be doubly so. Quips had to clear my own self-censor before they could reach the microphone, and still be timely. I held my own, but could never lead the pack. Having a built-in censor is like racing a car dragging an anchor: happily for me, it isn't a NASCAR world and conversationalists aren't equipped with equal horsepower. I could cruise around the track, passing a few, while others blew my doors off.
There are many avenues for entertainment these days - many more so than when I made a living talking out loud. In a way, it's a shame that those who enjoy Imus for his outrageousness will lose that option.
But I've never really seen the humor in calling people names. And if the defamed aren't present to defend themselves with equally-quickwitted retorts, where is the sport in that?
Not on CBS, I'm guessing.
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1 comment:
I still believe that if you don't like what someone says or does then don't support or listen to him. Change the channel! If his ratings fail then he will lose his show. It appears that CBS is more concerned with their own "integrity", which in my eyes is just a whitewash anyway as they are controlled by corporate interests. At least FOX knows that it is the ratings that own you and not the moral content (Highest rated show "24" is full of violence and torture). It's dangerous when freedom of speech is undermined in order to be politically correct. Yes words can sometimes sting, but if you're strong enough you'll realize that they are just words and some old white dj's opinion that he's entitled to. I wonder if the girls on the basketball team even knew who Don Imus was? So why would you even care? What was it? "Nappy headed hos"? Yeah, that's a pretty dumb thing to say.........but come on, get some thicker skin. I bet if you ask someone who was around during the civil rights movement in the '60s and got shot with water hoses they'd much preferred the words over the sticks and stones.
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