Next time, Don Imus should just use the “artistic expression” excuse

I don’t have any particularly strong opinions about Don Imus one way or the other, other than thinking he’s always been overrated.

But now with the controversy swirling over the racially offensive comments he made about the women’s college basketball team at Rutgers, with lifetime racists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, of all a people not accepting the two week suspension levelled on Imus by CBS and MSNBC and instead calling for Imus to be fired, I just find it interesting that Imus’ comments can generate this much controversy and outrage and calls for his firing, yet such incendiary commentary coming from rappers black AND white in the form of ‘song lyrics’ fly to the top of music sales lists, garner Grammy nominations, and in some cases win Grammy awards?

If Imus is looking for work after all is said and done, perhaps he has a career waiting for him in rap music, where it’s ‘acceptable’ and ‘laudable’ for people to say things like Imus said – they just say it much, much worse, and instead of blanket condemnations from everyone, calls for meetings and healing, etc, from the perpetually outraged, some of those same rappers win award after award, and high praise all over the place from ‘artistic’ and ‘hood’ circles.

I also see that some of the usual suspects are lined up in the leftosphere to condemn Imus’ remarks and to throw in their .02 that they believe that because of the ‘hateful nature’ of his remarks that he should be let go. These are some of the same people who, BTW, defended the two potty-mouthed bloggers who Dem presidential hopeful John Edwards hired to handle ‘new media’ (that’s code for: blogosphere) for his campaign. These two bloggers, I should note, could have given some of the rappers who’ve won Grammy awards a run for their money with some of their more hate-filled rants, yet the Nutroots to this day are still defending them. Then again, as we’re all aware of at this point, the leftosphere isnt exactly well known for their ability to stay consistent.

Anyway, after all is said and done, whatever happens to Imus happens. I was ok with the initial apology he made on his show but the overkill, especially when he appeared on Sharpton’s show and got a lecture from one of America’s biggest race-baiters as though he’s a moral authority on the issue, is just that: way too much. How much will be enough? George Allen is no longer a Senator because of an alleged racist remark made last summer, others in broadcasting have lost their jobs over racial comments as well (which Captain Ed notes here), yet the real race pimps like Sharpton and Jackson keep on keepin’ on, and many rap ‘artists’ continue to denigrate black women, the police, and authority in general, all in the name of ‘artistic expression & freedom’ and it’s ok.

All in all, I’m really just marvelling once again at the double standards at play when it comes to issues of a racial nature, from the mediots, the usual suspects, and the ‘black community.’ Same stuff, different day.

Related: Michelle Malkin posts ten things more newsworthy than Don Imus.

Wed AM Update: Check out Malkin’s latest column, which echoes the sentiments expressed in this post.