Calls for Don Imus to be Fired Over Controversial Comments
HOLMES: Will racist words kill the radio star? Or will Don Imus escape unscathed and maybe with higher ratings from his latest controversial comments? Under increasing fire, Imus has launched a P.R. offensive in an attempt to recover from this...</s>IMUS: Awesome, rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they've got tattoos and some hard-core hos. That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that.</s>HOLMES: After initially dismissing it as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing," Imus is now in full grovel mode. And he's appearing this hour on Al Sharpton's radio show and gave this explanation...</s>IMUS: I'm not thinking that it is a racial insult that's being -- that's being uttered at somebody. At the time I think it's in the -- in the process of this -- what we're trying to rap and be funny. I mean, I understand it's not funny, I understand there's no excuse for it. I'm not pretending there is. I wish I hadn't said it. I'm sorry I said it.</s>HOLMES: All right. He's sorry, but is that enough? And will Don Imus' career suffer any serious damage? Joining us now with some insight, CNN contributor and popular radio host himself, Roland Martin. Roland, always good to see you.</s>ROLAND MARTIN, RADIO HOST: Likewise.</s>HOLMES: Let's start with the comment he made to Al Sharpton, saying, hey, people that are calling me a racist and a bigot and have never heard my show, they shouldn't do that. They should listen to my show first and get an idea of who I am. Does he -- should he expect and does he deserve to be called a racist given what he said about this Rutgers team?</s>MARTIN: Well, first and foremost, you have to expand what Imus said. This was not the first time that he or those around him have made what is perceived as racist comments. His sidekick, Sid Rosenberg, once said that Venus and Serena Williams, you'll never see them posing in "Playboy" -- likely in "National Geographic". Called them animals. One of his folks referred to outstanding journalist Gwen Ifill as a cleaning lady. They also called Bill Roten (ph) of "The New York Times," a sports columnist there, a quota hire. So it is not as if this is an isolated incident. That's why you see the level of reaction in this story, because there have been other examples of Imus and his cronies making racist, but more importantly, sexist comments.</s>HOLMES: Now, does this one in particular stand out from those other ones? Is this one, like, OK, that's the last straw, or is this pretty much in line, just as bad, or maybe not any worse than the other ones he's made?</s>MARTIN: T.J., the context is different. And let me give you an understanding here. NBC, "Today" show; ABC, "Good Morning America"; CBS, "The Early Show"; FOX News Channel, "FOX and Friends"; CNN, "AMERICAN MORNING"; MSBNC, Don Imus.</s>HOLMES: Don Imus.</s>MARTIN: Don Imus is no longer a shock jock. Don Imus is now a respected media figure. Yes, he is not a journalist. But when you have presidential candidates, when you have U.S. senators, when you have members of Congress, when you have elite journalists, when you have people like that appearing on his show, he's now in a different standard. When he was a shock jock, he wasn't hosting the White House correspondents Dinner. When he became part of this particular elite media, in terms of being one of the top shows where folks go to, then he began to host it. You don't see these people going on Howard Stern's show. You see them going on Don Imus' show. So it's a different standard he is now operating from. He is no longer just a shock jock, he is now part of this major media landscape.</s>HOLMES: Well, something that's being talked about a little bit now -- and you tell me -- if a black radio host had said the exact same thing, would the story be the same today? Would this even be a story today?</s>MARTIN: If a black radio host who was like Opie and Anthony or Mancow or one of these grown folks acting like a 12-year-old, the answer would be no. But if Tom Joyner -- if Tom Joyner, who speaks to eight million people a week, who has similar politicians on his show, if he had made such a comment, you would indeed see criticism. Imus is in a different place. Tom Joyner's show is a 120 stations across the country. Imus is on 70 stations, but also he's on a cable news network. Again, it's a different standard. Now, you have people out there who are also saying, well, rappers make these comments. And they're absolutely right, and I've talked about them like a dog on this network, in my syndicated column, on WVON, my radio show in Chicago, everywhere. But here's the difference. You do not have rappers sitting with people who want to be president. You do not have rappers sitting with people who are serving as members of the United States Senate. I am not excusing what they say, I've been highly critical of what they say, but I'm equally critical of him. And this is not a question of either/or. It's and.</s>HOLMES: So, Roland, what do you say about those folks, those politicians, those presidential candidates who love going on the Don Imus show? What are they -- what are they supposed to do now? Do they have a choice? Or will they definitely be criticized and deserve to be criticized if they continue to go on that show?</s>MARTIN: Wait a minute. John Edwards just pulled out of a debate that the Democrats were going to host on FOX. The Democrats didn't cancel it. The Congressional Black Caucus, they're going to hold a debate on the network, as well as CNN. He said, I'm not participating in the one that's going to air on that network. Now, you tell me, if they have enough sense to appear on those type of shows they deem to be biased, why would you go on this show? What you're doing is you're aiding and abetting. You're participating. And there's no way in the world that somebody could sit here and accept it or justify it. We have to understand it's a different standard -- understand the context.</s>HOLMES: Yes.</s>MARTIN: Imus has made the comments before, and he has to pay the price. And MSNBC is making a ton of money off this show, so the excuse of, well, we don't produce it simply does not fly.</s>HOLMES: All right. And you told me you don't think he's going to lose his job over this, right?</s>MARTIN: I don't think he's going to lose his job, but somebody is going to get fired over it, and somebody is going to have to pay for it, because it's not going to go away.</s>HOLMES: It just won't be him. All right. Roland Martin for us. And again, I guess we should ask, what would Jesus really do to Don Imus, fresh off your special?</s>MARTIN: He would lay hands on him.</s>HOLMES: He would lay hands on him. All right. Roland, good to see you, as always, man.</s>MARTIN: Thank you,</s>T.J. HOLMES: And we want to know what you folks out there think about this. Should Don Imus' apology be enough to end this controversy over those comments? Take part in our "Quick Vote" at CNN.com. The results so far, 55 percent of you saying that the apology should not -- is not enough to end the controversy, 45 percent saying no.</s>NGUYEN: Well, a century of you? That's right, some people think supplements will get you there to that 100 mark. Before you swallow the story, though, you'll want to check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is next in the NEWSROOM.