And you thought you knew a tea
Bigelow Tea, a regular advertiser on Mr. Imus’s radio show, said it was suspending its current advertising and re-evaluating its future relationship with the show.
Apparently there exists some non-trivial subset of human beings who reside at the interstices of shock radio and soothing, understated beverages. Are they advertising herbal teas, I wonder, or caffeinated?
P&G, Others Pull Imus Ads (subscription required)
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And now poor Imus will no longer be simulcast on MSNBC, a nearly fatal blow to the aged “shock jock,” whose role in the arena of shock and awe has been limited, in my mind, to being referred to as such on the cue cards and teleprompters of various pundits.
I wasn’t aware that Imus even had listeners anymore, let alone of the sort who might sip a relaxing Earl Grey.
Air is clearly touching on the subject, but I feel like the question needs asking: Is this guy even remotely relevant?
Do you know anyone who listens to his show? Have you ever heard anyone talking about his show before this “incident” ?
Anyone else get the feeling that this may have been a deliberate publicity stunt that was vastly successful in getting people to say his name, and yet a horrific failure in making anyone care?
I personally don’t care if it was a publicity stunt. If it was, there are probably some very happy publicists slapping each other on the back right now.
A more germane question, to me, is whether rocking the boat in a way that is perceived as offensive to a politically powerful minority (but a minority nonetheless, and I am referring to two people, Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson), can still be socially redemptive due to the conversation it has prompted in the past week alone.
The Imus debacle also reminded me strongly of the more locally relevant story of my buddy John who wrote a satirical article in the CCSU paper about how rape is a “magical experience.” Offensive? Yes, to many. Socially redemptive? Nobody had talked about the serious issues of rape so publicly in the past year.
Don’t crucify the guy for making a joke.
There’s a difference. Your buddy John sounds like he was trying his hand at satire, whereas Imus was just being a dick. Satire is a legitimate form of political expression, or at least it can be when wielded appropriately, but no one ever said you can’t skewer a guy for being an asshole. In fact, I consider that an excellent reason to skewer someone.
Thank You