Calling For Consistency (Update)

Now that CBS has fired Don Imus for his indefensible comments will they now take artists like Ludacris, Three6Mafia, Lil’ Wayne and other musicians that consistently degrade and tear down women in their music and videos off of Mtv? Will they now quit airing crap programs like “Flavor of Love” and “I Love New York” and the forthcoming “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School” where comments and language similar in nature to Imus’ are thrown around with nary a thought on VH1? Or will they now take shows like South Park off the air because Stan’s dad used the N word repeatedly and without cause in this season’s opening episode?

I’m not saying that they should take these things off the air (Well, You can take the Flavor of Love stuff off though) I’m just calling for a little consistency.

Viacom has had a habit of reacting with a knee jerk instead of an honest assessment of what it is actually airing.

After the Janet Jackson/Superbowl incident Mtv announced that it wouldn’t air any music video with sexual content until after 9pm. That lasted about a week.

Now, instead of working out this debate in front of a national audience Viacom has chosen to shoot its wounded so that we can all go about our business and forget this incident ever happened.

No dialogue.
No more chances.
No looking at any other aspects of our society that need changing.

Thanks Viacom. Imus was such a culturally relevant, hip media icon. His influence reached every youngster in the country. Thank you for taking his damaging voice off the air. We can sleep well tonight knowing that our kids won’t be effected by the type of language he used any more.

Seriously, this was the perfect opportunity for us to look at how our language has changed rapidly in the last 5 years. Words like pimp have become a positive description and songs about them have won Oscars. Junior high students call each other “hoes” as terms of endearment. Brothers and sisters this should not be.

This isn’t happening because of Imus and unfortunately this issue has become about one man instead of a society that should stand up and take blame for allowing words like these to become all too common place. Shame on us all for allowing it to get this far.

UPDATE: I am calling right here for Universal (parent company on MSNBC) to cancel or re-name the latest Halle Berry movie titled Nappily Ever After. The movie is based on the book by Trisha R. Thomas. In fact, publicity for this movie began last week right around the same time the media storm around Imus started.

Universal, it is irresposible for you to continue making this film under this divisive title. Be consistent!!! That word to me has always been off-limits and ignorant.