I Know I Am But What Are You?

So, a grizzly racist sexist buffoon lost his show for being the jerk-off he is. Can't say I'll miss Imus' affectionate terms for Jewish folks or black people or women, or other societal groups he obviously didn't like because they weren't white, the correct religion or male enough.

I don't know where the white males of the correct religion who are the DC political and journalistic elite will go for their network legitimized frat-boy humor anymore, but....Hillary Clinton got the last laugh now, didn't she boys? And unlike old Donny, she still has a J-O-B! Ha! I guess the I-Man has just learned what a ruthless bitch karma can be. Aw. OK enough gloating. Please read these posts by Barbara Ehrenreich and Nina Burleigh on the subject, I guarantee a chuckle or two.

Our communication as a whole has become a whole lot coarser over the years granted but, sorry white folks, you cannot blame Hip-Hop alone for this phenomena. Black people and Hip-Hop artists did not invent the N-word nor were they first to put it to use as a derogatory term for black people. No - that honor goes to caucasians. Women didn't invent the word 'bitch' nor did they think 'Hey, what a neat nickname for ourselves!', that honor goes to men. And finally, gay people didn't get together one day and think 'You know what I'd like to be called? F***ot has a nice ring to it!' No - that honor goes to heterosexuals. In every case where a derogatory term in our language has been coined and used to demean a group; the majority group with all the power has been the one to do so.

Being a woman, I can understand black and gay people using these derogatory terms in their own way to take the power of those insults away from those who coined and used them to demean. Because I no longer get upset when a man calls me a bitch, I just think 'Yes I am and what are you going to do about it Biff?'. Taking back your own power by taking the power out of their insults feels good and right.

I'm not about to let the Hip-Hop culture totally off the hook, some artists use language that promotes sexism and violence gratuitously; but many others use some of this derogatory language to express the societal condition they know. Don Imus cannot blame Hip-Hop for the impetus that drove him to call those girls 'ho's', he's a good old cowboy that promotes country music for f**ks sake. He used those words to put down women playing sports.

I know lots of folks are upset at how much coverage the Imus thing has gotten over other news but I have to tell you I am relieved a guy like him was exposed. It's not news that we have a race problem in this country but our ingrained sexism came to light when Imus and his gang of sexists giggled when calling a group of young tough women kicking serious butt on the basketball court "ho's".

This brouhaha isn't going to 'destroy free speech' as the wimpy Rush Limbaugh and other white male 'shock jocks' seem to fear. What they fail to understand is that free speech is not without consequence. Of course they still have their constitutional right to call me a bitch or a ho; but that doesn't mean I have to shut up and take it. It's just as much my right to stand up for myself and say to them: "Women are responsible for most of this nation's household purchasing decisions and I think I'll give your advertisers a little jingle. Oh and another thing, that's Mrs. Supreme Bitch-ho to you and don't you forget it".