The news that Don Imus is returning to radio came as no big surprise to me. Imus' reputation is such that somebody was bound to give the washed-up old blowhard another chance if he wanted it. (WABC got rid of Curtis Sliwa to make room for Imus, which suggests a surprisingly shallow talent pool in the nation's #1 market.) But why would RFD-TV, a fledgling cable channel best known for agricultural programming be interested in offering Imus a syndication deal? RFD-TV founder and president Patrick Gottsch explains:
"The biggest obstacle we've had in the last three years is convincing urban-based program directors in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, and so on that they need to be carrying this 'rural' network," Gottsch said. "Imus helps us cross those borders."
Yeah, a few cracks about "nappy-headed hos" will certainly help to transcend that hillbilly image.
It's not that Don Imus is untalented; nobody hangs around in radio for nearly 40 years without having a pretty good idea of how to make the medium work. Apart from being a racist, misogynistic boor, Imus has probably inspired more bad radio than anyone else in the history of broadcasting. Rush Limbaugh would be inconceivable without Imus paving his way. Imus' real legacy, though, is the legion of insufferable "morning zoo" programs, lame acts such as Bob & Tom and John-Boy & Billy; mediocrities who sound like they hired five guys to sit in the back of the studio to make sure that somebody laughs at their jokes. If you wonder why you can't hear music on the radio on your way to work anymore, blame Don Imus.
Timothy Noah has compiled some of the low points of Imus' career.
(Crossposted at Pole Hill Sanitarium.)
- dr sardonicus's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Front page
Comments
They just fart away?
[rimshot. laughter]
Just to complete the cliche from MacArthur's speech....
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
I will be blocking the channel the day he starts
and writing a letter of protest later today saying so.
This is ridiculous.
We used to have about six good country stations available on AM radio in my area; now we have none, and from 9 am to noon it's wall-to-wall St. Rush of the Limp Bough. The country stations on FM have either subscribed to the John-Boy & Billy garbage, or they have 'made up' their own 'team' of 'morning personalities' to out-stupid John-Boy & Billy (who the f#%&@! thought up calling the girl "mudflap" anyway?)
RFD-fricken-TV currently spends almost a quarter of its time airing *auctions*. I watch it for repeats of "The Wilburn Brothers" and "Campfire Cafe," and on Saturdays for "Texas Country Reporter."
No more.
Media consolidation hits home
That's a great summary of the horror, Sarah. And no wonder they're attacking Internet radio....
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
Ye who have little faith (On Don Imus)
Apparently no one reads this article or more responses would be present.
But to have Imus on RFD-TV will be a breath of fresh air for those that are truly rural.
If you don't watch him is up to you. It is your loss. Can't imagine anyone not wanting to see Country and Western stars live on TV.
Beats the farm report and the pig futures.
Good Luck to you all that get the station. I don't and will have to suffer without him at least on TV.
Bruce from Florida
Imus the War Criminal
dr sardonicus neglected to mention Imus' unmitigated role in world hunger, global civil wars, nuclear proliferation, floods, drought, pestilence and every other disaster known to man kind.
Imus is a satirist who has been performing for over 30 years. Congratulations to Timothy Noah for his fact development, skillfully extracting elements of the performances to totally obliterate the context and meaning. Of course Timothy really doesn't get Imus satire, but that's his loss.
A hip hop response to politicians, hypocrisy and the mainstream media http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-snG4KCwtg
Wow, Imus has fans
Who knew?
Yeah, Channel Surfer, I knew about Imus' involvement in all the rest of that shit. I really don't care about any of that. I can't hear much music on the radio in the morning anymore unless I tune to the college radio stations, a lot of other people don't even have that for an option, and that's enough to mark him as a sonovabitch in my book.
...for the rest of us
Those aren't "fans" -- those are poor, deluded losers
addicted to ill-manneredness disguised as "comedy."
If you're going to be nasty, do it out in the open.
For the record -- if they were giving Bill Maher 4 hours a day 5 days a week, I'd block 'em for that, too. Or Oprah. Or especially ( *gag* ) "Dr. Phil" or "Dr. Laura." I can get that authoritarian dreck for free in the windows between soap operas (ugh).
Imus/Radio/whatever
Imus likes riding horses. i do too...
while carrying my cell with its MP3 and GPS.
radio is kinda like horses. i like them.
only two of my friends do.
Why Bother?
Before the eels, I was a different man....
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
Test
Something funny is going on...
...for the rest of us