Thread: Nappy Headed Hos

I think nappy in this sense is being referred to the distinct tight curls found in african peoples, and in no other ethnicity. but being a curly haired person myself, its just mean to call some awesome curly hair nappy

racist at its core is something that treats another race inferior. the comment just seems to be rude 'stereotyping', and im sure he could have come up with something equally rude if they were all white females instead. who knows?

One reply in 25 hours? That's all that happnens here with what is apparently the biggest damn news story in the United States? Come to think of it, that's not a disappointment. It means that this web site is not representative of the pool of hysterical nut cases I've been seeing on the news for the past two days. That's good news.

Originally Posted by Universal

One reply in 25 hours? That's all that happnens here with what is apparently the biggest damn news story in the United States? Come to think of it, that's not a disappointment. It means that this web site is not representative of the pool of hysterical nut cases I've been seeing on the news for the past two days. That's good news. [/b]

It's not really the biggest news story, just the one the mass-media decided to cram down everybody's throat for 24 hours or so.

I guess it's his right to say it, the advertisers right to go elsewhere, and his boss's right to fire him. I never could understand a word he said, he mumbled so much.

Originally Posted by Universal

One reply in 25 hours? That's all that happnens here with what is apparently the biggest damn news story in the United States? Come to think of it, that's not a disappointment. It means that this web site is not representative of the pool of hysterical nut cases I've been seeing on the news for the past two days. That's good news. [/b]

I just shook my head and went about my business. It was good for a grin as I've always thought of Imus as a jerk anyway.

First of all, let me say that I think a lot of this has been blown out of proportion. I’m no fan of excessive cries of racial injustice, over something that I see as so trivial. When I see these girls get up on tv and read their pre-written dialogue about how they are “scarred, by this, for life” and whatnot, it turns my stomach, because we all know that neither of them probably care, at all, about what some low-profile, 60-year-old guy on the street said about them. In terms of affect, this is probably just as trivial, even though Imus is a well-known radio/tv personality, especially since a large portion of the public has already recognized that what he was, completely inappropriate. That kind of victimism (word?) really does nothing for the cause…..Oh…and Al Sharpton has about gotten on my last fucking nerve.

Now, with all that out of the way, I would like to say that, even though I’m not really calling for his head, what Imus said was a racist comment. In this case, it’s not, literally, the comment that is racist, nor is Imus’s using it proof of a racist intent. What makes the comment racist is that it was used, I’m going to assume (and I’d love for someone to argue this) because it was a predominantly black team.

Do you think, UM, (HONESTLY) that Imus, of all people, would have used that phrase if it was a group of white players? Do you think that’s a part of his everyday vocabulary? There are many white people that, given their daily personality, I would think could use that terminology without a second thought, because it’s a part of their hardwired dialect. Imus, definitely, is not one of them. Granted, it's not "OMG, Look @ these dirty niggers!" and shouldn't be put in the same ballpark, but his 'strategic' use of the insult implies attention to the fact that this was a group of mostly black women.

He (in my opinion) chose to use that term because, in his mind, it related more specifically to them. He figured it would be acceptable terminology, within that group’s culture (predom. black), even though he completely misused the terms.

To try to defend him with the technicality of “white people can have nappy hair, too” is to imply that he was literally talking about the players’ “nappy hair.” As you probably know, a large percentage of female athletes have very well-kept hair. The girls of Rutgers, from what I’ve seen, are no exception.
To call them “ho’s,” on top of that, had nothing to do with his initial characterization. If you hear the whole context, he was talking about how some of them had tattoos and were, more or less “rough-looking women.” That was where he was coming from, but he jumped from that mild (however insulting) characterization, to calling them “nappy-headed ho’s.” He didn’t use the term to talk about their hair or promiscuity (for which, I’d say, he still would have used different, more universal, terminology, had they been white women). He used the term because it was the quickest, “wittiest” way that he could classify a group of “rough-looking, black women.” I’d be surprised if he even knew what he was actually saying, until it was too late.

So anyway, yeah, blown way out of proportion (which really needs to stop happening) but, on the other hand, Imus is a radio personality. His listeners, via his sponsors, pretty much decide what his career in the broadcasting industry is going to be like, and many of them are, legitimately, upset. That’s something he should have taken into account before just spewing that kind of offensive shit out over the airwaves, to get a cheap laugh.

Do you think, UM, (HONESTLY) that Imus, of all people, would have used that phrase if it was a group of white players?[/b]

He would if they looked like ME, madda fukah!...


I think this whole country needs to just put a sock in it.

Originally Posted by Tornado

He would if they looked like ME, madda fukah!...
[/b]

Hahaha.

He said "nappy-headed ho's," TJ, not "Happy, threaded, hose!"

In another thread funny to see so many members saying they do not care and racial slurs are no biggy.
Now it is now its not dsgfjnZDA ;haznt jhs;rkhya'[k4

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Hahaha.

He said "nappy-headed ho's," TJ, not "Happy, threaded, hose!" [/b]

Hey that's pretty good!

Originally Posted by Tornado

He would if they looked like ME, madda fukah!...


I think this whole country needs to just put a sock in it.[/b]

Unfortunately Americans have a hard time putting things behind them these days. Just look at everybody sewing each other. MADNESS!

I agree with Universal Mind,
I think Imus getting fired is a testament to how racist this country truly is.

Imus talks about everyone like that, every single public figure since his radio show was aired has gone under fire from him. I don't see how it's racist to say something that you would say to anyone. Its such a double standard. I mean, if Imus was black, we wouldn't have even heard about the statement, much less him getting canned for it. It just wouldn't happen. In my opinion, he's not the racist one. All the people that got outraged that a white man would use the words "Nappy Headed Hoes" that are racist. I can also guarantee that if it was a White girls team and he called them "Blonde headed bimbos" that no one would bat an eye.

Its double standards like these that make me lose faith in humanity.
Another good example is, we can't use N*****, while black people can call us crackers. Tell me, whats the difference? Please don't use the lame excuse that N***** is a slave word, I don't know about you, but I've never owned a slave. I thin, the practice is of the most barbaric exercises that we've ever commited.

I don't know why its on us to make up for something that happened hundreds of years ago. I was never alive when slavery existed, and my ancestors fought for your independence, I'm a proud union man, so why can't I say N*****?

Onieronaut, if this offends ya, I'm sorry, but they're my views and I stick with them.

Originally Posted by metcalfracing

I agree with Universal Mind,
I think Imus getting fired is a testament to how racist this country truly is.[/b]

Imus is not employed by "this country". Is it Imus' constitutional right to have a job at CBS (or whoever he works for)? Is it against the law for them to employ whoever they want or don't want? I doubt you've read his contract. Maybe it says "We have the right to fire you at any time for whatever reason we deem appropriate." Maybe losing his advertising revenue is enough for them to fire him. I don't have a job if I don't bring money into the organization; that is true of most people. Or maybe you don't think the advertisers have a right to say who they give their money to either. He's said plenty of racist things before, and as long as the money was there, it was OK. So obviously his firing is not based on whether or not he's a racist, because that was already well known to be true.

Originally Posted by metcalfracing

Its double standards like these that make me lose faith in humanity.[/b]

You've lost your faith in humanity because white people can't freely call black people N***ers! That's pretty sad.

I never said he was employed by the country or that he has a right to the job. I just find it incredibly racist to create hatred towards Imus for making a comment like that. Do you think he'd try not to say something offensive about a White mens team, if he didn't like them? No, of course he wouldn't. If you think he would, you don't know the man. So tell me, how is it racist to say something like that to a black women's team, when he'd say the equivalent to a White mens team? I'd go as far to say that your racist for trying to act so PC. At the end of the day, we're all just people, White or black, male or female, does it really matter who he said it to?

All I have to say is, this dude is obviously an asshole. He says asshole things...I don't like him...But, instead of giving him so much press (which is what he probably wanted in the first place) we should ignore him, lest we encourage others to go about being idiots of themselves.

Unfortunately it seems as if we vilify actions like this not because they are wrong, but just for the sake of vilifying them. There is so much emphasis on how such things are wrong, that people gloss over why they are wrong, and simply wish to go on a witch hunt.

So in effect, ironically, we are making things worse by not directly tackling the issue (asking, "why did he say that?"), but instead blantantly calling it wrong or even 'evil'.

Either way, I don't condone the comment made.

It isn't news, universal mind. It is entertainment. Didn't you know CNN and FOX and such only air entertainment? Also, by making a topic about it you show how much the subject is 'entertaining': to either bash it or jump on the 'omg racist'-bandwagon, it does attract attention.

Like Anna Nicole smith. Now that should be on the news instead of genocide in African countries, reports about how by 2050 like more then half of the fish will be extinct, and other stuff that people Really do no care about. (No sarcasm here: people suck.)

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Now, with all that out of the way, I would like to say that, even though I’m not really calling for his head, what Imus said was a racist comment. In this case, it’s not, literally, the comment that is racist, nor is Imus’s using it proof of a racist intent. What makes the comment racist is that it was used, I’m going to assume (and I’d love for someone to argue this) because it was a predominantly black team.

Do you think, UM, (HONESTLY) that Imus, of all people, would have used that phrase if it was a group of white players? Do you think that’s a part of his everyday vocabulary? There are many white people that, given their daily personality, I would think could use that terminology without a second thought, because it’s a part of their hardwired dialect. Imus, definitely, is not one of them. Granted, it's not "OMG, Look @ these dirty niggers!" and shouldn't be put in the same ballpark, but his 'strategic' use of the insult implies attention to the fact that this was a group of mostly black women.[/b]

I never thought the comment had anything to do with race. Maybe it somehow did, but it doesn't seem obvious. I haven't heard the word "nappy" too many times in my life, but the impression the word has always given me is "frizzy and wild". I grew up in the 70's and saw white people with hair like that on almost a daily basis. That might be why I don't associate the word with "black". If Imus had made the comment about an entirely white team, I would not have for even a moment assumed there must therefore be black players on the team. If "nappy" is such an offensive word when used to describe black people, I'm glad I know that now. Something really ironic in this is that not even one of those basketball players has "nappy" hair. They all have straight hair. That makes it really confusing to try to figure what Imus was actually trying to say. Maybe he was associating "black" with "afro" with "nappy" or something, but I am not going to jump to any conclusions about his bizarre comment. I think the main thing is that it is very trashy to be personally insulting toward a team that made it to a championship. They deserved to be congratulated instead.

My conclusion to most of what Imus says is that he is a jackass. I never really tried to categorize the specific subcategories of "jackass" Imus qualifies for. I know that when I came across his show on MSNBC, I didn't watch it after the first few times because he seemed like a hateful jackass with a very boring show.

Originally Posted by metcalfracing

I'd go as far to say that your racist for trying to act so PC.[/b]

Well you'd go as far to be wrong then.

I'm just saying if CBS wants to fire a disgusting old man who makes repulsive comments and has become a liability, it's their right. "Blonde-headed bimbos" may or may not have done it; probably not, since it's pretty mild compared to a lot of things he's said. He lived on the edge and then went too far; big deal. He's been gambling with what he could get away with and made a lot of money in the process, now it's over (for a while, we probably haven't seen the last of him.) What's the great tragedy? On the other hand, an old creep like that who says hateful things about any minority just so dim-witted red-necks will be amused while he rakes in the money, saying racially and sexually insulting things about teen-age girls who are working hard to achieve a little success, that is morally wrong, and people should to protest it by exercising their rights to say they will never listen to him again.

(If I hear one more person at work shake their head and say, "What ever happened to free speech?", I'm going to get fired too.)

Totally, Neruo.

Originally Posted by metcalfracing

I agree with Universal Mind,
I think Imus getting fired is a testament to how racist this country truly is.

Imus talks about everyone like that, every single public figure since his radio show was aired has gone under fire from him. I don't see how it's racist to say something that you would say to anyone. Its such a double standard. I mean, if Imus was black, we wouldn't have even heard about the statement, much less him getting canned for it. It just wouldn't happen. In my opinion, he's not the racist one. All the people that got outraged that a white man would use the words "Nappy Headed Hoes" that are racist. I can also guarantee that if it was a White girls team and he called them "Blonde headed bimbos" that no one would bat an eye.[/b]

You are definitely right about that. You cannot say anything anymore w/o it being either racist or politically incorrect for various reasons. The whole issue is just rediculous and Imus should not have been fired. Well, he shouldn't have been fired for that. Seriously, I've heard many black rappers say worse things about white women (and black women too). In reality, more people listen to them than to Imus, and they have more control over what young people say and do. Shouldn't someone be going after them if they are going to go after Imus?

Originally Posted by Chaos

Shouldn't someone be going after them if they are going to go after Imus? [/b]

Yes. There is actually a very large movement against the ethics of modern, mainstream rap music. Most of it doesn't get televised though, and when it does, it's often misrepresented.

Originally Posted by Chaos

I never said he was employed by the country or that he has a right to the job. I just find it incredibly racist to create hatred towards Imus for making a comment like that. Do you think he'd try not to say something offensive about a White mens team, if he didn't like them? No, of course he wouldn't. If you think he would, you don't know the man. So tell me, how is it racist to say something like that to a black women's team, when he'd say the equivalent to a White mens team? I'd go as far to say that your racist for trying to act so PC. At the end of the day, we're all just people, White or black, male or female, does it really matter who he said it to?[/b]

To a point, I agree with you. Reverse-racism is still racism.
However (as Universal Mind has begun to see, to some extent) it was, to put in a more palatable way, a "racially-motivated insult." What begins the realm of "racism" is different, from person to person, understandably (albeit not "excusably") to a thinner range of toleration by many of the allegedly-offended race. It is here, where I get sick of people like Al Sharpton trying to bring about capital punishment for something so...well.....small.
Let me try to turn this around and put some perspective on it:
On 101.9FM, which is a mainly black-oriented, hip-hop/R&B radio station, there is a popular comedian named Steve Harvey, that has his own morning radio show. On this show, he'll do voices and act like guest-hosts and make funny little skits out of it. One of these voices is a "white man" and, as is the stereotypical norm, the "white voice" will say things like "Oh Gee Wilikers" and "Golly" and other things that are associated with (although, outdated) white culture, all set to a high-pitched, nasaly voice.
Now, being one that doesn't think too highly of racial humor, from any side, I don't like to hear this kind of shit, either. It's hearing stuff like that from people who would never, in their life, label themselves as racists or bigots, make me want to call them out on it. This, in affect, is the same thing that Imus did. He changed his normal dialect (In my opinion, of course...) for the sole purpose of spewing something that would "more distinctly" characterize something the black culture would say, in his perspective. Racially-motivated. That is just fundamental logic, not an accusation. Now, does it show a hatred toward the black culture? Does his talking "black" imply a distaste for the way that (he perceives) the black community speaks? Who the hell knows? That's why I think that people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who, while probably meaning well, definitely misrepresent the black community as a whole, because it's basically making an entire fucking mountain range out of a molehill. That's definitely not to say that there isn't legitimate reason for people to be offended because of what he said, even under the classification of "a racist comment," but to galvanize a damned movement over it that leads to an icon (and believe me, I'm not defending Imus here. I think people, who lead their lives putting-down other people, deserve what they get, to a point) losing their job is just unecessary. Granted, no one on the Rutger's team (and even Al Sharpton, if I remember correctly) says that they actually called for Imus's getting fired, CBS and NBC did that on their own but, instead of public outcry, I think it's something that could have, and should haved, been handled, much more low key

Originally Posted by Chaos

Seriously, I've heard many black rappers say worse things about white women (and black women too). In reality, more people listen to them than to Imus, and they have more control over what young people say and do. Shouldn't someone be going after them if they are going to go after Imus? [/b]

Hip hop artists, black and white, have been flooding Western society for years with "ho bitch slut nigga dyke nappy pussy fuck suck shoot everybody fuck the police beat the ho buy my crack kill ho niggas blah blah blah" to the point that we have become immune to hearing those words. But Don Imus says "nappy headed hos" and people who have never once complained about rap music act like Pearl Harbor happened again. Imus made a silly hip hop pop culture reference (I guess.) in a tone that suggested he doesn't ordinarily even use those words. It was obvious that he was not using his natural lingo, and that was probably supposed to be part of his attempt at humor. He was just being his every day jerk self and using a modern pop culture way of talking. How is it any different from what has been going on for almost two decades? Ice Cube is a huge movie star now, and he got famous by saying things thousands of times more appalling than what Imus said. Ice Cube's lyrics don't offend me personally, and I think a lot of them are actually pretty funny, but the social inconsistency that showed up after the Imus comment really has me confused.

I know this is old, but I was thinking why was this basketball team of girls(I've never heard of them before this) so hurt by this random old guy's comment. I didn't even know who Don Imus was until this was blasted all over the media.

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

It's not really the biggest news story, just the one the mass-media decided to cram down everybody's throat for 24 hours or so.

Very true. Then again, most "news" is.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Hip hop artists, black and white, have been flooding Western society for years with "ho bitch slut nigga dyke nappy pussy fuck suck shoot everybody fuck the police beat the ho buy my crack kill ho niggas blah blah blah" to the point that we have become immune to hearing those words. But Don Imus says "nappy headed hos" and people who have never once complained about rap music act like Pearl Harbor happened again. Imus made a silly hip hop pop culture reference (I guess.) in a tone that suggested he doesn't ordinarily even use those words. It was obvious that he was not using his natural lingo, and that was probably supposed to be part of his attempt at humor. He was just being his every day jerk self and using a modern pop culture way of talking. How is it any different from what has been going on for almost two decades? Ice Cube is a huge movie star now, and he got famous by saying things thousands of times more appalling than what Imus said. Ice Cube's lyrics don't offend me personally, and I think a lot of them are actually pretty funny, but the social inconsistency that showed up after the Imus comment really has me confused.

You, my friend, are a gentleman and a scholar.

The thing I have with it is that things like that are said on the radio and in popular entertainment (i.e. music) all the time, and no one's making a fuss over that.

Originally Posted by Neruo

It isn't news, universal mind. It is entertainment. Didn't you know CNN and FOX and such only air entertainment? Also, by making a topic about it you show how much the subject is 'entertaining': to either bash it or jump on the 'omg racist'-bandwagon, it does attract attention.

Like Anna Nicole smith. Now that should be on the news instead of genocide in African countries, reports about how by 2050 like more then half of the fish will be extinct, and other stuff that people Really do no care about. (No sarcasm here: people suck.)

Ohhh my god, I literally stopped ingesting "news" since the whole Anna Nicole Smith thing. It's such a terrible thing that the most media covered "news" for a freakin month was who was going to get custody of some bitches kid!!!