Fired last year by CBS for referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos,” Don Imus once again took a trip down racially controversial lane on his new radio show when he spoke about Adam “Pacman” Jones changing his name.
When told by the program’s sportscaster, Warner Wolf, that Mr. Jones no longer wished to be called by his nickname, Pacman, so that people might forget his record of multiple arrests, Mr. Imus asked, “What color is he?”
“He’s African-American,” Mr. Wolf responded.
“Well, there you go,” Mr. Imus said. “Now we know.”
Mr. Imus’s comment was soon picked up on several Web sites, including Politico.com and Deadspin.com, a sports site, as well as the America Online home page.
Asked in an e-mail message what he had intended by his remark, Mr. Imus wrote, “I meant he was being picked on because he’s black.” He added that the veteran black comedian and activist Dick Gregory would be a guest on his show on Tuesday, to discuss the death of George Carlin.
“We’ll see what he thinks,” Mr. Imus wrote. “I mean … come on!”
If he really meant that Pacman was being picked on because he’s black, then he should have said that. I’m not saying every member of the media should have to clarify what they say, but Imus does. He just went through all of this; he knows how sensitive the public can be. Fair or not, Imus is already walking on thin ice and it would have been wise to take the time to clarify what he meant.
