So in mud…

I don’t have much time or energy to expend on Don Imus. But I do want to point you all to a few pertinent links.

To listen to Imus’s conversation today with the Rev. Al Sharpton on Rev. Al’s radio show, click here and stream it.

As always at times like this, black bloggers are crucial when it comes to breaking it down, sorting through the pieces, then putting it all together again, funky-side-up.

A brother called “plez” shifted his rifle scope to the left when he blogged:

“first, i deplore what Don Imus said because it was aimed at college students and not professionals, and the fact that he had to stoop so damn low to try to grab a laugh in what i would consider a fading career in broadcasting. he’s not funny, he’s not relevant, and he’s not going to have much of a television show after this week.

“second, what the HELL is going on with Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson?!? looks like they are falling over each other trying to ‘interview’ every clown who makes a racist/insensitive remark. i didn't know either of them had a radio show and now it begs the question, what the HELL do they talk about when there’s no Don Imus or [Michael Richards] to skewer?”

Addressing himself to whites who would point to Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle by way of entitling themselves to make racial wisecracks, the ever-clever Assimilated Negro blogged:

“Listen crackas, I’m not saying it’s fair, or that it’s not a double standard. It totally is. But guess what? American apple pie is filled with double-standards, injustices, and transfatlie goodness... but no apples! And since regulating usage of racial humor and epithets is one of the few things we can do with any sort of legitimate authority, excuse us if we’re not in any rush to let crackas like Imus and Michael Richards go all kkkrazy with their repressed racist feelings. All we have is the race-card; y’all have the everything-else card. So just fall back and let us lynch a cracka when they act out of line, okay?”

There’s at least one contrarian who argues (only half-jokingly) that Don Imus is the one who is owed an apology. It’s “dburt,” a.k.a. Afronerd, who blogged:

“Once again, due to the oh great and powerful White man, factions within the African-American community are angry, motivated and ready to march in order to oust Imus from his radio gig. I ask today, what I have continued to inquire about since this blog’s inception - where are these self-same folks when many in the minstrel end of the hip hop spectrum commit similar acts against Black women? I was listening to the Michael Baisden show this afternoon and as much as I like Baisden’s program, he said something that actually became the lynch pin for my current position on this topic. Baisden wondered why did it take two full days for Imus to apologize. Conversely, we are closing in on two decades and the hip hop community has yet to apologize to women of color for years of degrading imagery. Matter of fact, we’re not even asking for an apology or a boycott. And here’s the kicker - many young women of color will continue to dance in clubs around the country to the very music that disrespects them. …”

Afronerd’s basic point was echoed by Jasmyne Cannick, who blogged:

“[W]hat’s funny to me is that Sharpton defends Imus in a way by trying to make it about the fact that it’s a public television show where the slurs were heard…

“50 Cent and other rappers are on hundreds of radio stations around the country at any given minute of the day using the word ho and bitch, not to mention they’re also on television with their videos that do the same thing. And I guarantee you, there’s way more money in hip hop with these rappers degrading Black women than Don Imus will ever see.

“Don’t be fooled into thinking this is about Don Imus, because it’s not. It’s much more easier to complain about a white television commentator than to turn and look at yourself in the mirror and criticize your own.”