What exactly was the racist component of what Don Imus said?

Ho: synonymous with sl*t, whore, hoochie, sank, etc; all of which are not derogatory to any specific race

Nappy Hair: hair that could look better, perhaps frizzy or dry; also not derogatory to any specific race

Put them together it's not racist. Directed them at a multi-racial basketball team, still not racist.

Insulting a basketball team, not an entire race...

So we know it was dumb and not nice, but what exactly was racist about it?

What exactly was the racist component of what Don Imus said?

Simply another oppertunity for Jesse and Al to get in the spot light. I swear they can smell a camera from a mile away.

What exactly was the racist component of what Don Imus said?

Racism is believing your race is superior to another and acting on that belief. If you believe your race is superior to another, then you will publically mock the other race for the inconsequential (often physical) differences they have with you.

It's not just the word itself, it's how it's used. Nappy has often been used to criticize and mock black people for having different hair than white people and it's been used in a derogatory fashion against blacks far more often than in any other way.

Ho has been primarily used to mock black women, but to degrade all women as well. So ho is racist AND sexist. Listening to the tapes of this, Imus wasn't making a cleverly humorous observation that could be attributed to commentary on society as a whole or on say, political correctness, like Rush Limbaugh calling Barack Obama a "half-rican american."

He wasn't poking fun, Imus was mocking these players based solely on there appearance and using words previously attributed to racist slurs to do it. The remarks were mean-spirited, racist and even more-so, sexist.

Not only that, but demeaning a woman as a ho is the first step to making her unequal and justifying domestic violence. I guarantee you that any man who ever beat his wife also called her a whore at one time or another. There are people who heard his words who will use them to justify inequality toward women or worse - violence.

You may say that it's just a joke but hasn't anyone ever made a joke about you that you didn't think was funny? You were in a position to object, yes? Historically speaking, and even in some places in America today, if a black person is made fun of and doesn't like it, he can't object because if he does he'll get a beat-down. Is that fair?

Why does their understandable objection to his comments make you so angry? As a young woman I'd think you'd be supportive of the team. All they were doing was playing basketball. He didn't need to mess with them.

What exactly was the racist component of what Don Imus said?

i agree i didn't think it was that offensive either and i wonder if any of those girls listens to rap music don't they find it offensive the rappers are always calling women Ho's and i always hear the n word and nappy hair so i think there just trying to make a big deal of nothing it's ridiculous