MSNBC began hosting the Don Imus radio program from WFAN in New York several years ago. The “Imus in the Morning Show” has now evolved to its own studio in New Jersey.
The Imus show is a heady mix of comedy, politics, ribald humor, and probably the best source of book reviews on television. Patrick Buchanan’s book, State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America, was languishing at 146 on the Amazon scale. After an Imus review, the book shot up to number one!
I have written two articles – one negative and the other positive – about Imus. Both have become my most read articles at the Partial Observer with thousands of readers, many who have made positive and negative comments about Imus. Now that is popularity!
To anyone who has doubts about the limits of free speech, they need to watch any episode of Imus and rest assured that the “political correctness” police are wary of this radio and TV icon but are afraid to exert themselves in attempting to curb him. No politician, celebrity, sports legend, or even his own crew is spared his harsh criticism, sarcasm, or sometimes “toilet” humor.
Bernard McGuirk is Imus’s bald program director and sometime “Cardinal Egan” who delivers bombastic sermons against gays, politicians, Imus, Hillary Clinton, and “ragheads.” McGuirk has generated criticism from a kaleidoscope of interest groups who have unfortunately found themselves in his gun sights.
Charles McCord is the program’s co-host and Imus sidekick. McCord also functions as an Imus “minder” when the former cocaine user and recovering alcoholic goes into one of his vitriolic rages. Recently McCord amazed everyone by performing a virtuoso piano concert on the show.
Two regulars are comedians, Rob Bartlett, and Larry Kenney. Both do a variety of impersonations, which include Bill Clinton, Senator Ted Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, Reverend Jerry Falwell, Al Tomatoes, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and a variety of others. Bartlett and Kenney are almost indispensable parts of the show.
Occasional guest appearances by private detective and humorist, Richard “Bo” Dietl, New York’s private eye to the stars, spice up the program with Dietl’s fractured and purposely mangled New York accent where his unique vocabulary shows up in his book, Business Lunchatations. Dietl and Imus often “show” spar on the program. The first time I saw this, I thought it was real – they’re that good.
Imus is a great fan of country music and has a variety of great country “bumper” music that segues into commercials and other segments of the show. Guest appearances by artists such as Emmy Lou Harris, Big and Rich, Willy Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other greats provides a variety show that is reminiscence of the heady days of Ed Sullivan. Not only country artists but also blues and rap artists sometime make the show. Like the book reviews, an Imus appearance guarantees a spike in CD sales.
Causes such as childhood cancer, autism, wounded GI’s, and environmentally friendly detergents get a lot of play on the Imus Show. Imus run the Imus Ranch for children who have serious and sometimes fatal diseases and many times broadcasts his show from the New Mexico location. The new state of the art facility for service veterans with missing limbs and other war related disabilities owes much of its success to Don Imus’s fundraising efforts on behalf of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
Obviously, because of the popularity of the show, many celebrities and politicians seek appearances. They do so at their own risk. Imus has a built in phony meter and has no compunctions about outing dishonest and disingenuous guests. Harold Ford – candidate for U.S. Senator in Tennessee has definitely benefited from Imus appearances. George Allen – incumbent U.S. Senator from Virginia who has occasionally appeared as a guest on Imus, has now been ravaged by Imus because of recent revelations of racial prejudice on Allen’s part.
One of the most interesting episodes in the long Imus history is the feud that erupted between Don Imus and MSNBC newsreader Contessa Brewer. No one knows the entire details for sure, but probably what happened was that MSNBC management made a decision to impose Brewer on Imus without much consultation with Imus. Brewer in her appearances with Imus showed obvious distaste for some of the open vulgarity on the show and for Imus himself. She would have eventually left the show quietly – as did Amy Robach - but unfortunately, for Contessa she made the mistake of giving an interview to a New York media outlet. This brought the full force of Don Imus’s wrath. Imus made several comments about Contessa Brewer’s weight that were highly derogatory and aired his displeasure about her with millions of listeners and viewers. I don’t know if Brewer initiated any legal action, but as a nonprofessional student of the law, I would say she thought about it.
There is a reality facing the Imus Show and as each season passes, the reality becomes more crucial. Don Imus is advancing in age and obvious to anyone who watches the show, Don Imus has health problems. Someday Don Imus is going to die – maybe even on the air.
When Imus departs television and radio, America will lose something very rare – an original freethinker. An example to all of us who believe in the free exchange of ideas even if they come encapsulated in the vessel of a vulgar, cowboy emulating, curmudgeon. MSNBC has only two shows that keep its ratings moderately healthy – Imus and Keith Olbermann. If something happens to Imus, I’m afraid they’re sunk.
Michael H. Thomson
|
