fr## sp##ch

I'm a bit miffed about the Don Imus affair. The man played a huge part defining 'radio personality' and that could not have been easy, I've always found the term to be an oxymoron. I've never listened to his show nor could I stomach Howard Stern- another pop culture crucifixion (titties on the radio- pleez!). They will not be missed, at least by me. But here's the part I hate- anyone with an appetite for talk radio gets what they pay for. Any topic I've ever [over]heard them discuss quickly plunges subjectivity into absurdity. The line in the sand used to be 'dirty words', in my view capable of being both euphonious and concise. They describe something the way a cute acronym describes a pancake house; idiomatically. Words themselves are no better or worse (my point) than the people who use them. Huge numbers of our own elected officials promote the most hateful prejudices and destructive policies, employ the most idiotic arguments to justify them, and all in the most decorous language. Where is the outrage?
A sense of proportion is required. A girls basketball team can look out for themselves (something I know), but who' s acting indignant on your (our) behalf? Please don't say the Justice Department. Maybe basketball players will stop buying Snapple. But who do you (we) hold responsible and what will you (we) stop buying.
It is not my intent to digress into a political rant (if successful, I'd probably be the first blogger not to do so). Censorship in the hands of merchants at the behest of self-appointed public opinion shapers on behalf of college girls is a pretty long way around to accomplishing respect for one another, however deep the outrage or noble the intent. They all seemed like nice girls, and my impression was that all but one were using relaxers (go gurl, keepin' it real). A tactless reference to them diminishes them in my eyes not one bit. If I or any one of us were to be colorfully described in three words by someone who had no personal knowledge of our complexities, what three words do you think they'd use. [moment to reflect] Okay now. I'm offended too (mine was 'fudge-packing leftie'), but, I choose to use a filter that any one of us is free to employ. On or off air, I simply don't care what other people say about me, sticks and stones... When a tired-looking french fry of a man in a stupid hat is cheated out of his due of millions of dollars for blathering on about New Jersey and Sealy Posture-pedic mattresses, well man, we're just not living in America anymore.