Imus is our Jesus
By Rabbi Mel Glazer

It is easier to crucify one scapegoat than it is to admit that our society has sinned. I have listened to Imus In The Morning for over forty years, from the time I was a college student at Columbia University in New York City. He has always been raunchy and obnoxious, and sometimes he turned me off, and so I
turned him off. But most of the time, I laughed at his jokes, because although they were raw, they were often hilarious, and they were right on. What is humor, if not a mirror that comedians hold up to reflect our own behavior. Imus did that perfectly, and most of the time I was able to set aside his smoke-filled-room vulgarity and concentrate on his true humor, though it was often expressed in ways that made me uncomfortable.

Now he has been fired, and for what? For using a term that many of us in our polite society think is racist, sexist and just plain derogatory. And of course it is all of these. But hold on a second, let’s think about this: is Imus the first one to use the term “ho?” No, of course not! Rappers, and in particular black
rappers, have used this term for years, and if it does not exactly fit into living-room conversation in “proper” homes, it is still included in the lyrics and live
performances of many well-known rap groups. It has been used as a way of describing ladies of the night who work hard for their money, and as a negative
stereotype for black women in particular. So it strikes me as the height of hypocrisy when the Reverend Al Sharpton goes on the warpath against Imus.
Where was Reverend Al when black rappers began singing about “hos?” Where was he when black women were –and are still—being degraded by their
pimps and no-show husbands? Reverend Al is parading before the cameras acting like the prophet Jeremiah, but he hasn’t convinced me of anything other
than his love for the spotlight.

So now that he has dethroned Imus, will he now join hands to raise funds to support Imus’ cancer kids at the ranch, or give the profits from Imus brand foods to charity, or any of the other stellar contributions to our world that have been made by Imus? No, I think not. I think Reverend Al will continue to look for his own glory at the expense of any one who runs afoul of his personal moral standards.

I am a rabbi, but this sounds like a crucifixion to me! And if Imus is Jesus, that would make Reverend Al who???