Don Imus
Early this month radio jockey Don Imus live on radio made an offensive remark. He offended the Rutgers women's basketball team by calling them nappy-headed hoes. This comment and offense escalated into something big enough to get him fired. People are debating the fact that if he should get a punishment so severe as to get fired from his radio program, why shouldn't rappers pay a consequence for saying those kinds of words in they're lyrics. Should they be penalized?
In my opinion I don't think MSNBC should not have taken it as far as to fire him, but I think he should of gotten more than a 2-week suspension. I agree that what he said was wrong and what rappers are saying in their songs are wrong but I do not think rappers should pay a penalty for saying that stuff in their lyrics. I think the reason rappers have not been looked on this in the past is because rappers usually draw in more of a younger crowd, and with the youth today, it is appropriate to say those kinds of words. We say them to each other everyday, and parents or adults really haven't paid much attention to them because usually they have no interest in that kind of music, so all of that had been bypassed. Don Imus attracts more of an elderly crowd. More adults than younger people. To say that state in a more sophisticated environment and directly towards a group of people would lead to some offense.
Also, some of this revolves around Money, Reputation, and Democracy. The reason this revolves around Money and Reputation is because is MSNBC would have kept him on their show, they would have lost a lot of listeners who have agreed to the fact that he should get fired, and it would of made them look like they did not care so much as to what he said, so MSNBC's reputation was at steak. They would have lost a lot of money from the viewers they were losing and as for any business, making money is real important so they did what they had to be done. I know that either way they went with it they would have lost viewers because the people who disagree with him getting fired would have stopped listening, but as far and serious this matter has become, they obviously were the minority in the two sides and that would have been a less money loss for MSNBC.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how don imus offended the rutgers women's basketball team by calling them nappy-headed hoes, which escalated into something big enough to get him fired from his radio program.
- Opines that msnbc shouldn't have fired don imus, but he should have been given a 2-week suspension.
- Analyzes how msnbc would have kept don imus on their show, lost listeners who agreed with him getting fired, and made them look like they didn't care about what he said.
- Opines that people would expect a man of his age to know better than to say those words. he should know that just because the younger people are saying such language does not make it accessible for everyone.
- Opines that today celebrities can pretty much get away with anything because of their status. they do not know if don imus was a celebrity or not.
- Opines that if don was black, people would not make it as big of a deal as they are doing now.
- Opines that when rappers perform, that is their stage presence that they are presenting. don imus said his comment was not in character.
- Opines that life is not unfair and there will always be unfairness in the world. not everything or every decision made will please everyone.
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- Juan Williams: Fired for Telling the Truthopinionated essayFormer NPR personality Juan Williams was fired in October 2010 for a politically incorrect statement he made on the Fox News program The O’Reilly Factor. Williams was discussing with host Bill O’Reilly about his feelings on seeing Muslims on airplanes dressed in their garb. His remarks led to his termination at NPR, and sparked massive debate between some journalists and conservatives about whether or not Williams went too far with his comment.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juan williams was fired in october 2010 for a politically incorrect statement he made on the fox news program the o'reilly factor about his feelings on seeing muslims on airplanes dressed in their garb.
- Explains that juan williams served as npr's news analyst for the talk of the nation program for ten years.
- Opines that juan williams' dismissal from npr is a learning experience. news organizations should loosen up on being overtly politically correct, but maintain fair and balanced professionalism.
- Analyzes how people viewed williams' statement as the exact opposite of what he wanted it to be — bigoted. although this was not his intention, that is how it was interpreted.
- Cites farhi, paul, and goldman, russell. "juan williams at odds with npr over dismissal." the washington post.
- States jonsson, patrik, and sargent, greg. "should juan williams have been fired?" blog directory - the washington post.
- Opines that npr should have fired juan williams a long time ago, but not today.
721 wordsRead More - Interpreting the Actions of Nicholas DeGenova:opinionated essayFirst and foremost, as a citizen, Nicholas DeGenova, is protected under the First Amendment of U.S. Constitution. This provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”(“Amendment I”). Furthermore, DeGenova definitely had the right to assemble and speak out in the anti-war teach-in although it angered many. In addition, under the Columbia University Handbook and the guidelines of the AAUP, as a professor he “may not be penalized by the University for expressions of opinion or associations in their private or civic capacity; but they should bear in mind the special obligations arising from their position in the academic community”(“Academic Freedom”). The AAUP and Columbia University only outline punishment for when “immediate harm to the faculty member or others is threatened by the faculty member’s continuance”(“Procedural Recommendations”). Since none of these codes that DeGenova must follow call for firing in this type of situation, his employment at Columbia University cannot be terminated on these grounds.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that nicholas degenova should be reprimanded, but not fired, for calling for a million mogadishus and an american loss in iraq.
- Explains that nicholas degenova is protected under the first amendment of the u.s. constitution. he had the right to assemble and speak out in the anti-war teach-in although it angered many.
- Agrees with the general studies student council that professor degenova should be reprimanded for his speech. the aaup recognizes professors have a special position in the community and imposes special obligations.
- Concludes that the actions of nicholas degenova do not have one clear punishment because they could not be predicted. the guidelines should be revised so that such a controversy would not arise.
- Cites the u.s. constitution's "amendment i" and the faculty handbook of columbia university.
613 wordsRead More - Machadoopinionated essayOnce trial began a recess was granted because new information came along. It appeared that not everyone was bothered by the hate email Machado has sent out and a mistrial was declared. However there was another trial, and Machado was found guilty of two counts of civil rights violations. He was sentence to one year in jail, but because he had already spent a year in jail while awaiting his trials he was free to go. He was placed on probation, fined $1000, required to attend anger and racial tolerance counseling, and he was not allowed on the UCI campus, banned to contact the victims and he also wasn’t allowed to use the computers at UCI.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that richard machado was the first individual to be convicted of a federal electronic mail (email) hate crime.
- Narrates how machado was caught trying to sneak back into the u.s. from mexico where he had fled to.
- Narrates how machado was sentenced to one year in jail but was free to go because he had already spent a year awaiting his trials. he was placed on probation, fined $1000, required to attend anger and racial tolerance counseling.
- Opines that machado's actions are not ethical. threatening people with their life is no joke, but getting a message like that should be enough for people to worry.
- Opines that hate crime is a crime, and that machado's actions are unethical, but others might think it’s perfectly fine.
- Opines that machado's actions were unethical and that it will be hard to have everyone act in their special ethical way.
- Compares machado's sentence to a similar case where the defendant was from different races.
797 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Rap Lyrics On Trialanalytical essayThe article “Rap Lyrics on Trial” written by Erik Nielson and Charis E. Kubrin was about Vonte Skinner, a man who was convicted for attempted murder for 30 years based on the evidence of rap lyrics written before the crime. The court case didn’t have sufficient evidence to convict Skinner because the witness changed their stories many times to be considered consistent, but the jury felt convinced Skinner was guilty when they heard Skinner’s lyrics: “In the hood, I am a threat / It’s written on my arm and signed in blood on my Tech” and “I’m in love with you, death”. Neilson and Kubrin argued whether rap lyrics should be presented as a piece of evidence after Skinner’s conviction is overturned. They claimed that when rap lyrics are
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how erik nielson and charis e. kubrin argued that rap lyrics should be presented as evidence after skinner's conviction is overturned.
- Analyzes how nielson and kubrin are objective and not leaning in favor of mr. skinner or the courts. they use ethos to make their statement that ethically one shouldn't consider rap lyrics as evidence.
- Analyzes how erik nielson and charis kubrin's article, "rap lyrics on trial", does not fully rely on the appeal to the emotions of his readers.
- Analyzes how nielson and kubrin utilize rhetorical device logos to add the logical appeal for the readers.
788 wordsRead More - Brian Williams Scandalanalytical essayRather than trying to cover up the Williams scandal, NBC had senior executive producer, Richard Esposito, leading the investigation of Williams. Farhi wrote in The Washington Post (April 2015) that Esposito found that Williams had fabricated eleven stories. These stories included Williams’ time in Egypt when he was covering the Arab Spring as well as his time in New Orleans when he was covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as stated by Kieran Corcoran of the Daily Mail. Initially, NBC was not sure if they were going to release Esposito’s findings, however, in doing so they have demonstrated that they value their credibility and transparency. According to Vanity Fair (2015), a group of NBC executives reviewed Esposito’s findings and decided that it would be impossible to keep Williams on at NBC and dismiss his actions. They suspended him because it was the right thing to do to protect NBC’s credibility as a news outlet rather than “categorically deny and prove wrong all of these [accusations]” (Burrough, April
In this essay, the author
- Opines that it was wrong of williams to fabricate and embellish stories that he passed off to the public as factual news.
- Explains that while the brian williams scandal was serious, it did not tarnish nbc's reputation because of the way they handled williams.
- Explains that brian williams is a newscaster and was formerly the anchor on the "nightly news" which aired on nbc.
- Analyzes how williams admitted to embellishing facts about the time he spent reporting in iraq in 2003. the story was picked up and investigated by the military news source, stars and stripes.
- Explains that nbc suspended williams for six months without pay and replaced him with lester holt. the rtdna code of ethics states that it is up to journalists to expose unethical conduct.
1320 wordsRead More - Tiny Doo Essayanalytical essayA major element of hip-hop music is “realness” or authenticity from an artist within the genre. However, there is a fine line between authenticity and explicit truth, a line that has been crossed several times in recent years. Prosecutors have used rap lyrics against artists in a court of law, deeming the lyrics as factual evidence. The politics behind the use of rap lyrics in trial have caused for several artists to face criminal charges solely based on the content of their music. Brandon Duncan, otherwise known as Tiny Doo, is one of several artists whose music has turned into a political controversy rather than a promising career. Tiny Doo’s hip-hop career was suspended due to the politics surrounding a California law that allowed for his
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the fine line between authenticity and explicit truth in hip-hop music. prosecutors have used rap lyrics against artists in court of law, deeming the lyrics factual evidence.
- Explains that tiny doo released a mixtape album, no safety, which is free to the public and is not on popular streaming services, such as spotify or itunes.
- Analyzes how tiny doo's "nine eleven" contains controversial lyrics that are not light and airy by any means, but they do not sound like a confession to murder.
- Analyzes how the second most popular track on tiny doo's mixtape, "the art of war," is an extremely political song in itself.
- Explains that the california street terrorism enforcement and prevention act makes tiny doo a "violent individual" because he is associated with violence.
- Opines that rap artists should be able to sing about whatever they please without fear that they will end up behind bars.
- Analyzes how tiny doo's mixtape connected him to gang related incidents in san diego.
- Analyzes how tiny doo's statement is wrong on so many levels, it is difficult to dissect. it sounds as if law enforcement had no other suspect than an aspiring rapper; it was easier to blame him than to carry on an actual investigation.
- Analyzes how peter holslin interviewed tiny doo's finance, myra arauz, while he was in jail to try and figure out whether or not doo was as violent of a threat.
- Analyzes how tiny doo was barely making any money and was by no means topping the charts with no safety. he had to sit in jail for months until someone finally realized the case against him was completely unjust.
- Analyzes how tiny doo's arrest put his career on a major hold as he had to wait out the decision and could not make any music during this time.
- Analyzes how rap emerged as a way for black culture to confront all of the roadblocks society has placed in their path.
1953 wordsRead More - Rap Culture: The Culture Of Rape Cultureopinionated essayHip Hop Music promotes Rape and Sexual Assault through the graphic lyrics that depict rape and violence against Women in particular. Rick Ross, a famous artist in the hip hop world includes the following lyrics in one of his top hits: “Put Molly all in the champagne. She ain 't even know it. I took her home and I enjoy that. She ain 't even know it.” Since when was, putting a drug in a woman’s drink and then having sex with her acceptable? Last time I checked that was considered rape. Another rapper, Lil Wayne, says to, “Beat that pussy up like Emmett Till.” Guess who Emmett Hill was? He was a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago who was violently beaten and killed in Mississippi. Tell me how that’s not promoting rape culture? These lyrics are extremely offensive to women for they are comparing a sexual act to the level of violence that Till experienced. There are many songs that I sing along to because they have such a catchy beat but when you dissect the lyrics you will realize that you totally misunderstood the meaning of a song. Take for example, Robin Thicke’s popular song “Blurred Lines”, he is actually talking about date rape in this song. These pop songs are just a few examples of how song lyrics promote rape
In this essay, the author
- Explains that a rape culture is created when society normalizes sexual violence and condones physical and emotional terrorism against women.
- Describes victim blaming as a devaluing act when the victim is held responsible for the crime that has been committed against them.
- Opines that rape is a serious crime that shouldn't be treated so lightly. an american is sexually assaulted every two minutes, yet people continue to think that making jokes about it can be interpreted as being funny.
- Analyzes how pop music promotes rape and sexual assault through graphic lyrics that depict a sexual act and violence against women.
- Explains that 600 people are raped every day in the usa, and that between 60% and 99% of rapes and sexual assaults are perpetrated by men.
- Opines that it is time for society to teach men not to rape. it should not be the woman’s responsibility to prevent herself from being raped.
1285 wordsRead More - Don Blankenshipexplanatory essayIn the article, Holding Corporate Leadership Accountable for Worker Safety Crimes by Gabriele Wohl, Don Blankenship was charged with conspiracy for violating coal mine safety regulations. He was caught lying about his statements in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, and making material misstatements and omissions to investors. According to Wohl, Don Blankenship was the Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy company for about 10 years. During his time at the company, he cared less about the safety regulations and more about outperforming his competitors. As a result, this lead to the prohibition of spending time or money on safety regulations and limiting resources for non-production needs.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in the article holding corporate leadership accountable for worker safety crimes by gabriele wohl, don blankenship was charged with conspiracy for violating coal mine safety regulations.
- Explains that blankenship had to testify against the way massey's did business in regards to safety violations.
- Explains that having miners and employees testify is an important idea for fraud examinations and forensic accounting in this case because the jury can get more information and understand better the details of working under these conditions.
- Explains that it is crucial to maintain an organized timeline of evidence because it keeps track of the times blankenship refused new hires and equipment for a safer environment.
363 wordsRead More - Should Music Be Censored?opinionated essayEby, Lloyd. “Lyrics with Violence and Exploitation Harm Young People.” Should Music Lyrics Be Censored for Violence and Exploitation? Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints In Context /Gale. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that censoring music depends on what music is effecting people. many people think rap and rock in particular is too violent, while others would help people through rough times.
- Opines that music is not being censored for no reason. it's due to profanity and drug references. many artists are looked down for publicly using drugs like wiz khalifa or eminem.
- Explains that violent lyrics are a strong reson to censor music.
- Concludes that studies have not established a link between rap music and youth crime and violence.
- Analyzes eby, lloyd, and knoploh, sarah. should music lyrics be censored for violence and exploitation?
747 wordsRead More - Argumentative Essay: Offensive Music Should Be Bannedanalytical essayTo conclude, those offensive lyrics by rappers and rockers shouldn’t be available. These should be banned for good to keep minors from detrimental music. The facts proves these offensive songs have a horrific impact on minors and shouldn’t be heard in music ever
In this essay, the author
- Opines that offensive music should be banned. rappers and rockers use violent words that's not protected by the first amendment.
- Opines that music has a bad impact on people's lives and should be eliminated. the u.s constitution doesn't protect the threatning music they provide.
- Argues that music should be banned because of the offensive music they sell to minors.
- Argues that offensive music should be sold to minors because the music companies refuse to listen to parents' complaints. the opposing side thinks their freedom of speech is being taken away, but their lyrics are not protected by the bill of rights.
- Concludes that offensive lyrics by rappers and rockers should be banned for good to keep minors from detrimental music.
394 wordsRead More