MSNBC's Crawford on the worst of Imus: "I ... tuned a lot of it out"
On the April 12 edition of MSNBC News Live, MSNBC political analyst Craig Crawford said that he had appeared on the Imus in the Morning program "nearly 70 [times] in the last three years" and asserted: "[I]f more people had listened to the whole context of this man's show, they would see a broader picture." On the April 4 edition of Imus in the Morning, Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" after executive producer Bernard McGuirk called the team "hard-core hos." As Media Matters for America documented, Imus' remark was part of a long history of racial slurs made on the show by him, his guests, and regular contributors.
On April 11, NBC News announced that it was dropping MSNBC's simulcast of Imus in the Morning in the wake of the controversy. Then on April 12, CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves announced that CBS -- which owns both the radio station that broadcast Imus' program and Westwood One, which syndicated the program -- had fired Imus and would cease broadcasting his radio show.
Speaking generally, Crawford acknowledged that Imus' program would often "get into some of these trouble spots," and added of the specific incident: "[I]t wasn't a case of hateful speech. I didn't think it was out of malice. I think they were trying to be shocking, trying to be goofy. It was silly." Crawford further stated that he "tuned ... out" the derogatory aspects of the show: "[I]n the segments I was in, we never got into any of the trouble areas that he obviously had. And I was aware some of that other stuff was going on. I actually tuned a lot of it out and maybe got numb to it."
From the 3 p.m. hour of the April 12 edition of MSNBC News Live:
MIKA BRZEZINSKI (anchor): Imus has been rude and crude for years. And why did it feel OK to appear on his show? Was his behavior just accepted up until now?
CRAWFORD: Well, for me personally, Mika, I enjoyed talking to the man. I got up at 6, sometimes 5:30, 4:30, 3:30 on the West Coast --
BRZEZINSKI : Wow.
CRAWFORD: -- to talk to him in the morning many times, nearly 70 in the last three years because I enjoyed talking to the man. He's an iconoclast who -- we talked about all kinds of things, usually a lot of personal stuff. The last time I was on, we talked for about 10 minutes about my electric razor, but we also talked about serious things. And in the segments I was in, we never got into any of the trouble areas that he obviously had. And I was aware some of that other stuff was going on. I actually tuned a lot of it out and maybe got numb to it, but I think there will be a hole right here on MSNBC and here in Washington with his absence because he was able to bring a dialogue, a discussion about issues and newsmakers, got things out of them. He was a great interviewer. I would say on balance the things I liked about the man -- I just overlooked the things that did make me a little nervous.
BRZEZINSKI : And that's what I wonder about, Craig, because a lot of people did. A lot of people got a lot of airtime on his show. They sold books. Maybe even you did.
CRAWFORD: I did.
BRZEZINSKI : Did it make you feel uncomfortable when you knew about those trouble spots? You maybe heard some of the things he said to people?
CRAWFORD: Well, I have the view, Mika, that you know, when -- in the comedy context, the skits they would do, and a lot of the other -- in the sports commentaries, where they also would get into some of these trouble spots, that it wasn't a case of hateful speech. I didn't think it was out of malice. I think they were trying to be shocking, trying to be goofy. It was silly. It was sophomoric, a lot of it. And entertaining to a lot of people. I got to tell you, I would travel around the country, and, yes, I did sell a lot of books thanks to Imus. And I met a lot of Imus fans around the country doing book signings and speeches so on. And many of them I would talk to would say, "You know, I sort of wish they wouldn't do that other stuff."
BRZEZINSKI : Yeah.
CRAWFORD: Some of his biggest fans would say that. But there was a core entertainment value and information that came out of that show that kept people coming back.
BRZEZINSKI : Well, let me ask you this, though, Craig. Let's just try and be as transparent as we can. NBC put him on the air. You appeared on the show along with many others. Is there, I don't know, a bit of hypocrisy here? Why is it so surprising and shocking now that Imus is rude and insulting to all sorts of people?
CRAWFORD: I don't think it -- well, here's how I'm seeing this week, Mika, is a lot of the people who are so -- so critical didn't actually listen to the show. I mean, even the captain of the basketball team at Rutgers said she hadn't listened to the show. I mean, and I really believe that had more people -- if more people had listened to the whole context of this man's show, they would see a broader picture.
BRZEZINSKI : Fair enough. Craig Crawford, thank you very much.
This Guy Is Easily One Of The Biggest D*uche Bags On Corporate Television.
Crawford says that things about the show made him "a little nervous". Likewise, watching the show, I frequently got little twinges of nervousness that I was in the wrong arena, but as Crawford says, there was much that occurred on the show that was too topical for an avid news hound to miss, so I continued watching.
That is one reason that the decisions to take him off the air are the right ones. It leaves that space for a show that embodies all the good qualities, without the garbage.
Maybe a "Crossfire" type show with James Carville, Paul Begala and who ever might represent the Conservative side?
Oh, please, how about some new faces and voices. Isn't that the meaning of the whole Imus blow-up, that our mainstream media is insular, same people on all the time, talking to themselves and oblivious because they allow themselves to know only what they want to know?
"And I was aware some of that other stuff was going on. I actually tuned a lot of it out and maybe got numb to it." " Ladies and Gentleman, I give you Craig Crawford, forever after to be known as the Sgt. Schultz (of Hogan's Heroes) of the cable news networks. "I know NOTH-ing; I hear NOTH-ing."
Craig Crawford sticks up for Imus because Imus is the ONLY one who put Crawford on television.
The same goes for a lot of the people sticking up Imus. They couldn't get arrested let alone get on any other TV show but Imus.
"Craig Crawford sticks up for Imus because Imus is the ONLY one who put Crawford on television."
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You really have no clue, do you? Crawford's been on Countdown quite often, to name one show. He's been on other programs also, but the one counterexample is enough to show your ignorance, so no further effort is necessary.
I have been an Imus fan for several years and in the beginning it took me a while to understand his stick, once understood, I was able to keep myself from being sucked into the turmoil he was trying to create. With that, let me say what Imus said was wrong because the remark was directed at individuals that did not have a platform to respond. They were innocent and not like his usual targets. This was also not a real act of discrimination or deliberate racism. Now, I would like to know where was everyone when everything he said in the past is now offensive. We were at the water cooler talking and laughing about it because it was quietly acceptable then. I understand the acceptable double standard from black comedians BUT, where have Ron Allen and Al Roker been while gansta rappers have grown in popularity by denigrating women. And for Jackson and Sharpton, they are nothing more then promotion hungry fools that really keep the divide alive. They are the terrorists that live among us. They run around stirring the pot on incidents they feel can be used as race issues, then go out and pick the corporate pockets I think we all could take a lesson from C. Vivian Stringer...she is a class act. One more thing I would like to know, what music was on the Ipods of the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team until last Wednesday. Not accusing, just curious.
This is such a canard about "rappers" denigrating women. Didn't start with the rappers. Its our whole culture or haven't you been seeing any movies the last 30 years where the top, top Oscar nominated actresses appear totally naked? Whats that all about? I'm not buying that its art. Men want to see them naked so they do it to get the job. Totally naked, more naked than the rap videos I've seen. Julianne Moore! Gwyneth Paltrow! Its degrading of women and they do it for the money; they're all in it for the money.
Crawford is the pundit who thinks Edwards can't be counted out because "he's the only white guy" in the top tier.
He should do some soul searching about his own feelings that accept white solidarity as part of the fabric of America.
And the proof of that statement exists, right? I notice that there was, quite conveniently, no corroboration presented in your post.
I was introduced to Craig Crawford through Imus. I am glad I was.
When you listened to the entire show each day like I did you understand the man and the show. This is a good man who has overcome his own adversities, he is not a racist, why would he have backed Harold Ford for months if he were a racist? Mr Crawford you have been and are a loyal fan of Imus and you have guts enough to not fall into this feeding frenzy. Thank You,
Craig