Wanna know what I think Imus's "five musts" are?
1) Tell people, again, that the nappy thing WAS A JOKE. It was parody and satire, and that everyone needs to move on.
2) Lay down the law that clowns like Christopher Dodd and Tim Russert (sorry, Tim) are banned for life from his show.
3) Reassemble his old crew (yep, including Bernie).
4) Not change his show or style even one bit.
5) Tell Al Sharpton to STFU (and I'm sure you know what that means).
Here's what Reverend Hypocrite had to say:
5 musts for Imus
REV. AL SHARPTON
Martha Stewart came back to network television after serving time in prison. Marv Albert returned to the airwaves after pleading guilty to assault and battery charges. And now, it looks increasingly likely — though reports remain unsubstantiated — that Don Imus will get back on the radio.
That is his right.
But consumers and advertisers — and those of us who shined a spotlight on his bad behavior — also have rights. We also have responsibilities. Broadcasters and their companies must decide on standards that they will abide by. Sponsors can — and indeed, some should — refuse to financially support blatant bigotry, which is what led to his firing in the first place.
Most important, if and when Imus gets back in the broadcasting booth, each of us will have to judge for ourselves whether his apologies were an attempt to keep his job or whether he sincerely wanted to uphold standards that would respect all people, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
Indeed, if Imus wants to get back in front of the microphone, there are five steps that he should take to prove that he has learned from the experience — and not simply waited for the furor to die down.
First, he should squarely deal with the Rutgers fiasco, not just through a cosmetic meeting as before, but by coming to terms with the women he denigrated in a concrete way. One of the Rutgers women has filed a lawsuit, and rather than play legal games with her, he should settle that suit — and any other claims that the team members may make due to the psychological and public damage he did to them personally.
Second, he should publicly make clear that he sees himself as an example of how we as a society have increasingly allowed the hunger for humor and the drive for ratings to make the American public immune to the casual expression of racism and sexism.
Specifically, Imus should state (if true) that he now understands what led to his termination: Americans of all races and economic levels believe we can no longer move forward as a society by taking cheap shots at women and blacks or any other group.
He was not a pariah; his removal did not undermine his free speech rights.
Third, he should pledge to refrain from attacks on innocent people who cannot defend themselves and who may not have the coping mechanisms to deal with being ridiculed on the airwaves.
It's one thing to ridicule Al Sharpton; it's another to attack young women who did nothing more than seek to achieve excellence in college athletics.
To that end, Imus and his new prospective employer, if and when one emerges, should publicly release a contract clause making clear that he will not be permitted to engage in any racist, sexist or homophobic comments (unlike a contrary clause in his last contract).
Fourth, to show that he is truly committed to turning the page in whatever new show he launches, Imus should set aside some regular weekly broadcast time to sit with an ombudsman — preferably a member of the National Association of Black Journalists or someone else of color — who will mix it up with him and critique issues of the day. No, I'm not volunteering for the job.
Fifth, Mr. Imus should encourage all corporations, including the record industry, to stop subsidizing and promoting people who engage in racist and misogynist language, even in the name of entertainment. The rules must not be different for black rappers than they are for white broadcasters.
It was not and is not our desire to interrupt the life of Don Imus. We just want to ensure that he does not interfere with ours.
Sharpton is president of the National Action Network.
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