Radio Station Mocks Tsunami Victims

A NYC radio station has apologized for playing a song that was deemed offensive to tsunami victims:

NEW YORK — Morning show DJs on Manhattan's top hip-hop station are contributing a week's pay to tsunami relief (search) — but not out of kindness.

Last week, Hot 97's (search) morning show, led by Miss Jones (search), performed a parody of the 1980s megahit "We Are the World" that included racial slurs and the lyrics, "Go find your mommy / I just saw her float by / a tree went through her head / and now the children will be sold to child slavery."

WQHT posted an apology on its Web site that also said, "'Miss Jones in the Morning,' along with her entire staff, have agreed to contribute one week's pay to tsunami relief efforts."

This was an insensitive thing to do, but IMO they are protected by the First Amendment. Others are looking into whether they can be prosecuted under hate crime laws.
www.foxnews.com...

[edit on 25-1-2005 by jsobecky]

I have two takes on this. First off, the DJ absloutly can be fired. The first ammendment does not apply to companies, and the radio station is a company. If they deem this woman to be a major blow to their market share, they have every right to send them outta the door flying.

However, in no way whatsoever should she be charged with any crime. England persecutes people for hate speach. America makes fun of them. We do not censor people, and never should. There are tens of posts I've made on here sharing why I believe the first ammendment is one of the primary reasons this nation has never had a revolution besides the civil war (and we knew that was coming), so I won't go into it here. However, I will say that if any charges are leveled against her, I will do anything in the little power I have to help her out, though I disagree with their message.

Finally, is anyone really shocked DJs would do this? Remember the Berg mockers? WTC mockers? There's always a station. Heck, I was a bit insensitive about the tsunami when it happened. I went up to a coworker in a rage demanding to know where the heck Aquaman was in the one situation where he could have been useful.

EDIT: For some reason I thought there were two guys, and not a woman. Had to edit my pronouns and their ilk.

[edit on 1-25-2005 by junglejake]

Have they no shame? what a tasteless thing to do after so many lives were lost. They should apologyze every hour on the air and the least they could do is have a drive to collect donations and supplies for the victims..I swear some of these radio stations should be off the air, period.

I dont think there will be anything legally that can be done to them. They are free to speak. However, if you dont think about what you say first, you can really show what kind of a person you are. This radio person has done just that. Shown her listeners just how much of an insinsitive, uncaring person she really is. Truly a person of the lowest calibre

[edit on 1/25/05 by Kidfinger]

Originally posted by dgtempe
I swear some of these radio stations should be off the air, period.

We have the power to do that. As long as people tune in and listen, they'll keep doing the same things. It's all about the $, not how people feel after listening to them.

Originally posted by jsobecky
This was an insensitive thing to do, but IMO they are protected by the First Amendment.

Ratings are more powerful than the first ammendment.

Howard stern did something similar, playing the song 'Wipeout' or some such.

The station issued a statement saying that the station and dj-ess was sorry and realized it was an insensitive mistake.

Think is, after releasing the song at first, someone called in, to say that it was a bad thing to do, she said c.f. "Oh, wait, I think i have a song for you' and played it again right then and there. This was before the statement. So says someone I know who listened to the broadcast and was talking about it with. Th

Not only was that uncalled for.....It was downright immature. To think these people make that much money being that stupid... Having them donate a week's pay was well deserved by them... No wonder America gets such a bad wrap, we have a**holes like that on the air making fun of dead children and thier mothers. So sad.

Originally posted by junglejake
I have two takes on this. First off, the DJ absloutly can be fired. The first ammendment does not apply to companies,

they are considered individuals because a supreme court ruling over 100 years ago so it indeed applies.

There's always one arsehole around.

I remember when there was a massive earthquake in the late 80's and on one radio station directly after the news report, some gob#e played 'I feel the earth move under my feet' :shk:

Actually, its been going on for quite a while. I remember hearing that just after Edward VIII had made his abdication speech, which was transmitted by radio, some bright spark played 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'

I wouldn't charge her with a crime. I think the best way to act on this would be to contact the advertisers who's ads play during this show and explain to them that the American public doesn't spend money on those who financially support cruel people like this.

The bottom line is, as you find in the radio "comedy" industry fairly often, this woman is an idiot. For some reason she believes that she can say anything she wants to, no matter how insensitive it is, and it will be considered funny. Well, that's one thing when you're beating up on one person. Make fun of his clothes, something he did, something he said, see that can be considered "all in good fun" and hopefully the guy is a sport. This crossed that line. Let me please show you more lyrics from this "funny" song:

-There was a time
When the sun was shining bright
So I went down to the beach to catch me a tan
Then the next thing I knew
A wave 20 feet high came and washed your whole country away
And all at once you could hear all the screaming Chinks
And no one was safe from the wave
There were Africans drowning
Little Chinamen swept way
You could hear God laughing "Swim You bitches, swim"

So now you're screwed, it's a tsunami
You better run and better kiss your ass away
Go find your mommy
I just saw her float by, a tree right through her head, and now your children will be sold child slavery

It progressed on to the point where a fellow member of the Hot 97 morning crew said something about shooting asians who would complain about the song because they felt superior.

New Yorkers should react properly to this outrage by crushing this station's ratings and revenues until they remove the offensive organisms from the air. Civilized people do not joke about other people's deaths. There's just no other way to say it.

hiphopmusic.com...

you can get a copy of the song on this website and read the replies people have posted about it. I believe that it is in very poor taste, but from a business perspective it was a risky move that has it's rewards. The rewards which the station garnered were: 1. national notoriety 2. associating itself with its target audience 3. ratings from otherwise unfounded members of an audience. I don't condone this kind of behavior, and believe that the FCC should have done something about it immediately. If a song were to be about an other ethnic or racial group that was more then 10% of the united states population, you bet there would be strict and immediate consequences for their actions. why is it that the government reacts so sluggishly to this form of racism? is it because the NAACP and ACLU only protect certain american citizens or the fact that it's okay to make fun of a minority that has little or no voice in the United States. From a business stand point it's a risk worth taking, from a moral and ethical stand point it's racist and ignorant.

There's a radio station that plays out of New Orleans and a member of the morning crew actually said that Jesus created the tsunami because the majority of people there are Muslims who didn't celebrate Jesus' birthday. In his words, this is why it happened the day after Christmas. Needless to say, the other announcers quickly said these do not reflect the views of the radio station.

But it just goes to show, it's easy for people to mock strangers 1000's miles of way. These people will always be around,

Oh, and by the way, this isn't socialist Canada. I don't think they can get arrested for what they said. The recent anti-hate crime legislation still guarantees speech in this regard, that is, unless you are talking about Jews.

[edit on 26-1-2005 by Jamuhn]

the song is pretty funny but it could have been better...maybe next time

A TV sports pundit was sacked over here yesterday for making a joke about the Tsunami

news.bbc.co.uk...

The ex-Manchester City striker joked David Beckham had turned down a move to Newcastle United because of trouble with the "Toon Army in Asia".

Toon army is what Newcastle fans call themselves, and the way they chant it can sound (a little) like tsunami.

I just read this on Right Wing Duck. Seemed an awfully appropriate way to handle that woman. This is the first time I've read any of the lyrics from the song, though. That is some sick $#@%!!! My mouth dropped and I felt just...dirty, not amused, and I usually dark, sarcastic, and ironic humor.

A morning DJ and her crew were pulled off the airwaves after airing a song in horrible taste.

The song had lyrics such as, “You can hear God laughing, Swim you bitches swim ”

It was bad. Personally, I think the Devil Just Got into Miss Jones.

The studio management was cool about how they suspended her.

“Can you come over here Miss Jones. Put on these headphones and tell us what you think of this song".

Music
“Look for a new job bitch, woot woot.
Look for a new job bitch, woot woot”

Take those idiots off the air and let them become janitors. Sorry for slamming janitors.

as a dj myself....i can tell you this....there are 2 kinds of stations no matter the platform....those that do for them and the $ they can make and those that do for there community in hopes that it will someday effect the world, i work at the latter of these and we don't worry about money...it comes because people support the good we do....as we sit here and talk about this woman two things will happen....one she will become famous...not for being fired....but because she is the flavor of the month that just so happens to be talked about EVERYWHERE....which is a shame....the effort used in hyping her up could have been used to help the victims itself....just my opinion
HoundDog

Have you heard the rebutal from Jin? Ouch, it hurts. Jin is raw, and he had to put it down fast. Ouch...


Shame on the others, just plain rude.

After listening to some comments played by various NYC media outlets I feel I must add an item here.

There are many fans demanding the restoration of the "Miss Jones" morning show. They're actually claiming that the show was targeted because it is a "Hip Hop" outlet and is being attacked by racists.

I believe this makes the problem even worse. How can someone make a song using racist terms and giggling about a quarter million deaths, and then accuse someone else of racism.

Incidentally the same excuse was used yesterday by Irving "Gotti" who was accused of laundering a million dollars for a man who arranged for many murders and sold drugs.

The excuse that "the man" is assaulting Hip Hop culture is going to be repeated in regards to this Tsunami "song".

The damage that these "artists" are doing to Hip Hop is irreparable. Emmis said that the DJ should donate a week of her salary to victims? That's like me walking up to a man in a wheelchair and saying "HAHAHAHAHA STUPID ASS CRIPPLE"... "uh... here's a dollar, feel better?" How absolutely cold hearted to think that a token monetary donation can make up for the cruel inhuman comments made. People lost relatives there. A few bucks doesn't reverse the power of cruel words.

"Gotti" seems to think that he should be vindicated from any charges due to the fact that he produces good music.

Hip Hop music has a long and storied background, and even today consists of dozens upon dozens of brilliant artists. I believe people like "Miss Jones" and Irving "Gotti" are dragging it's name and credibility into the mud. Jones should be off the air. Oh and guess who one of her producers is... a former Opie and Anthony producer. Classy is as classy does.

[edit on 1-27-2005 by Djarums]