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August 16, 2007
Rutgers Basketball Player Goes Looting
If you felt sorry for the poor delicate basketball players that Don Imus offhandedly referred to as "nappy-headed hos," you can stop now. Center Kia Vaughn is exploiting this preposterous kerfuffle as an opportunity to loot not only Imus, but — since they also have money — MSNBC, NBC Universal, CBS Radio, CBS Corp., Viacom Inc., Westwood One Radio, and producer Bernard McGuirk.
The idea that calling people childish names should be grounds for a multi-$zillion lawsuit is laughable in the extreme, but absurdity flourishes in the tort system that gave us John Edwards. As sports law expert Michael McCann notes, Vaughn stands to win despite her flimsy slander case, probably without even going to court. The whole idea is to extort the victims into paying a settlement:
It is highly likely that this lawsuit will settle out of court. Even though I believe it will be difficult for Vaughn to succeed, the lawsuit itself is highly damaging to Imus, and he will thus have a strong incentive to settle.
The justification for going after NBC, CBS, etc. is ominous in its implications. The networks stand accused of allowing an atmosphere to exist in which someone could say something that isn't nice. If that becomes a crime punishable by extravagant tort awards, our whole culture will become as mealy-mouthed, politically correct, and utterly uninteresting as the bureaucrat-approved pabulum on NPR.
Supposedly some of the loot from the lawsuit will go to "a scholarship program to study the effects of bigoted and misogynistic speech on society." Maybe this will be a way to get college credit for listening to rap albums. Fortunately I doubt there will be much cash left over for this moonbattery after Vaughn and her lawyers treat themselves to lavish spending sprees at the expense of our freedom of speech.
If Vaughn is successful, I'll lawyer up for the next troll who calls me a "Christofascist redneck retard." Of course, I might also have to sue myself for creating an environment in which people can say what they want, as if this were still America.
On a tip from White Cane.
Posted by Van Helsing at August 16, 2007 12:05 PM
Comments
She's obviously nappy-headed but I can't tell from the picture if she is actually a ho.
Posted by: Reid at August 16, 2007 1:29 PM
That is one ugly woman...
Posted by: Fuzzlenutter at August 16, 2007 2:59 PM
Kia ... who? Oh yeah ... riiiight. I'm sure she can't go anywhere without folks giving her a real racist taunting. She only wants to be left alone. Can't you see? Her lawyer will make it stop. Only then we'll she be able to shake the yoke of oppression and shout out proudly to her peeps!
Posted by: monsoon at August 16, 2007 3:54 PM
Her peeps? Is she raising baby chickens? Is that part of an agriculture course she's taking at Rutgers?
Posted by: Reid at August 16, 2007 5:15 PM
Her lawyer is banking on the case surviving a motion to dismiss (which it will) and a later motion for summary judgment (which it may) in which case, the deep pockets will pony up nuisance value or, at most, the anticipated cost of litigating. Either way, it could be a handy payday for a bottom feeder.
Posted by: Jim - PRS at August 16, 2007 6:49 PM
Makes me proud that the gals from my hometown (the University of Tennessee Lady Vols) kicked their asses in the finals!
Posted by: jc14 at August 16, 2007 8:03 PM
Her suit now assures the Imus quote and her name, which nobody knew, will be repeated on every blog, newspaper, and radio show in America. Way to go Kia. Now the entire country knows you are not a nappy ho but a greedy bitch instead.
But Van, if they settle out of court, all the other players will want their check too. Do you think they are just going to move on while Kia shoots and scores millions of dollars?
Posted by: Gregory at August 16, 2007 9:38 PM
I suspect it was a matter of the source.
If 50 Cent or Snoop Doggy Dogg or Notorious Big or some other well-known rappre had called the team, "nappy-headed hos", that would be their team nickname by noon the next day.
Posted by: Joseph T Major at August 17, 2007 3:38 AM
