Al Roker leads America out of darkness

There are times when life itself wields a heavy hammer and that hammer recently descended on the souls of Americans. And I believe I speak for everyone when I say, thank the good lord Jesus for Al Roker. Yes, that Al Roker.

Okay, okay, you got me; I’m kidding.

Roker, Today Show bench warmer and gastric bypass champion, has seen fit to take a stand regarding sack-of-bones Don Imus and his racist comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. “It is time for him to go.” Roker oh so eloquently stated, “I, for one, am really tired of the diatribes, the “humor” at others’ expense, the cruelty that passes for ‘funny’”.

Let's get something straight here; when you've got Al Roker chiming in on race and broadcasting you know it's a non-issue. That's not to say that Imus' comments were not repugnant, reprehensible and demand commensurate penalty (screw the two week suspension - slap him with a cool multi-million dollar penalty, check payable to Howard and Rutgers Universities - that'll leave a welt). But these comments, for the most part, were heard by white males 25-54 who probably found them humorous and who are not going to be changing their societal views very soon while leasing a Prius and voting for Mrs. Clinton. There's a reason John McCain is still going to be on Imus' show; he represents a key demographic of his listeners.

Al Sharpton too got his licks in via a schadenfreude bitch-slap fest on his own radio show. To his credit, Imus sat there and took it solo while the Reverend Al Sharpton pontificated and berated Imus for the benefit of his eleven or so listeners. And just for the sake of political and cultural contrast, you think Obama's going to touch this one? Not a chance. He is someone from another generation determined to carry public discourse and perceptions to a higher level. He represents where we're headed, not where we've been. [UPDATE: Obama did touch this one with a hint of pomposity and a dash of rancor]

Yet believe it or not, there's a common thread that binds people like Imus, Sharpton and Roker. That thread is called irrelevance. No one of an impressionable age and/or intellect really listens to these men with rapt attention. Does anyone really care about the rambling comments of some old coot literally being held upright by his crusty microphone? Likewise about a black gadfly media whore who's on speed dial of unimaginative talk show producer's cellphones when they need to play the race card and most of all, nobody cares about Al Roker; he's Matt Lauer's sidekick for chrissake.