I may be in the minority, but I reckon using the phrase nappy headed ho is racist. On a purely etymological basis, it's racist. It singles out genetic traits found only in that race, so it's pretty cut and dried.

Now, the bigger question is should there have been quite such a knee jerk reaction? Probably not, but most of what we say and do has to be taken in context. Imus' comments were made in the context of watching a bunch of black (can I even still use that word?) basketball players and remarking on them. That ultimately does make it a racist comment.

However, if he'd said it about a group of hookers on a street corner, no one would've batted an eye. It's just more double standards in life. Imus fucked up, but I think the punishment outways the crime in this case.