Media hypocrisy

I'm not making apologies for the racist comments of Michael Richards or Mel Gibson, but why has Rosie O'Donnell gotten a free pass from the media for her racist mocking of Asians? Is it because she can claim that she did not know that her comments were racist? That's no excuse. I had a friend a few years ago who said that she meant nothing by it when she said, "That's mighty white of you." I argued that her lack of evil intent made such comments even more insidious. The phrase clearly implies that white people are more decent than those of other races. Likewise, Rosie's statement that she meant nothing by her offensive routine makes it even more frightening. It seems especially ironic in the wake of her condemnation of Kelly Ripa's supposedly homophobic comments to Clay Aiken. Where's the media outrage? Heck, where's the media coverage? Don't get me wrong-- the comments of Richards and Gibson were certainly more evil; I just think this sort of subtle racism is more dangerous.