It was very unusual. I am a wisecracker and every wisecracker knows that sometimes what sounds incredibly witty and hilarious inside your head has almost zero comedic power when it is released into the real, 3-D world.
I really have no idea what he was thinking. I honestly think he wasn't thinking, or that his thinking (for whatever reason) was seriously impaired.
It will be hard for him to bounce back from this one, I think.
He made a mistake. He's human. How many of us have blown up and said things we know were wrong. He apologised. If the black community can't accept it, that's their problem. Saying it isn't good enough for them makes them no better than him in my eyes. It's pathetic to demand any more than he's already done. Get over it.
I couldn't care less what happens to Richards. As far as I know, he's a drug-addled Hollyweird lefty, but I don't think he owes anyone another apology or any money. He'll be punished by the media and the lack of future work. He should just go fade off the scene and keep his mouth and pocketbook zipped.