The "I" Word

Is now "Imus." The controversy about the senile radio host brings to mind a distinction I long ago made between funny jokes that happen to also be offensive and "jokes" that are merely offensive. I can tolerate the first category quite often. Anyone telling jokes from the second category should be shunned. An example of type 2 (for X fill in some ethnic group):
A: What do you call it when a busload of X's goes over a cliff?
B: I don't know.
A: A start.

There is simply nothing funny about this. I'm not saying this in the sense of "We should restrain our laughter because this is offensive." No, the above isn't a joke at all: It's an excuse to share your hatred of X's under the disguise of telling a joke.

And so was Imus calling the Rutger's basketball team "nappy-headed hoes." Where's the joke? What's the punchline? No, this is "funny" in the same way the previous joke is.