The reactions to Michael Richards’ racist rant at an LA comedy club have proven more outrageous than anything about the tirade itself. As a matter of fact, for all the talk about the one-time TV star wrecking his career, this over-hyped controversy may end up placing the comedian on the road to a major comeback.

Consider, for instance, the soaring sales of the latest “Seinfeld” DVD. Season 7 of the popular sitcom is outselling the Season 6 edition (released on the same day in 2005) by at least 75%, and it’s outperforming Season 5 by more than 90%, according to TMZ.com.

Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University opines: “I think the only explanation that could be is that there’s a Kramer curiosity factor.”

He’s undoubtedly correct. Obviously, the last few days have brought about more news stories about the Seinfeld show than at any time since it left the air – suddenly, a has-been, washed up, truly pathetic figure like Michael Richards is a hot media property, with everyone clamoring for interviews as he continues his nationwide “apology tour.”

Before his shameful explosion into ethnic animosity, I couldn’t have commented with any certainty as to whether Mr. Richards was alive or dead. How many people in this broad Republic ever thought about or talked about Kramer, or Richards, prior to the avalanche of negative publicity associated with his outburst?

When shyster-ette Gloria Allred stepped forward to demand monetary “reparations” for the two African-American audience members Richards had insulted, when the club owner suggested that Richard donate $500,000 to charity for each invocation of the n-word during his audience-clearing monologue, when Jesse Jackson attempted to use the occasion to demand more African-American presence in the world of entertainment, Kramer’s pursuers and critics helped keep his name and face in the news.

With Mel Gibson now offering his utterly gratuitous plea for mercy on the unfortunate Richards, we’ve clearly entered the “pity the poor guy” stage of this media sensation. Because of his lavishly publicized problems, casting directors on TV shows and movies will consider Richards in a way they’d never considered him before. At this point, his next appearances will bring a flurry of attention for any project to which he lends his lame presence.

I don’t wish ill to Michael Richards, but it does seem obvious that he harbors deep-seated racist attitudes. If his resort to the n-word to abuse black audience members who had been mildly disrespectful doesn’t demonstrate real racism, than what does? Do we really believe that you have to get to the level of lynchings and burning crosses and threats of overt violence to earn the r-word (racist)?

Ironically, this whole pathetic episode will end up reviving Richards’ all-but-moribund career. The whole discussion (Is he racist? Is he cured of racism? What will he do to make amends to the African-American community?) grants the comic the sort of national importance that such a thin, limited talent hardly deserves.

In the end, shouting the n-word repeatedly from a public stage ends up serving as a brilliant career move. If it can transform a stalled, cold comedian into a suddenly hot property, could the same sort of bigoted abuse provide further momentum for a career that's already going well?

I wonder if the same approach would work for a radio host….mmmmm…

And don’t you dare forget, you must tune in EVERY DAY (from 3 PM to 6PM, Eastern Time) to listen, live, to find out if I’ll actually try to employsuch outrageous strategy on the air. Yet another potent reason to catch every precious minute of the Michael Medved show…..