Comedian Steve Harvey was surprised at the uproar surrounding Michael Richard's racist slur last year because he didn't think the comment was that offensive. Richards hit the headlines in November for repeated use of the word "n**ger" during a foul-mouthed tirade aimed at two African-American hecklers at the Laugh Factory in California.

But the star, 50, has dismissed Richards as "unimportant", insisting people should be more concerned about racism creeping into mainstream politics.

He says, "I don't understand the uproar. White people been calling us n**ggers for years. I've been conscious of this racism bullshit since I was four. Now everybody's real sick because of Michael Richards? Michael Richards ain't... important. It's when (politician) David Duke runs for office in New Orleans as a (Ku Klux) Klan member... and gets votes - that concerns me."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)