Yes, L.C. there is a post-Imus world

Before being knocked off by a lone crazed gunman, the Don Imus story had reached the point where, to continue to justify its existence, the press was forced to cast Imus's ouster as a harbinger of societal change.

I found this kind of talk inane: I believed the only thing that was going to come out of the shock jock's firing was a mini-controversy, in about six months time, when Imus made his triumphant return on satellite radio.

I'm not so sure about that any more.

If you're like me, you've been closely following the is-there-or-isn't-there saga surrounding the L.C. sex tape.

L.C., or Lauren Conrad, as she is now called, was a character on the MTV series Laguna Beach a couple years ago. The "reality" show marked the last time I consistently watched something on television -- and only because I was so charmed by the adorable L.C.'s shy, girl-next-store insecurities. How Stephen could chose Kristin, the vapid fake, over L.C. I will never know.

Since Laguna Beach, L.C. has done other reality shows including, maybe, the ultimate unauthorized reality show co-staring Jason Wahler, one of her Laguna Beach co-stars.

My interest in the L.C. sex tape really has nothing to do with pathetic voyeurism. In fact, it's strictly business. I've developed a revolutionary new strategy where a blogger can capitalize on celebrity sex tape scandals without lowering his standards to actual smut. Check out the brilliant simplicity of my site meter-ticking technique in the tags below.

Anyway, earlier, when I was doing my daily search for L.C. sex tape information, I came across an item that all but confirmed a video does exist. Only there is a catch. Fellow connoisseurs of F-list gossip know that Wahler, the co-star, has had a series of run-ins with law enforcement figures of color and has reacted by calling them things far worse than nappy.

SugarDVD, the porn distributor in talks to release the tape, was so bothered by Wahler's behavior and language that they have retracted their 500,000 dollar bid for the rights to the video, releasing this statement:

We refuse to support any person who feels that it is in any way acceptable to rattle off racial slurs and slanderous language about African-American people.

Not only is SugarDVD pulling out of the bidding, but they are actively reaching out to other porn distribution companies to discourage them for participating in a deal for the tape.

So there you have it: The post-Imus world. I hope you're all happy.