I don't think it's a reflection of a double-standard. I think it'a finally a reaction AGAINST the double-standard going on there since forever. It's an 'election year' and Imus has interviewed alot of big names. Probably everyone he's interviewed is going to have to answer questions about their racism now.
There were THREE articles about the nappy-head ho comment in the Times on Thursday. The most interesting one was about Imus' side-kick, a freak named McGuirk, who apparently is there to say the worst things in the background, while Imus challenges him or ignores him... but in short, the nasty stuff gets said, but through an intermediary.
THIS TIME, Imus repeated what what McGuirk said. McGuirk called them "hard-core ho's" in an undertone and Imus repeated it with the hairstyle comment. He blew his own cover.
If Imus had not repeated it, probably none of this would have happened.