"I'M RICK JAMES, B***H!"

Anyone who watches Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central will recognize the phrase above as one of his best known lines parodying the late funk music star. But it has serious consequences for one political candidate in my old hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Rick James is the former morning drive personality and programme director for WNSL-FM, the area contemporary music powerhouse (at which I started my radio career full-time overnights nearly two decades ago). He's also running for the Hattiesburg City Council. The problem is that whenever Chappelle's show features the Rick James bit, a number of the candidate's yard signs turn up missing. He told the Hattiesburg American editorial board that he's lost over $700 in signs because of the thefts.

According to his wife in a letter to Comedy Central, his campaign signs have turned up in yards over 100 miles away...among other interesting occurances which were mentioned in this blub from the New York Post. Of course, a number of the signs likely turn up in dorm rooms at the city's two colleges: The University of Southern Mississippi (GO EAGLES!!!) and the Southern Baptist affiliated William Carey College.

She was asking for a donation from Comedy Central to replace at least some of the signs that were stolen. According to the American, Comedy Central did release a statement saying it "felt bad about the signs being stolen".

James is running in the Democratic primary for the Ward 4 seat. The winner will face the Republican nominee and the Independent incumbant in November.