Wow. Kramer on Letterman.

[dorkulon]

Man, that was excruciating to watch. He said "Afro-American" twice, and made all kinds of ridiculous references to Katrina and (implied) Iraq. Lots of awkward pauses, Seinfeld telling the audience to stop laughing. Yikes. I think he was at a loss because he can't just say, "I was wasted and these guys pissed me off and it brought out my closet racism."

There's no coming back from this, especially for a guy who's not really that talented (Kramer was a one-of-a-kind role, supported by the best writers on TV at the time). This guy is done like dinner. This creepy apology just dug his grave a little deeper. Time for Michael Richards to find a new line of work.

[Mr_Spock]

1. I hear a giant flushing sound...

wave goodbye to Kramer.

[brettdale]

35. is their a video clip

On the web yet?

[Mr_Spock]

43. Here is the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSksd0wlzM

[helderheid]

113. That hurts. OUCH. I can't believe he denied being a racist.

[survivor999]

130. I'm more than satisfied with what he said.

[Mr_Spock]

146. You thought that was enough to redeem him?

Oh, that's right, there is nothing he could do that would change your mind about him.

Very sad, you seem to be on the wrong side of a lot of issues IMHO.

[boolean]

2. I cringed when the audience lauged...twice

It's like they were expecting him to tell jokes or something.

[Connie_Corleone]

4. Everyone is so used to seeing him as Kramer, that they couldn't

help but laugh, I guess.

[libnnc]

5. This show was taped this afternoon

and it's possible that those people laughing didn't yet know about the incident or hadn't seen the footage.

edited to add the footage part

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Good point.

[Dover]

23. Few have ever been exposed to Richards 'the person' and Dave always

does satire. So probably not the best venue for a serious apology.

Plus there seems little difference in the delivery for Richards, whether joking or serious.

[rainbow4321]

98. Thought I read he wouldn't go on camera for CNN..

to talk about it, yet he goes on Letterman??

I think Seinfeld was already <?> a scheduled guest for the show, guess they thought it'd be a good idea at the time to have Richards on...NOT.

I still can't believe the club allowed him back the following night..they said that they thought he was going to apologize when he took the stage but he didn't. WELL, HELL, that is when they should have asked him to leave. Immediately.
Wonder if there was a $$ contract they were trying to fulfill. Like if they cancelled him that 2nd night they still would have had to pay him or something.

[AZBlue]

26. Except that Letterman alluded to it in his opening monologue.

eom

[libnnc]

30. I said it was possible. I guess I'm wrong. eom.

[neebob]

47. People were laughing while he was flipping out

and shouting at the guy in The Laugh Factory. Olbermann showed that but not the apology. It was weird and disturbing, like toward the end of the The Departed, when a bunch of guys shot each other, and several people in the theater laughed. Maybe some people just laugh when they're uncomfortable.

[alcibiades_mystery]

95. Thanks for

ruining the end of the movie

[Name removed]

133. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ChickMagic]

112. Laughing when you're uncomfortable

I call that a monkey laugh. Your teeth are bared, you're eyes are bugged out and the
laughter verges on hysterical.

[Eric J in MN]

62. I didn't hear about this until I watched Keith Olbermann tonight....

...and so I agree that the majority of the audience at "Late Show" with David Letterman may not have heard about before watching the live show.

[dorkulon]

11. I thought the laughter was...

a reaction to the first time he said "Afro-American." Kind of like some people reacted as if it were a joke. Also, people just tend to laugh when they're nervous--and that was pretty damn tense.

[Bucky]

84. Comedy club audiences laugh at anything. Most humor today is shock-value via race & sex references.

The sad part is that if he'd only reigned it in a little bit, quit screaming nigger so much, and tailored the tone of his remarks without altering the jist of his retort, he'd have gotten away with it. I've never heard of any lynching victim getting a fork in their anus, it's just a hack comedian's way of getting an audience to laugh out of shock. No one "tells jokes" anymore.

[sweetheart]

147. Our culture loves racist entertainment

Films like 'sahara' and 'sweet home alabama' are more racist than mr richards was
in his short fated performance.

Thinly beneath the surface is serious race violence and hatred in Los Angeles
where he was performing, like the cynical world portrayed in the film 'crash'.

And Mr. Richards now has his own crash, where all but the most blatant racism
is given a green light... has mathew maconehey been given toss for being
associated with these incredibly racist projects, sahara especially, for
its all white characters trying to reanimate the nobility of the confederacy,
by showing they can outwit a whole lotta black people.

Hollywood entertainment is racist, and the hipocrisy, is that every person in
mr. richard's audience is paying taxes to mass murder iraqis in an asian desert,
as if anyone is on the moral pinnacle to cast aparagus there.

[bliss_eternal]

3. Sounds painful...

good. :)

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Yep his goose is cooked

What a hard thing to watch. I don't know if I felt sorrier for Kramer or Jerry.

[American liberal]

8. So glad to hear he tanked on Letterman

Put a fork in him. He's done.

[Hosnon]

12. Be sure to put that fork up his ass. nt.

[zreosumgame]

138. why you racist bastard!

since that seems the level of your discourse, right back at ya

[Hosnon]

142. Huh? I was referring to what "Kramer" said. nt

[Carla in Ca]

50. Here ya go...

I haven't seen the tape at the club or the apology. But I can tell by your reactions that the apology wasn't real. Comic or not, you'd know if it was genuine.

[KingFlorez]

9. Katrina and Iraq?

:wtf:

[Connie_Corleone]

10. He was rambling. He didn't know what to say.

He'll probably be in rehab tomorrow like Mel Gibson.

[Elidor]

13. .

[Dover]

14. Doubt it was truly about race....

Of course I'm only guessing, but the 'race card' is always the easiest to play when you want to do damage. It doesn't necessarily mean he's a racist. It means that was the weapon of choice.
Clearly he IS still in a state. Don't know if it was drugs, alcohol or just that he is at a very bad place in his life/career. But it sounds like he just snapped.

Not that it will be easy to recover.....or should be. But I do believe him that the origins of his anger is probably not racism. Racism was the manifestation. I think that's usually the case, if you dig a little deeper into any form of hate.


And oh what timing. Seinfeld going out to sell the Seinfeld show's video and all....yikes.

[BlooInBloo]

16. Most Inventive Defense Of Racism EVER! lolol!

"I'm not calling you a nigger because you're black, I just want to hurt you."

:rofl:

You guys kill me.

[Dover]

27. Rage is blind and opportunistic.

If the hecklers had been latino, asian, a short white guy, a fat woman, etc. he probably would have chosen the most hurtful thing he could think of about that person. That's the nature of rage.

[951-Riverside]

31. After today I realized that I've been looking at the KKK and neo-nazi groups all wrong....

Its not that they just hate without reason or cause, these groups dislike minorities because quite frankly they keep egging these poor young white males on.

WHITE POWER BROTHER... WHITE POWER! :thumbsup:

Thanks for opening my eyes Dover and the rest of you jack... nice fellows.

[pinto]

33. Hi, BlooInBloo. Is that a quote from someone?

If so, please indicate that. The racial slur in your post is usually nixed, unless it's a direct quote meant for discussion purposes. Thanks.

[BlooInBloo]

39. It's a direct quote meant for discussion purposes.

[pinto]

45. Thanks.

[Maddy McCall]

57. A direct quote from where?

[BlooInBloo]

58. I forget exactly. Why do you ask?

[Swamp Rat]

64. Here

I just did an exhaustive Internet search using nearly 2 dozen search engines, including cluster searches.

This direct quote, ""I'm not calling you a nigger because you're black, I just want to hurt you."," only exists in this thread.

[Zhade]

74. Alert on it. This filth shouldn't stand.

NT!

[LostinVA]

83. I did n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

75. No...

it's not a direct quote. It's an attribution you made to somebody else - trying to frame their position in a way that makes your argument appear more sound. Nobody said what you put in quotes.

[LostinVA]

82. This isn't a direct quote -- you just want it to be

You don't have some kind of dispensation to use this offensive word, as much as you seem to think so. And, not being truthful so the quote can stand is disingenuous at best and disturbing at worst.

[Selatius]

90. You pulled that offensive quotation out of thin air, didn't you?

Maybe if you lived where I did, you'd understand, but then again, I guess you don't live where I live, so for you I guess it's fine to throw the n-word around and then hide behind a non-existent attribution to justify its use.

[ClusterFreak]

21. You make a good point about the manifestation...

No one among us is pure as the driven snow to our core, and if pushed hard enough and long enough, any among us can blurt out some of the most vitriolic, hurtful garbage imaginable. Who hasn't flown into a rage, spewed toxic words and thoughts, and then thought...what the fuck have I just said? Anyway...I feel Richards is sincerely baffled by his own behaviour. Who knows, maybe he is a card-carrying bigot...but I think he was set off by what he was going through at that moment, and never intended to go up on that stage and started insulting black people.

Having said all this...the guy is supposed to be a professional comedian and able to handle hecklers. He sure as hell didn't do that.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

61. I've said things I've regretted in anger, but never anything remotely like this. n/t

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

60. You ARE only guessing. His words speak for themselves. I see no reason to

twist around and come up with justifications with how this was not as bad and horrific a thing for him to say as it was.

It is what it is.

[Dover]

67. Not a justification. Just think the source of hate goes deeper

than racism, sexism, classism, etc.
That's not an excuse. Knowing the difficult childhood of an abuser or criminal is not an excuse for their misdeeds. But without understanding, where are we? How do we begin to change? We can forbid certain behaviors by law or public pressure, but to change one's heart and one's nature...we have to get to the core of our individual and collective crap.


His words were racist, no question. But that is the manifestation of deeper issues having to do with hurt, anger, rage, fear...
So let's talk about that too.

[Kickin_Donkey]

70. Sorry, I don't buy it ...

Why try to deny the racism? If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ... maybe it is a duck.

To say his racist invective was a manifestation of something deeper is a copout. If you aren't racist, you don't even think like what he said, let alone actually say it in public to the objects of your racism.

One could easily say that his over-the-top reaction to hecklers -- who are common to stand-up comedians -- was a manifestation of his true racist feelings.

[Dover]

72. I didn't deny it was a racist remark. But what is racism, really?

Is it something a person is born with like brown hair or a lisp? Is it genetic or enviromental?

Is the origin of hate, racism? Or is racism a manifestation of hate? And what is the origin of the hate? Let's peel this onion. That's my only point. And that takes courage.

Our actions, regardless of their source, have consequences...public and private.

I just hope that "Kramer" will peel this onion.

[semillama]

100. I buy what you're saying.

It's easy to scream "Racism!!!" and then leave it at that. It requires no more effort on the part of the finger-pointer and gives them an easy out from attempting to understand the behavior and place it in context. You can't solve a problem if you don't understand where it comes from.

Calling for an attempt to understand the behavior is not the same as condoning it, no matter what some other folks may want to say.

[Dover]

128. Thank you for hearing me and getting my point.

It's just as easy to call someone a racist as to use the 'n' word. Labels are tools to avoid understanding, not to clarify.

[Dover]

129. Thank you for hearing me and getting my point.

It's just as easy to call someone a racist as to use the 'n' word. Labels are tools to avoid understanding, not to clarify. Being human is messy work.

[alcibiades_mystery]

131. But the point is, we can UNDERSTAND it as racism

Why does it have to be understood as something else? Can't it be understood as an effect of systematic racism that has infected the psyche of a society? The suspect move is not, as you try to frame it here, trying to "understand" the problem. The suspect move is the seemingly ubiquitous desire to "understand" such problems as ANYTHING BUT race...

dear God, let it be something else! Let it not be the same racism which we pretend that we've expurgated from our society, still operating such that many schools are 98% black and Hispanic - and these are the poorest schools of all as a result of structural policy decisions, please dear God don't let it be that same ole nasty racism that has swelled the prison population, still almostly laughably disproprtionately black and Hispanic, please dear God let us all watch Martin Luther King ceremonies and speak of the DREAM, and let it already have come true, amen...PLease, dear God not THAT racism again!

One way to frame that desire, that sickening social desire held primarily by whites (but it ain't about race, right?), is to ignore it all, ignore race, ignore those schools, ignore structural poverty, ignore the criminalization of black youth, ignore ignore. Oh, but we're more enlightened here, on DU, with the fucking liberals and Democrats, the fucking racist monbsters of the New Left who explained that...you see...it's all about class (and then wondered why the black movements told them to fuck off, well and truly, and radicalized). I have no doubt that it's about class, and gender, and sexuality. Yes. BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT FUCKING RACE. And the liberal bullshit whereby any event is about anything other than race...even a guy yelling nigger nigger nigger on a fucking public stage (that's about class, too, I suppose, or can be "understood" as some psychological determination having to do with personal anger, or some other such FUCKING NONSENSE)...please, dear GOD, anything OTHER than RACE!

The problem is not refusing to understand the deeper implications. The problem is refusing to acknowledge the fucking obvious connection of the white imaginary and structural fucking racism.

[Dover]

141. And Cancer IS just cancer. Not musclular dystrophy, not the flu.

But if we try to understand this disease, we see that it involves the entire body and individual mutations of cells, etc. The label "cancer" doesn't clarify anything, it's the attempts to understand it that does. Cancer is the manifestation, not the cause.

By exploring "cancer" we begin to see it's parts.
Why bother to understand it? So we can find a way to make the body whole and functioning again.
And like racism, cancer is an equal opportunity disease that can take root in anyone.
Cancer doesn't just exist in a vacuum, unrelated to cause. Nor does racism.

It's not a question of either or. Racism IS racism. AND it is symptomatic of a breakdown of the system...the human body...due to a number of reasons. How can we treat it without understanding these reasons?

Why do you feel this understanding distorts or distracts from the issue?

[alcibiades_mystery]

143. I don't think understanding detracts from anything

And I'm not sure why you and your friends continue to represent other positions in this way.

I'm all for understanding racism. The problem is in suggesting that events that are obviously about race are IN FACT about something else. If we start from that premise, then we're not "understanding" racism at all: we are evading understanding it. The problem lies in taking a surface effect that clearly has to do with the ways race circulates - both practically and conceptually - in our soiety and then saying...ahem, if we uncover this phenomenon, it is not about race at all, but about anger (located in the individual, no doubt). That's a load of bullshit. One could just as easily say that anger is an effect of systematic racism, and be done with it. Of course these things are multicausal. Of course of course of course. You haven't discovered anything. Any fool knows even that. The exceedingly strange phenomenon of these so-called explanations, however, is that they ALWAYS go to some other explanation: something OTHER than race (dear God). That's an ideology effect in its own right. If you saw Klansmen burning a cross, you'd likely say that it has more to do with religion than race (anything other than race!!!), at least given your comments here. This is a defective mode of analysis; in fact, you seem to be using analysis as a shield to prevent you from confronting the real problem of systematic racism (even systematic racism is an effect of something else, we'll no doubt learn through your "analysis").

[blondeatlast]

92. Sorry. not buying. No one would make a reference to freaking LYNCHING

like that, particularly a white person, unless it played a significant role in their subconscious.

I'm lily-white, blonde, blue-eyed and raised by a very enlightened Southern belle and no matter how hard-pressed I was, I could never allude to a lynching, ever.

[alcibiades_mystery]

99. Oh My FUCKING GOD

Now, even when someone outright starts shouting "NIGGER" in public, and describing the good old days of sexual humiliation and lynching of black people in nostalgic euphoria, even THAT is now "not about race."

I think the whole "it's not really about race" thing has officially jumped the motherfuckin' shark, with your post. Congrats.

I'm starting to think just the opposite. The more people scream "not about race," the more I think that most shit - MOST issues in our society - ARE, in fact, about race. The anxiety-ridden reflex that can even say THIS INCIDENT is "not about race" is more telling than any explanation to that effect.

When we can say even THIS is "not about race" - a man who encounters some difficulties and begins ranting nigger nigger nigger nigger - if even THIS is "not about race," if even THIS is "playing the race card," then what possibly COULD be about race? What could possibly qualify?

[boolean]

107. Seriously

It's not like he said it once and then made a crack about it. They guy went OFF, shouting "NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER" a few dozen times. Then he went on about interrupting the "White man". Let's not kid ourselves here! He's a closet racist and the outburst just exposed it. I've seen comedians who are obviously not racists use the word for comedic purposes, but this was a genuine outburst.

[alcibiades_mystery]

116. Well, I don't think people "are" racists, but I think racism works through people

This incident is clearly about race. It demonstrates something fundamental about the way race operates in our society, and in our thought. That's clear enough. However, I don't think this has to do with what people ARE. Racism is a structural phenomena that works through people.

[butterfly77]

132. Why wasn't it ...

he showed that he thinks that he is superior to blacks. He thinks blacks shouldn't have a voice he seems to want things to go back to the 1950's so that he can stick a fork up the black's ass...

[ClusterFreak]

15. I'm more impressed with Jerry...

He could have so easily washed his hands of Richards, but instead he stood by him. I guess only Michael knows what was going on on stage last week, everyone has their opinions. I think, like you, that he may have been on something or at least snapped and his closet racism came out in the worst possible way.

[Dover]

19. ...well he DOES need to sell those Seinfeld show serials and videos.

But I'm guessing he would have stood by him regardless.

What is going on with all these outbursts and insanity? This week alone...the OJ thing, now this. A month ago it was Mel Gibson....sheesh!

[ClusterFreak]

24. Hopefully we'll be spared any more of this crap for a little while anyway.

But I'm sure there's another celeb a-hole out there just waiting in the wings.

[bloom]

120. I think Seinfeld was saving his own reputation nt.

Avoiding guilt by association or whatever.

[drbtg1]

126. As well as saving the DVD box set which is out today.

Seinfeld Season 7 DVD set, just in time for the holidays.

Jerry was doing damage control.

[Catherine Vincent]

17. It was a weird apology. But an apology nonetheless.

And I don't know how Katrina and Iraq got into this. Poor Seinfeld.

[Judi Lynn]

Maybe he got a little more apologetic after someone pointed out to him

that everyone in the country who knew his name was probably going to find out about this, as well as many who had never even watched the show, who would be recognizing him on the street after seeing his image on the news.

Someone may have informed him he's going to have a lot of rightfully angry eyes looking at him. That might be hard for someone who craves approval.

[Judi Lynn]

76. Sorry, double post. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

93. But you really have to wonder

If he had made hate-filled anti-semetic remarks, would Jerry have been sitting there?
Is it okay to excuse these only because they weren't directed at him?

[Lex]

18. Excruciating to watch

is right.

That guy needs some serious help, imho.

[wanpete]

20. I do believe the origination of his vile, lower than low comments are not about

race, but about some rage that exists within him that is deep and scary. But with that being said, his comments were disgusting, despicable, vile, and about as ugly and ugly can get. To say that "50 years ago, we'd have you hanging upside down with a fork in your ass" is hatred, pure and simple.

You are a comedian. You should expect hecklers. You don't combat hecklers by calling them the n word. If you are a truly talented comedian, you joke your way out of them. I guess that's the real problem. He must not be too talented.

[Dover]

25. KKKramer.........

....just heard the late night comedian that's on after Dave say that. (what's his name?)

[Nicole]

40. Craig Ferguson n/t

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

29. Can someone explain the "fork in your ass" thing?

If he had said "rope around your neck" or "hanging from a tree" I'd get it but what does the fork thing refer to? I thought he was just babbling at that point.

[Lex]

34. I have no idea. It was truly disgusting though..

Dude is way messed up.

[Catherine Vincent]

114. I saw a movie where a slave was killed that way.

The movie was "Mandingo". First he was boiled and then he stuck a fork or stake in him. I'm guessing that's where he got it from.

[xultar]

124. Which is fucking sick on MR's part.

[951-Riverside]

36. When white person calls a black person a nigger its not about race

...Thanks for opening my eyes wanpete. I learned something new today.

[mcctatas]

22. As usual the freeps focus on the truly important aspects....

To: Bonaparte
Kramer is a 33rd Degree MASON????? I thought he was Jewish!



47 posted on 11/20/2006 5:06:40 PM PST by Suzy Quzy
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies >


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Suzy Quzy
I think he only plays one on TV.



52 posted on 11/20/2006 6:09:04 PM PST by Bonaparte
< Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies >

[Lex]

28. They are pathetic over there.

nt

[Dover]

32. Yeah, lets just keep the ridicule coming. Everyone gets to be called

ugly names in this 'democracy' right?

Equal opportunity rage. See how easy it is?

[Lex]

38. What? Are you offended by use of the word "freeps?"

LOL.

[Dover]

41. Just seemed ironic, particularly in this thread.

[mcctatas]

48. WOW...

thank god I didn't say freeptards!!! Lest you think me a raci...no, freeps aren't a race.....ummmm bloggist? I will henceforth refer to them as "registered posters on the website free republic" :wow: :yoiks:

[Ms. Clio]

54. My personal favorite is FReeks

But yeah, calling someone a "freep" is like saying "DUer," so I don't know what's up with that. They call themselves "freeps," don't they? Brag about "freeping" polls and so forth?

[Dover]

69. It's not the word. It's the intent and disparaging remarks about

others. But I feel pretty certain you understand what I'm saying. I just see the seeds of it everywhere. And I'm not excluding myself, and I'm not pleased with myself when I give into it.

[Ms. Clio]

118. yeah, I do get what you're saying

and I have regretted my posts here, on occasion. But I just don't waste much empathy on the freeps.

[AZBlue]

37. He seemed truly upset.

I'm not excusing his comments. There's NO excuse for what he said and did. He was obviously struggling onstage and bombing and he took his anger out on the wrong people. Again, that's not ok. But, I for one have a different opinion of him now, after seeing this apology, than I did earlier today.

[951-Riverside]

44. Well yeah after the video was posted ONLINE

...but you should have seen him during his 2nd appearance, he acted like nothing happened and made no mention of the incident. What a coward.

[AZBlue]

49. You mean his appearance at the club?

I want to know why they let him back again anyway. They claim that they thought he was going to apologize - if that was my club, I would have stopped him before he went onstage and told him if his first words weren't "I'm sorry" then there was no need to go onstage that night.

[951-Riverside]

51. Yes.

Before the video came out I believe they honestly thought they could sweep the whole thing under the rug and get away with it thats why they did not pressure him to make an apology which was a HUGE mistake for him and them.

If he owned up to it from the beginning it would have really softened the blows.

[shanti]

59. (offtopic)

azblue, i like your posts, but that avatar is annoying and has to go! it gives me a headache!

[jgraz]

63. seconded n/t

[AZBlue]

140. My apologies.

I changed it.

(I was probably worked up and agitated myself the day I uploaded it....now I just wish I was at the beach...)

[shanti]

144. thank you

for not taking it personally :hi:

[aaronbees]

42. Very difficult to watch (Youtube link up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWSksd0wlzM

[951-Riverside]

46. Awww look at the racist stew in it n/t

[aaronbees]

53. As painful as it is to see, I sure don't feel sorry for him

Not in the least. It's a strange appearance; he really does look lost and befuddled. I don't think he understands what he did. Racism's ugly all the way around; this whole episode drills that home in a vile way.

[murielm99]

66. That was painful.

But what the hell? He is acting like he is a victim of something, that something bewildering happened to HIM.

We are all responsible for our tempers. Saying, "I just snapped" does not work!

[blondeatlast]

94. It's painful for a reason, IMHO. He needs to reflect. nt

[American liberal]

52. Thanks for posting that... still doesn't change my opinion

He clearly has a lot of "personal work" to do. Good luck, Kramer. And don't forget to personally apologize to "those people" who left the club, totally insulted by your incredibly inappropriate comments. The pendulum is still swinging the wrong way...

[aaronbees]

55. Same here

And it makes me realize how in some respects we've progressed very little in 50 years. :(

[The Stranger]

56. I really like Jerry Seinfeld and seeing him trying to come to Richards' defense

is just disappointing. I guess he is a good friend, but Jerry . . . Jerry . . .

[jgraz]

65. This whole thing is sad

Racist or not, it's incredibly disturbing to watch this guy come unglued in public. I gotta think even if he's a closet cross-burner, he should be smart enough to avoid that kind of ourburst in a public forum. Something else was going on that night. (Not excusing it at all, it just makes it all the more unsettling -- kind of like watching someone throw up in front of you)

I'm also pretty impressed with the audience in the video. There were a lot of black people in that audience and nobody went after him, even though I'd be surprised if many of them had ever heard something that virulent before. If someone had gone after my ethnicity with that kind of viciousness, I'm not sure how I'd react.

[951-Riverside]

68. Re: Racist or not

;)

No no no its clearly not racist. BTW I just want to point out that these nice people are simply hailing a cab.





...okay they were CLEARLY provoked.

[jgraz]

109. Stick up your ass or not...

you need to take a chill pill and familiarize yourself with figures of speech. The phrase doesn't dismiss the fact that he is racist, it just says that, for me, the most disturbing part was wathching this guy go to pieces so completely.

[spoony]

77. Anyone else wondering about mental illness?

Because I agree with you, it's bizarre to see even a flaming racist stand alone and go off like that. Racists are generally craven cowards, so they only do that in private or with a thousand police around them protecting their "assemblies." I really wonder if something is amiss upstairs with Richards.

[Cleita]

125. Probably drinking or on drugs. It lets the guard down.

The same with Mel Gibson who had a snootful.

[Alexander]

71. His body language and what he says suggests his "apology" isn't sincere.

I don't think either Mel Gibson or Michael Richards were sincerely apologizing. Gibson hates Jews, Richards hates black people. Because their bigotry is now out in the open, I have no more interest in either individual.

Then again, after Passion of the Christ and Richards' floundering career, I didn't have a great deal of interest in either of them anyway.

Jerry Seinfeld could've said to Letterman "I've known Michael for years, long enough to know he's not really a racist." I've found friends defending friends from allegations of racism often will say that. But he didn't. That, to me, is telling.

I feel worse for Jerry than I do for Michael. And Dave's question was spot-on, if the heckler was a white guy it wouldn't have happened.

Both the comedy club video and this one are really hard to watch.

[Jakey]

73. A different perspective?

Look, I can't see into this guys soul, but I think what we're seeing here is not so much blatant racism but more a manifestation of Richard's inadequacy for the stand-up milieu.

I'm unfamiliar with his "act", but it appears that he may be trying to work pretty loosely and off-the-cuff...trying desperately to showcase his "natural" comedic prowess...which, unfortunately for him, is probably not substantial.

He was under pressure and reached for some "shock" material with some punch he thought he could handle...and was unable to deliver the comedic coup de grace which would make things right again.

You can almost hear his desperation to bail himself out as he mouths one inanity after another HOPING that the salvation punchline will magically appear. It is pitiful to watch.

[Fuzz]

78. I almost agree with you there

because he said something like "see, there are those words, those words, those words" like he was looking for something profound to say to wrap it up, or make a point, but couldn't do it.

Not sure if he was just trying to save his ass at that point after a huge breakdown, or just failing after a very bad improv.

I'm leaning to the former, not that my opinion matters.

[skipos]

103. I see it as a meltdown.

He wasn't trying to be Dave Chappelle or Lenny Bruce or Andy Kaufman... he was just an furious racist with a microphone.

[B Calm]

79. I find a lot of black comedians racist comments in their comedy acts

not funny. You won't see me running to comedy clubs to heckle them during their act.

[skipos]

105. Did you watch the video? It wasn't a "comedy act."

He was pissed of at some black person, so he called him a "nigger." He wasn't trying to provide social commentary or be funny.

[Nickster]

80. That was really painful to watch. The audience was really weird to laugh

like that. Yikes.

[Lex]

110. It was a laugh of uncomfortableness and confusion.

The whole thing came off badly and put the audience in an uncomfortable position.

[Nick Fallon]

81. Michael Richards is the LUCKIEST comedian in the world.

It surprises me that the audience members at the Laugh Factory (which is a great club) didn't jump the stage and basically kill Richards. It shocks and saddens me IMHO. There are too many cowards in the world.

[seabeyond]

87. cause killing richard is the answer. if a person choses not to "kill"

another over words,... after all, they are cowards.

pretty scary thinking

[Nick Fallon]

91. If it happened in New York, it would've been a bloodbath on stage.

Sorry about that though. I don't take racism likely at all.

[seabeyond]

104. like i do? i dont take murder lightly either. can not take either lightly

[Nick Fallon]

106. People here said the same thing concerning Mel Gibson

Why should this be any different. And I take back the word kill, and replacing it with beat the shit out of.

[seabeyond]

108. this made me sick. i take it seriously. probably the biggest

issue i have in life, for a lifetime, arguing and fighting bigotry and not just blacks. it is all bullshit... and hate. i dont take it lightly

[mucifer]

85. People should stop referring to richards as "kramer"

kramer was a character created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. They didn't write those hateful words that came out of richard's mouth.

[Bridget Burke]

96. That's part of his problem, isn't it?

I'm sure he was billed as "Michael Richards--The Seinfeld Show's 'Kramer'." As Michael Richards, he hadn't made a name for himself.

Now he has.

[matcom]

86. Jerry is concerned about future DVD sales

:eyes:

[billbuckhead]

88. Richards can now be on Faux's version of the Daily Show

Along with Dennis Miller

[blondeatlast]

97. That's what I was thinking. I noticed the strain in Seinfeld's voice, too.

He was forcing something out of his mouth that his subconscious didn't believe, IMHO.

[matcom]

101. Jerry had to invite him on? I don't think so.

Kramer could have been on every late night show by himself. Had he called Letterman to say he wanted to come on and apologize, Letterman would have BUMPED Jerry to have him on.

Publicity.Stunt.

[blondeatlast]

135. Yup. nt

[DemonFighterLives]

89. The Audience laughed when Richards looked befuddled

like he was going to do the Kramer act. I think he appeared confused and is having some sort of mental problem. His remarks were totally out of control and racist. As he said is his attempt at apology, he was lashing out at the entire audience and not just the black guys who were heckling him. The "apology" was a little lacking and Seinfeld helped pull it off a bit.
A person who could say all of that and then be in disbelief after the fact has got a problem.
:shrug:

[Nickster]

111. I felt the same. It seemed like he was thinking about doing the "Kramer" act and was

kind of in between, so the audience thought he was answering as Kramer and laughed at him. He really didn't seem like he was all there. Kind of sad really. I wonder if he is having any personal issues that aren't public knowledge.

[Saphire]

102. wow......just wow.

[Name removed]

115. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lex]

117. Nice strawman!

:eyes:

[Ms. Clio]

119. this has really hit a nerve with you, hasn't it?

First you accused people of not watching the video. Now those who did watch it are "purists" because the comments were racist and offensive.

Did you storm off in a snit when Mel Gibson made a racist ass of himself, too?

Don't let the door hit ya.

[Bridget Burke]

123. Hey, I've gotten pissed & shouted.

Generally, however, I'm quiet when I'm pissed. And I shout when I'm sober. However, I've NEVER used the N word. My grandma raised me right.

The guy formerly known as Kramer went 'way overboard--he's very far from being merely "imperfect." I do pity him, since he's obviously a loser now.

I'll gladly excuse you. Especially if you voted for (urp) Nader.

[WilliamPitt]

127. I think someone needs a nap

[WI_DEM]

121. and it's not even like he needs to work: the last season of Seinfeld

all the supporting cast was making $1 million per episode, so unless he throws all his money away he should be set for life.

[Xenotime]

122. Richards was a one hit wonder. Who cares what he thinks.

[Orangeone]

134. What's interesting to me

Is that 50 years ago HE wouldn't have been considered "white."

[kerry-is-my-prez]

136. They took the clip down - CBS apparently told them to.

n/t

[high density]

137. I have to agree with those that think it's a publicity stunt.

The media always loves crazy crap like this.

[MilesColtrane]

139. Animals seem to know things about people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_k3KnLbq5o

[6000eliot]

145. I hate to sound cynical,

but the whole thing seemed to me to be an attempt to salvage the video sales for the Seinfeld DVDs that are coming out.