L.A. Weekly update: Remorseful Michael Richards appears on Letterman with Seinfeld

[DeepModem Mom]

Nikke Finke's Deadline Daily:

UPDATE: I'm told arrangements were made by none other than Jerry Seinfeld himself for Michael Richards to go on Letterman by remote satellite feed tonight. "Kramer" made a major apology on Dave's Late Show which had Seinfeld scheduled as a guest already. Richard's appearance during Seinfeld's interview was treated as a surprise. Kramer made a complete mea culpa, and sources at the taping told me that both Letterman and Seinfeld seemed to accept what he was saying as genuine remorse. Mostly, Richards looked embarrassed. I'm told the Hollywood people around him jumped into action "to avoid a Mel Gibson delay" whereby that apology was not made in the same news cycle or complete enough....

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/the-truth-behind-kramers-meltdown-comedy-clubs-celebrate-hatred/

[babylonsister]

1. CNN just showed his apology; he did claim he was enraged, lost

his temper, and is not a racist. :shrug:

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Just saw that. Said Katie Couric showed excerpt on CBS Evening News. nt

[MuseRider]

5. I can't ever imagine

being that angry and I can get pretty angry.

[babylonsister]

11. Me neither. I think I would have left the stage first, and I'll bet he's

wishing he did. His career at that club is over, and I'm sure his reputation has suffered. Lesson learned, I guess.

[MuseRider]

22. A very hard lesson.

I also can't imagine that kind of national humiliation, if he is indeed humiliated. He may not be. I tend to think that if a person can say something like that in anger he must be at least somewhat inclined to believe that. I just don't know except I could never ever say anything like that about anyone. It really makes me sick and sad that someone could say those things but in reality they do, we just rarely hear about it unless they are famous.

[brettdale]

8. anyone have a link of Michael Richards saying sorry?

anyone have a link to Michael Richards saying sorry?

[The Count]

10. Good he apologized. Whether he's a racist - it's not his judgement anymore.

[AlCzervik]

2. "Enraged"? please, comics sometimes get heckled, it goes with the job.

If that enraged him i really haye to get in to a traffic altercation with him or be a waiter/waitress who he thinks didn't give good enough service.

[Canuckistanian]

21. Exactly, I judge a comic by HOW WELL they handle hecklers

And rule one is - never let them get to you.

[rep the dems]

4. This story really upset me.

I'm a big fan of Seinfeld and Richards's character. I couldn't have imagined him ever saying the sort of things that he did. It was absolutely awful to see him like that; it was like he was losing his mind, but not in the funny, strange way that I knew and loved.

[Connie_Corleone]

12. It upset me too. Kramer was my favorite character on there.

I'll never watch the reruns of that show again.

Richards can stick a fork in himself, because he is sooo done!

[Raiden]

18. Why would you stop watching a show for a reason like this?

Kramer is a character...Whether you dislike Michael Richards or not, Kramer is a separate entity. I would never stop watching Seinfeld for any reason.

Reality vs. Fiction

[Connie_Corleone]

24. Well, considering I'm black, why the hell would I sit and watch

an actor who said the most racist crap? Kramer is being played by a racist named Michael Richards.

That's reality. Fuck the fiction.

[hsher]

27. I'm black too, and I'm wondering...

Connie, have you noticed some of the most virulently racist, most bigoted white guys tend to be the ones with secret black girl lovers on the side, or the desire for one? John Rocker springs to mind, remember him? The Atlanta Braves leftie pitcher who said racist stuff in Sports Illustrated and did a Kramer? (Seems to be a rash of this going around now... and also PS, guess that'll be a popular new phrase now, "Doing a Kramer"... LOL) But John ended up dating a black woman after that. Big surprise here. When I met him he shook my hand and looked at me way too long, holding on to my hand way too long, looking me up and down like he could eat me like ice cream. I said to myself "uh huh". And George Wallace and many others fit this profile.

It's like the same repression that makes Republican gay-haters hate gays. It's like, oh come out, girlfriend. Stop hatin' and start playin', you know you want to!

Watch Michael Richards's longterm secret black girlfriend come out of the woodwork between now and 2010...

PS, I was startled by Kramer's "goin' Kramer" at that club. I didn't care for him whacking on those guys like that, because those could have been my brother and some cousins. BUT: I forgive the idiot and wish him the best with his career. If he plays Kramer again, I liked Seinfeld and his character. I'll watch him. Just like Rocker is still a good pitcher. I can separate the racist from the work. If we couldn't, as black people WE'D HAVE VERY FEW WHITE PEOPLE TO WATCH AND ENJOY THE WORK OF. And all would be Dems!!!!

[Raiden]

13. Agreed!

When I watched the video, I was in absolute shock; it was very all embarrassing to watch. I hope that he just thought he was being edgy and funny--he clearly was neither. It was very bizarre.

I hope, for his sake, that he is not a racist, that this was all just a HUGE mistake on his part. I love Seinfeld very much and I love the character of Kramer. It's good that he's trying to apologize quickly, because he said some horrendous things on stage. Let's just hope that his apology is sincere and heartfelt...

[jannyk]

19. errrr, Kramer is fictional character

you seem to have gotten them confused. Richards isn't really Kramer, he was just pretending - it's called acting.

Kramer was/is funny. The person that played Kramer seems to be a raving nutcase.

[rep the dems]

26. I'm well aware that Kramer is a fictional character.

I just meant that after Richards on the show so many times, it's hard to imagine him being the kind of person he appeared to be at the comedy club. I never would have imagined the same person who played that light hearted silly character could be a cold hearted racist.

[tridim]

6. When is Carlos Mencia going to apologize?

I take it he's the type the article describes. I never thought he was the least bit funny.

[Raiden]

15. Yeah, as for Carlos Mencia--I don't think he's funny at all

Though I don't think he's ever said anything as bad as what Michael Richards said...

[skipos]

23. Do you think "intent" has anything to do with it? I do.

Carlos Mencia: trying to be funny.
Lenny Bruce: trying to provide social commentary.
Kramer Whatshisname: trying to be insulting.

[Blue-Jay]

7. You know how to keep from being heckled? Be funny.

Can't wait to see this "apology".

[Lex]

9. No matter how enraged or pissed off I get, I don't sling the n-word

and I don't see his excuse as much of one.

There is just isn't an acceptable excuse.

Sorry.

[Little Wing]

14. Michael Richards doens't care about black people

[dogday]

16. I always tell my children count to 5 when you

get angry before you open your mouth... Gives you a chance to think about what you are going to say, and settle down... Bet Richards wished he had counted to 20....

[SoCalDem]

25. I always told my boys that you can never "take something back"

Once said, words can never be "un-said"..

People may forgive you for what you said, but they never forget that you said them..

[aquart]

17. Get him a brain scan.

If this is new behavior...and it seems to have surprised everybody, he needs to get his head looked at.

Now.

[TheCowsCameHome]

20. Great career builder, no? Idiot.