I don't know how many of you heard Micheal Richards racist outburst at the Laugh Factory in Las Vegas, but it was inexcusable. If you haven't heard it, look it up because it's way too bad to repeat. His career is over. And to think, I used to be a fan of his back when he played Cramer on Seinfeld, one of the best sitcom characters of all time in my opinion. However, can anyone see how this is that much different from some of the material that Chris Rock uses in a few of his routines. Okay, this was out of rage on Richards part, and it is something that should be controlles, but is it worse to plan a racist act like Chris Rock for laughs? What do you say?

I've heard numerous news reports about this outburst and have heard parts of his tirade. When I first heard about it, my first thought was of Chris Rock and his routines and thinking that he gets away with saying some pretty racist things. But then I heard Michael Richards act. There is a BIG difference between the two in my opinion. Chris Rock may put down the "white man" in the name of comedy, but he also, almost as much, puts down his race as well (African-American). Richards, on the other hand, screamed out "He's a n---r" over and over at these people, which was NOT in the least bit funny. As for Richards career being over? Who knows. The public are a fickle bunch. You know what they say in show business: any kind of publicity is good publicity. I for one, never liked the show Seinfeld, and I certainly didn't think Richards was funny. I thought he was more annoying than anything. But people that go to his comedy act to see Kramer seem to forget that that was just a character he played; maybe the real Michael Richards just surfaced.

edited for spelling and to add that I'm not a fan of Rock's either.

I just saw it about an hour ago and I'm still shocked. I had planned on avoiding it altogether, but I was asked my opinion by someone and I had to see it to form one. I don't think I'll be viewing it again.

I think that racism is horrible no matter what the reason. I'm no fan of Chris Rock because of his racist stand-up act, I simply don't find it funny. The things Richards said were just beyond anything even bordering on rational. I don't even get where he thought those comments were acceptable. His appearance on Letterman seemed more like a justification in parts. He said something about people not seeing the whole thing, well I'm sorry, nothing that happened prior to his outburst could justify what he said. If Chris Rock got the same reception when he started his racist bits, maybe he'd think twice.

I am proud to say I never watched a episode of Seinfeld but I knew who some of the cast were.
I saw Micheal Richards rant and I was appalled.For him to say those things he had to have at sometime in his life talked that way before as it seemed to come out of his mouth pretty naturally.
If he can't take the heckling then he isn't in the right profession.
I saw his lame apology and I think his career is going to suffer if not end.
As for Chris Rock I have never found him funny.
I prefer comics that don't have to use profanity or racist remarks to get laughs.
I miss people like George and Gracie and Jack Benny,Bob Hope
Tim Allen etc.
PF

The comedian Sinbad was in the audience at the time and he made some comments about it on the news. He said that Richards did the "punked" way of apologizing by appearing on Letterman via satellite. He said if Richards wants to apologize the right way, let him go back to the same club on a Sunday night when the club is packed with nothing but African-Americans. Then he can stand up in front of all of them, and apologize.

I think Sinbad spoke well about it.
Fellow comics were clearly shocked that he'd crossed the line as there was no punchline. This was not your everyday garden variety of N word, but in conjunction with the most horrible image of lynching imaginable.
And what is even more horrible is that I am sure there are many people who think he has the right to say it because people shouldn't get so upset about this and yadayadayada as Seinfeld would say!
I'm saying that his rage when confronted with his own lack of success because he isn't a standup comic really and built his reputation on sketches more than standup, is frightening because many people do assume that this is ok because Blacks can use the n word and whites cannot.

This was not a benign use of it, nor for comedic purposes, this was wounded dog behavior on his part.

Now, I have to say that I've always enjoyed his physical comedy because he resembles lots of characters you meet growing up. I did like his character on Seinfeld and found it funny.
Now I'll never shake the image of him screaming out such horrible things.

Seinfeld himself is mortified because, if you know his standup work, he never uses vulgarity or cussing in his standup and yet is accomplished as a comedian. I'm not sure how he would have dealt with a heckler, but I cannot imagine him blowing it that way. The venue like that is probably at fault too, because in a larger audience, you probably can't focus on the heckler.
Seinfeld was clearly upset, and not just because this reflects on his shows.

Chris Rock, well, you may say that he tackles race issues head on and speaks from experience in both worlds because he was schooled in a predominantly white school and probably has some things to say from both sides. Chris Rock does not hesitate criticizing the class issues amongst African Americans and because he is African American, he draws on his experiences. He comes under fire from African Americans too.
Does he overgeneralize? Sure, but that's comedy.
But, many people brandish his example as saying things that no one else would get away with.
Because he actually speaks out about the negative images amongst African Americans and attitudes amongst some factions that are anti education etc, he draws fire.
Could he do it if he were white? Probably not!
I recently had some classes in multicultural education, and, well, you'd be surprised at ideas and how they change when confronted with how it really feels to be a person of color in America. It's hard because when you aren't, you will try to assimilate the fact that, if you get stopped by the police, your chances of being taken in are less if you're white than if you're not.
THat's an everyday reality, not a joke.

This isn't a Sunday school class either where you have to give the teacher respect, a comic in a club like that has to earn the respect, not walk in and assume that because he's a big time comedy show actor, everyone should shut up.


The ultimate thing was when the one person left saying that he was no one, and hadn't done anything since Seinfeld...I'm afraid this is going to be true now, and there's no one to blame but himself.

I don't think he's going to get out of this like Mel though. This is too deep.

Bill Cosby criticized the younger generation for speaking badly and not cleaning up their act and was criticized himself. He spoke his mind. Now, he's done a lot for people over the years and he himself never used cuss words in his acts when he was a standup comic, but now, as a public speaker seriously saying that the way the youth spoke on albums etc, was hurting people and not helping them get ahead in life, well, people flew into a frenzy.

Do I think this was an exaggeration? No, I saw the film and it's horrible...no way out for Kramer, what a way to spend his midlife crisis.

Yikes! That was a ghastly "show", wasn't it? I've never been a fan of Richards either but had I been I sure would be rethinking that position at the moment - honestly, I can almost see a comedic slip of the tongue and letting a word slip out in such a situation (a comedy club isn't exactly rich in moral/ethical regulations) but 6+ minutes of that sort of rant is not even partly ignorable. Clearly, had that heckler been anything else but black, too, the slurs would have been far less "directed" and genuine to the ear. That wasn't funny or reminiscent of an old routine in his head or anything that might make it partly excusable to anybody. That was crystalline hatred, served with a rather staggering enthusiasm. Good thing Michael Richards really didn't have much of a career left to lose to begin with because he sure has put what was remaining of it in the danger zone. That appearance on Letterman was absurd, I thought. One doesn't make a 'serious' public apology on Dave's show (unless, of course, one's old credible buddy Seinfeld happens to be on the same show to be a supportive spokesperson). It was a pretty empty gesture and the audience reacted accordingly.
Apparently Richards was invited back to the club the following night to try to make amends/atone to what I'm sure would have been a packed house. He declined and was quickly banned from the place upon doing so. Ultimately the only difference I see between his and Gibson's outrageous behavior (aside from that Gibson is much more influential on the global entertainment scene) is the abscence of alcohol ~ but I don't think that is a relevant difference at all. Hatred is hatred, no matter what you use as a mixer when you air it in public. Shame on you, Kramer! Even goofy old Cosmo wouldn't have pulled such a major gaffe!

Is it just me or does Richards appear to try an spin his rant at one point? He keeps saying something like "there are still those words" like he's trying to recover by making a point about use of "those words." It doesn't excuse anything, I'm just wondering if anybody else noticed it.

On a less serious note, I keep seeing his character in "So I Married an Axe Murderer" saying "Stop what you're doing and look at the insensitive man." Life imitating art there Mr. Richards?

Does anyone think that he was trying to blow over the incident by going on with the hoorible rampage, to make it blend in with the act? I sure do. And also, on the Letterman apology, I think he probably should have chosen a different venue for this, as obviously the laughing shows no one took him seriously.

I saw Richards on a news show saying that he wasn't a racist despite having lost his temper and spewing that WORD at the hecklers. Not a racist? I know people who say that about themselves, too, and then start talking about their great black friends. People lose their cool all the time without resorting to using derogatory race names. Only racists use race to put someone else down or to make a point about their non-racism.

Live brain explosions are never funny . . . I vaguely recall the somewhat 'ignorant' Mr Richards coming to Australia in the last decade at some point and I don't think he made himself too popular down here (not that he was 'huge' in the first place, except I suppose to fans of Seinfeld . . . which, like several here, I NEVER watched).

There is NO excuse for any form of racism . . . no matter what . . . and what appeared to be a less than sincere effort at apologising in no way erases the damage the silly man has done . . . hopefully we won't have to put up with his ilk in the future and anyone who would even consider 'booking' Mr Richards for 'entertainment' may be seriously reconsidering THAT thought!

We'll see if any African Americans come out and say he's their best buddy.

Does anyone know what the subject of his routine was when things went pear shaped? Sinbad mentioned him saying that he was rich and that that wasn't a good place to go.

I was thinking about what if another white comic had been in his place...like Robin Williams who has had lots of substance abuse problems and talks about that openly.
I cannot imagine him letting a heckler get him into that sort of tirade. He's such an accomplished actor, standup comic and personality though that, something might come out, but maybe not race. Richards on the other hand is resting on his supposed 'laurels'. Like, I'm a big shot and you can't disrespect me.

If a person has made his way up via standup comedy and clubs, like his friend Seinfeld, he or she is used to the atmosphere in a club. People are drunk, obnoxious and exacting of a comic. So if you didn't cut your teeth in the business, you're going to blow it.

I'm not fond of watching people melt down in general, but this was really scary because something he said was scary to me...that it was rage that made him do it..
I say it's both, he has deep seated racist thoughts in him to spew out this hatred, but rage sparked it.

What is scary is that some are treating this incident like the politically correct patrol is overdoing their protests...nope, sorry I don't buy that.

Could be Richards' rage stems from the fact that he wasn't funny and he knew it, and that he hasn't had a TV show since Seinfeld just like the heckler was telling him. I think the heckler hit a sore spot.

That is what I think. More skeptical people than I are saying that it's a publicity stunt. I don't think that's possible unless you're deranged. There's publicity and publicity.

Just think of all those Seinfeld DVDs on sale for the holidays! Jerry must be freaking out too. Do I sound cynical enough?

Richards has stated," I'm not a racist." I'm sorry but if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then in all probability it is a duck.

First off, there is not a defense of anything this man said. That being said, i am ok with him saying he is not a racist because it may be true that he is not. True, the comments he made during that rant are some of the most racist offensive remarks you will ever hear in public, but people, especially during a rage, dont always mean everything they say. I think if many of you are honest with yourself you will recall situations where you have been pushed to your breaking point and then have thought of the most hateful, derogatory remarks you can imagine in order to "cut to the bone" and push that person to their breaking point. I know i have made comments about people i know and dont know that have attacked them in ways that made me sick after the fact. Its not right or an excuse, but i think it is reality that you know what things can be said to bring someone to their lowest point even if you dont agree with what is being said. I am in an inter-racial relationship and my nickname from my friends is UN because of my diverse group of close friends. I was sickened by what Richards said, and i dont know that he is not a racist. I do know that even with my wife being of another race, my children being of a mixed race and my friends being of a multitude of races, i too have attacked someone on the basis of race when i have been angry before. Maybe that then makes me racist, but i know my personal experiences and openness to people of every culture and background supports me in believeing that i am a non-racist person who has engaged in racist comments in times where i have lost my composure and humanity.


Remember that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

I dunno - I've been enraged, and I've been drunk. I've been an enraged drunk, even, though not lately. I most certainly have said things in a rage that I did not believe, anbd did not mean. However, they have always been extensions of things that I DID mean, and believe. That is, when someone did something untrustworthy, I may have, in a rage, accused him of being nothing but a liar, of deliberately stringing me along, of taking advantage of my good nature for his own nefarious gains, etc. The things I say in a rage have some relationship to the offense. They are exaggerations, they are out of line, but they are connected to my real thoughts and feelings.

I'll just take an unlikely example here. I am opposed to the war in Irag, I think the current administration cynically exploited the patriotic feelings of the people after 9-11 to go to war for oil and GWB's ego. If, by some amazing twist of fate, I were to come face to face with Condoleeza Rice, and to take leave of my senses and spew forth rage, I might call her a liar. I might even call her a murderer of young men. However, I would not use the "N word". Not because I am so wonderful, but because that's not what I'm mad at her about. The things I might say would equally outrageous, and would need to be apologized for, but they would have some relationship to my true feelings.

I don't believe you spew out racist, sexist, or any other 'ist' remarks if they aren't in there somewhere.

His tirade was inexcusible, his apology lame, and his lack of common sense deplorable. Here's to never seeing him or his act any time in the near future.

I can't over emphasize enough over how horrible this event was, quite frankly it is inexcusable. But I still beleive that this event should not tarnish the Seinfeld legacy. I know it's easy for people who have never seen the show to put it down as a racist show, but it really wasn't. Here in the States anyway, it'll go down as the top sitcom of all time. This certainly was a dark chapter in I'm sure the shows upcoming reunion thats probably scheduled in the not so distant future. And Richards should be excommunicated from the Seinfeld community, but am I the only fan of the show who is still a fan of the show?

This will sound odd but I was logging onto my e mail with Yahoo and I noticed the promo of the sets of DVDs for Christmas shopping, with the characters flashing individually. I couldn't see if they'd omitted Kramer's individual portrait, but I can imagine they must be quaking in their boots about loss of sales over this.

I think the reason people like me enjoyed that character was that he was like many weird neighbors we'd had in the past, or roommates, or people we knew in our neighborhoods.
It was like a museum of weird neighbors past for me.

The connection between Kramer and this incident seems clear to me. It's because he was resting on his laurels and it got him nowhere. He was used to being treated like a demi God and paid an enormous salary for being a buffoon. When the gravy train stopped he expected the admiration to continue.

I'm still frightened by the use of the word 'we' in that tirade. It's projected things into a 'us' and 'them' period of time and it's very horrible to contemplate.
Like 'WE' would have done xyz to 'you' for this 'crime'.
THat is what is frightening to many of us.
It's not the n word, it's that implication that because he is white, he belongs to a class of people who can inflict punishment on others without impunity.
Whether he meant it or not, it came out.