What's wrong w/ Kramer?

[So what]

TMZ.com has the video of Michael Richards who played Kramer on Seinfeld, going off on a racial rant after being heckled during a stand up routine.
Should this guy be allowed to do his routine again? His apology on Lettermam made me wonder even more if he's suffering form a mental illness, drug addiction/alcoholism or just a nut. What's your take on it?

[Mia]

My take on it is that we have these words in our head from others whether we believe them ourselves or not and sometimes they can come out in anger.

I know this from personal experience. I used my ex's nationality against him when I was in a rage and I do NOT hold any prejudice against it.

He's human, I say we move on.

[The Bacon Guy]

. . .

It was a joke.

Do you really think running around the stage yelling "HE'S A NIGGER, HE'S A NIGGER!" could be anything other than a joke? I can't believe anyone took it seriously.

Kramer is not a racist. (not that there's anything wrong with that)

[Mia]

It wasn't a joke - he tried to parlay it into one, but he went into a rage and said nasty things. He apologized last night on David Letterman.

[Osborn F Enready]

I think many things played into it, as has happened to me in the past provolking similar results.

Might have had a bad day, a really bad day.
Maybe he is as tired of everyone of the "nigger" and "nigga" double standard.
Maybe he was listening to the rude asshole talk all through the show, purposely disrupting his act.
Maybe, all of this really pissed him off and lost his cool saying things that he thought would piss the guy off or provoke him, simply to get back at him.

Maybe, that all happened in one day?

Does it make a difference?

Who are we to judge?

Hasn't justice been done? Wasn't he told he couldn't come back to THAT comedy club? Do you follow around the guy you get fired from the burger place from job to job trying to witch-hunt them as you do people who make UN politcally correct statements from time to time? (Mel Gibson)

Isn't it childish to be crying over names, when it takes stick or stones to really hurt us?

Isn't this about 7th grade level name calling?

Seems to make about as much sense as young black kids and white kids calling each other "nigga" to me. Insulting, abusive and childish.

[tinybear]

When you're in a rage, you say things subconciously that you wouldn't normally say because you suppress it. So inwardly, I think both Mel Gibson and Michael Richards are racists (not that there's anything wrong with it, of course).

[Jack]

Since when did not offending racists become PC?

He could have insulted them back using terms more appropriate to their behavior (any decent standup should have a bag full of heckler put-downs), but instead he chose to attack their race. Not too smart. Richard Pryor could make racist comments that were funny as well as profound. Obviously Richards doesn't have that talent.

Still, he's human, imperfect. I think it was a career error, but not something to make me totally disrespect him as a comedian.

[JohnMK]

Such intelligent commentary. I think you're on the right track, folks.

And now for the other kind: I was listening to NPR this evening and the commentator/specialist they brought on, a linguist, said his words were proof of his racism. This commentator is either a dolt or a liar. As you folks have already and quickly pointed out, when you want to convey the depth of your fury, one might choose the most blunt vocabular instrument available. Obviously, the term nigger has a very powerful and negative connotation. It is effective in conveying anger. It's also quite provocative, as he's finding out now . . . the unfortunate comeuppance of a millisecondary decision exacerbated by the instinctual desire to appear consistent and resolute in moments of public judgment, IMHO.

[Mia]

Quote by: tinybear When you're in a rage, you say things subconciously that you wouldn't normally say because you suppress it. So inwardly, I think both Mel Gibson and Michael Richards are racists (not that there's anything wrong with it, of course).

I don't agree - when a person is angry, they might pick what they perceive to be the worst thing they can say to the other and it doesn't mean that's ow they really feel.

It COULD be what you said, but not necessarily, as you stated.

[Mia]

Quote by: Isherwood Since when did not offending racists become PC?

I think people keep saying that because of the whole Seinfeld episode where they kept saying 'not that there's anything wrong with that'.

Not because they are worried about offending racists.

You didn't see that one?

:)

[tinybear]

Yeah, that was in reference to gays. :)

[Mia]

Yes, that was the show about some of them coming under suspicion of being gay (not that there is anything wrong with that).

;-)

[tinybear]

Nooo, of course not. Nothing wrong at all.

(They kept denying it all through that episode though )

[The Bacon Guy]

Quote by: Mia It wasn't a joke - he tried to parlay it into one, but he went into a rage and said nasty things. He apologized last night on David Letterman.

I would say it was the other way round. I really don't see how anyone could have taken his tirade as genuine rage. His treatment of the heckler was very similar to his style of comedy immediately before the incident. The racism fitted in with the style of the rest of his act (i.e unbridled rage).

With regards to his apology, I think it was simply the easiest thing to do. People got so outraged about his comments that it would have be easier to apologise rather than try to explain to a load of people who will already have him irrevocably marked as a racist.

[tinybear]

Gosh, Michael Richards is one helluva actor. He should get the Oscar for this act. Even fooled Jerry Seinfeld.

[kubedawg]

That was crazy as hell...

[gr8fuldaniel]

Has anyone seen what lead to the outburst?

I would like to hear that, if someone has a link.

I was watching Letterman when Seinfeld was his guest and they gave 5 minutes to Cosmo Kramer.

His apology was sincere.

I am still waiting for an apology from the White House for their racism. (Not holding my breath)

[RickSp]

I turned off CNN this morning. I wanted to hear the news and it was "All Kramer, All the Time!" What a waste of a broadcast.

[Scribbler1]

Actually, "racist" means a preference for your own race. I believ the word "bigot" is the proper term.

I would have been (as if I cared) happier if he had explained it as was posted earlier, that it was in keeping with the other comics and if the public didn't like it, too bad. It may have been offensive but if he had said it was just for shock value (and he DID say "it shocks you" after the tirade) he would have made out better in the long run. Carlin never apologized for anything HE said.


It's a non-issue, really. I'm just sitting here at work bored out of my mind. I'll post ANYTHING when I'm bored.

[Mia]

Well, because it wasn't part of his routine. It was a tirade against personal black people in his audience who were heckling him and with whom he lost his temper.

He tried to cover it and make it like it was part of the routine, but it wasn't.

I think it's unimportant. If a black comic lost his temper at white hecklers and said all sorts of racial things we wouldn't even be hearing about it.