| Tuesday, November 21, 2006 |
| Washed up and Racist |
If you don't know by now, one of the big news stories (Besides Katie and Tom's wedding which will get its own post) is the racially fueled tirade by Michael Richards, otherwise known as 'Kramer' on Seinfeld. As one of the biggest Seinfeld fans you'll know, I have several different emotions about him personally and now the show.
Can I watch the show again and not think of his outburst? Can I laugh at Kramer's stupidity in the same way? Can I enjoy all my DVD's that I have paid money for and now don't even want to watch? I don't know. I'll not pull my words in this post as I give those the gist of what happened if you haven't heard.
Michael was doing a comedy bit at The Laugh Factory a pretty well known and hot spot for comedians in West Hollywood. Supposedly he wasn't all that funny in the first place and according to Richards' he was being heckled by some black members in the audience or, by other sources, they were just talking to each other and ignoring him thus interrupting his bit.
Michael blows his top and just goes on and on calling them "Niggers" repeatedly. He makes a reference that if this were 50 years ago they'd be hanging from a tree with a "fork up your ass" and so on. He tries to be funny and make a joke shouting and pointing "It's a Nigger, it's a Nigger!" over and over.
Most of the audience is visably confused, disgusted and upset and proceeds to walk out. The people he heckled gets up and shouts back "That was uncalled for!" which it was, and Richards' says "Well, that's what you get when you interrupted the man
or something like that.
I can not believe what happened and you can watch the video here and judge for yourself.
Personally, I feel that this hatred was deep inside and his apology on David Letterman was an apology of 'I'm sorry that my racist ways were caught on tape in a moment of uncontrolled anger. Damn."
I don't think you 'accidently' slip and call someone a Nigger unless you really feel that way and you really feel all the hate and digust that people felt when they (white people) used that word against black people.
As a black person I am appalled, but I also feel that his outburst was fuled by his his own racism and also the fact that he hasn't been seen doing anything successful outside of "Seinfeld" and he's back to doing standup and wasn't getting any respect doing that. He can no longer ride on his Kramer fame and he's washed up now.
Now, I am not condoning or defending what he did, none of that justifies what he said and it was uncalled for and to go on and on and to think that he would someone get a laugh out it was insane.
He took out his anger and frustration on some audience members and let loose how he really felt.
I have to actually get to work now, but I had to sneak a second for this post because I couldn't let the day go by without posting. I don't have the David Letterman appearance, in which Jerry Seinfeld was on the show, probably to promote the release of the Season 7 DVD's and asked Letterman if Richards could come on to apologize.
Now, will Jerry be pissed that Richard's probably hurt some DVD's sales? I know he's thinking that. I mean, the show may lose ratings now. All this fucked up.
Take care everyone. Any other info check out TMZ.com |
Gunngirl believed The Truth is still Out There at 9:52 AM  |
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| 3 commentst: |
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I think deep down he felt this away and his anger really brought his feelings out. I was appalled when I read about it then seen it on the news.
I agree the whole thing is fucked up!
I never will understand how people can be so racists.
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I hadn't heard about this incident until last night . . . because apparently I live in a cave.
Anyway, I believe that he meant what he said about Blacks, just like Mel Gibson meant what he said about Jews. I believe that what comes out when you're angry represents your true feelings.
I was listening to the radio this morning and one DJ was saying that it's probably a publicity stunt, that "there's no such thing as bad press." It may have been a stunt, but I'm not sure how it would help his career. I mean, he's alienated every Black person and I would hope that the majority of non-Blacks would stop supporting Richards as well.
I think I 'm done with Seinfeld which is a shame because it was a funny show.
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While I have mixed feelings about the use of the word nigger in pop culture, rappers use it all the time and claim it's their "right" to redirect the word, the overlooked part of Kramer's outburst was the violent pre-civil rights era imagary. I can't get to the video from my work computer, but he says something like, "40 years ago we would have had you up a tree with a rake/stick/something up your ass." The lynching imagary offends me much more that calling someone a nigger.
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I think deep down he felt this away and his anger really brought his feelings out. I was appalled when I read about it then seen it on the news.
I agree the whole thing is fucked up!
I never will understand how people can be so racists.