TMZ’s expletive-laden clip of Seinfeld alum Michael Richards’ weekend set at The Laugh Factory is, in a word, upsetting. (Click here to see it.) From what I can tell, there’s not really a "joke" (or a setup to a joke) anywhere in sight, just the comic best known as "Kramer" spouting the N-word and engaging in increasingly belligerent banter with his audience before finally walking off the stage. What’s depressing to me — beyond the obvious ick factor of watching a popular comic actor spewing racial epithets — is how, potentially, this ugly incident might pay off for Richards, an actor whose career has sagged mightily since his Seinfeld glory days. Think I’m crazy? Try this scenario on for size.
Richards performs his despicable routine, and of course, it’s videotaped. Footage gets quickly distributed throughout the blogosphere (hi, PopWatch!), and eventually winds up on six o’clock newscasts everywhere. Richards’ publicist releases a statement saying the actor’s remarks were taken out of context, or, as my colleague Dalton Ross is guessing, that said remarks were meant to "’challenge people to think about racial stereotypes’…or some crap like that." By the weekend, there’ll be the inevitable trip to rehab, for addiction to alcohol or painkillers or racial slurs. Next up, a "ripped from the headlines" episode of Law & Order (and maybe a flavor of CSI, too), followed — just in time for February sweeps — by the Conciliatory Interview Tour of Larry King, Diane Sawyer, Today, and (if she’ll have him), Oprah. Sure, there’ll be plenty of folks who won’t ever buy what Richards is selling, but if the goal is to be talked about, to get his name back in the limelight (and on the lips of even a handful of casting directors), won’t Richards end up further ahead, career wise, than he was last Friday morning?
I’m not sure what the solution is here, either. If you watch theclip of Richards’ set, it’s hard to avoid discussing it, to express toa friend or a colleague or a family member (or a blog message board)how upsetting it is to hear that kind of language coming from a publicfigure. It can’t just be ignored. But on the other hand, if buzz (good,bad, or repulsive) is the endgame, couldn’t we be on the cusp of a daywhen publicists plan hate-speech incidents or assaults on servicepeople as last-ditch attempts at salvaging careers? If Naomi Campbellslaps her assistant, and no one hears it, does she have to punch hertwice as hard the next time around?
Then again, maybe I’m overreacting. As my colleague Jeff Jensenpoints out, playing devil’s advocate, "we’re mulling coverage of anout-of-context piece of videophone film, which is certainly offensiveon its own, but is also posted on a celeb gossip site with a deeplyinvested interest in capturing famous people at their worst. It wasalso recorded at a comedy club, where ‘comedians’ say the darndestthings all the time, and often blur the lines between performance andreality. Do we have any idea of the full context of the routine, ifRichards uses audience plants, or if Richards is the kind of comedianwith a performance-art background and an interest in the power oflanguage and Borat-esque audience engagement and all that avant gardestuff? Because I want to say when I did a piece on his ill-fated sitcoma couple years ago, that came up. It could very well that the worst sinRichards has committed here is performing a comedy act that just didn’twork."
Interesting stuff to think about, PopWatchers. I leave it to you to continue the discussion.
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But more than likely, Slezak’s guess is closest to what will actually happen.
I thought this was interesting too since Mel Gibson appears to have been forgiven by the public for what he’s said.
This behavior doesn’t surprise me, ever since sex tapes became the new way to get attention, the bar has been lowered for how celebs get publicity.
Wow, ugly and sad to say the least. Clearly Richards went way off the deep end and showed a truly disgusting racist side of himself. I don’t see how you can explain your way out of this one. I am surprised he wasn’t attacked for this sickening display.
If this was an edgy comedy stunt and not an unfortunate public meltdown, how ironic that Richards employed a tactic similar to the one Andy Kaufman used on “Fridays” where Richards was a player. As I recall, he and Kaufman almost got into an unscripted fistfight in the middle of a sketch.
Say, isn’t there a Seinfeld DVD coming out tomorrow?
If this was an edgy comedy stunt and not an unfortunate public meltdown, how ironic that Richards employed a tactic similar to the one Andy Kaufman used on “Fridays” where Richards was a player. As I recall, he and Kaufman almost got into an unscripted fistfight in the middle of a sketch.
Say, isn’t there a Seinfeld DVD coming out tomorrow?
I first saw this on CNN this morning, and was shocked. Let me premise this by saying that I do not believe that in his heart Mr. Richards is a racist man. Most comedians work in diverse environments and Mr. Richards was on this tour with comedian Paul Rodriguez.
That said, the N word has gained an all new mysticism since the days when guys like Richard Pryor began to “take back” the word. Suddenly, what was once taboo was a term that was within some limits considered okay to be used within the African American community. And while African American style, music and language has continued to draw the interest of all of America, there’s one place that most folks aren’t allowed to go. Hence the mysticism and maybe even a desire to say the n word has suddenly rissen. On Chappelle’s show they make a joke about that in the Clayton Bigsby (the Black white supremacist) episode. The british guy says “by N word, I mean N*gger. There, I said it”.
Now, many years later, despite the increasing use of the word on tv (The Boondocks drops that word like it’s someone’s last name), intellectual discussion about the word and it’s origins on tv (on a very special episode of Boston Public), frequent use in music and public settings, it seems that no protocols have been established about who or when it is appropriate to use this word, if ever.
The concept of the word having a certain “mysticism” also stems from the Show “Black and White” where the African American dad noticed how “free” the white dad felt using the word once he had the “Black face” on.
Among the many difficult and frank discussions this country needs to have about race, IMHO this has to be one of the first issues taken off the board.
Finally, Richards would be best served by offering up a public apology. He should be honest about it, admit that it was an unintentional slip, and offer to take sensitivity training or to meet with leaders in the LA African American community to make amends.
I don’t see this as any PR plan. Just a guy who had a meltdown on stage, maybe thinking he was being funny or edgy. A very sad spectacle.
I saw the clip this morning and was horrified. The guy was talking about lynchings! What was even more horrifying was that there were some people clapping and cheering him on.
It may be a stunt to gather attention, but I doubt it. Nobody does that just for shock value.
It kinda makes me laugh because the one of the few black guys on Seinfeld was Kramer’s lawyer.
Stealing a line from Kanye West,Michael Richards don’t care about black people. Disturbing.
First up, I’m black and I didn’t really find that video offensive because I didn’t know whether he was drunk or doing a piece of performance art or had a death wish to yell the “N” word out in a crowd with black people in it. It sounded like he was trying to make a point of how certain words have an effect on people in society, which is true, but he could have also been high, in which case I can’t really value his potential commentary on popular culture. It could have also been a case of ‘I wanna say anything I want,’ which is this disease that people get from time to time when they forget that political correctness is based in respect and that’s why you can’t going around saying anything. It’s separate from racism, which could be the case also.
Lastly, doesn’t anyone think that Michael Richard’s isn’t a big enough star to warrant this kind of discussion? Although I said all that above, my first reaction was “and I should care about this, because?”
I kind of wish EW and CNN would exercise better judgement and NOT cover this. I may be hopelessly idealistic and naive, but unless we stop giving so much camera time to the extremist morons of this world, it’s hard to imagine how we’ll ever move forward.
well….that pretty much ruined Seinfeld for me
I think it’s such a double standard when people make a huge deal about a white person using the N word, but black people throw around everyday and that’s ok? That’s BS. That word is rooted in so much racial hatred that dates to one of the ugliest periods in American history.
I’m not black, but I feel insulted when anybody–no matter what their color is–uses it. It makes me think that America hasn’t really grown since the days of the Southern plantations, and I refuse to believe that.
As for Mr. Richards, I have no idea what prompted this little outburst. I doubt that a heart to heart with Diane Sawyer or Oprah can do much to save what’s left of his career. The main difference between him and Mel Gibson is that Mel is an artist with a large fan base (including me) who can look past his actions and focus solely on his work. I don’t think the same can be said for Kramer. (cue Debbie Downer music)
Career-killer? I thought that TV show he did about a quirky detective that lasted about a millisecond killed his career.
I just read “I Killed,” a book of anecdotes from comedians, and I gather that this sort of exchange between a comedian and hecklers is not uncommon and that much worse things have been done and said.
I think Junior said it best…this whole thing isn’t probably so much a racist reaction but a lack of respect. It is just not okay, in any situation, to call any one person something that single handedly invokes everything that is ugly about being human. Especially like this, because that was not a joke. And even when jesting, there is such a fine line between what’s funny and what’s not…I advocate a sense of humor wholeheartedly because it takes a much needed edge off of issues that sometimes get too serious even for themselves. But this…far from funny, just sad and disturbing.
Couldn’t have Richards just gone to THEIR workplace and heckled them THERE?
To kinglouieXVIII:
You know, if after you read about/watched “Kramer” spewing racial hatred, your first reaction is to go on a tirade about black people, then you’ve got major problems. I mean, did you not hear him going on about lynchings and all that?! I bet that you are one of the reasons “America hasn’t really grown since the days of the Southern plantations.” Seriously, I can’t believe a person who played Kramer could say something like that! I certainly hope this isn’t a career-reviver for him!
Woops, that guy is, in the words of my good friend Curtis, crazier than a s**t house rat. I think Newman must have put him up to it.
Why is it that everyone is focused on the use of the “N” word but not the fact that if he had his way, Richards would have like to have the two men lynched? The reason the “N” word has such power in the mouths of white people is that it was always associated with violence or impending violence. Whether he had a meltdown or was high is irrelevant. This man is a racist of the highest caliber. All he needs (if he doesn’t already have one) is hood and a sheet.
When did I go on a tirade against black people? I made a comment about people in general who use the N word. If the shoe fits, then wear it!
Sooner or later people show their true colors. Anyway, I’m black, college educated and I come from a good home, and I say “n*gga” A WHOLE LOT. I think it is great that it was once a word that was used by white people to degarde us and now they can’t even say it. Well, you can say it, but if I’m around, I’m going to slap you dead in your mouth.
Back to Kramer, I feel bad because I really liked him, and now I just can’t. I also hope that a big, black n*gga kicks his a**.
Here’s hoping!
I totally agree with ‘kinglouieXVIII’, why is it okay for some blacks to use this word and other people can’t. I am black and I don’t like anyone using the word…be that as it may, I believe Richard was just trying to get some attention. People will do anything nowadays for cheap publicity.
Even Borat would cringe at that little tirade.
I couldn’t see the video, but I heard someone in the audience react in shock. That tells me he wasn’t joking, or he was trying to be funny and it went astray. As for the word N*****, when the rappers stop saying it maybe everyone else will. But it’s out there now, and it’s now who says it but HOW they say it.
‘Jasmine’ So what you’re saying is if people call you stupid, you start calling yourself stupid to make you not feel stupid. I don’t think that has any kind of logic to it.
I agree with the couple of posters that commented more on his lynching jokes…ugh, that to me was more outrageous and disturbing and just not funny. The “N” word obviously isn’t cool, especially shouting it at people he just called motherf***ers…just sad.
[Bell rings] Okay, class in session. I don’t proclaim to know everything but I do have a pretty good handle on the “N” word thing so here it goes. Black people can choose to use the “N” word (and all its variants, which I have used aplenty) because we have taken the word as both a way to link together our community through a common experience (i.e. slavery, civil rights movement) and a way of never forgetting our past and how society views us (and no one can argue that there is still a ‘less-than’ attitude about black people in the U.S.)) That’s (originally) why rappers used it, etc.
However, people who are not black shouldn’t use it because they do not share the same experience or history. White people especially share the opposite history which is why people get upset when they use the word. It’s the same thing with poor white trash (which I use as an example and not to be offensive). I’ve heard white people refer to themselves as that but I would never say it because it’s disrespectful. I don’t come from the same place so I can use the term. Make sense.
As for Michael Richards (I can’t believe we’re still talking about this) there was something about his committment to the words that screamed “Andy Kaufman” to me. A person, even intoxicated, would get angry when someone would scream back but he seemed too cool as if he were in an acting class and was told to “go with whatever happens.” That’s why I think he was trying to make a point but took a wrong turn down Disrespectful Boulevard.
I too am a black person who can’t stand for anyone to use the word. The explanation I often hear from blacks who use the N-word is that when they use it they mean it as a term of endearment. Personally, I think that’s a load of crap especially since if you listen to the way blacks use it, it’s almost always derogatory.
That said, I agree that Richard’s advocating lynching is far worse. I can’t even begin to imagine the context in which that is okay.
I just got as excited as a kid on Christmas day because season 7 of Seinfeld is out on DVD and I ordered an advanced copy from Amazon.com. Kramer has always been favorite character but I cannot keep those videos or laugh at this aging idiot without feel guilty, so off they go back to Amazon. Knowing part of the profits are his makes me sick. He has ruined the best show ever for me. Didn’t he see the episode of Seinfeld when Jerry was heckled by Toby, the woman Kramer was dating. Did Jerry starting yelling the N word? No, he went to her job and heckled her..one of the best episodes ever. Why didn’t Mr. Richards just follow those two men wherever they were going and then heckle them for a while. It would have certainly created the buzz he needs to get his career back on track and gave us all something to laugh about as well as bringing back fond memories of a show he just ruined for everybody!!! SERENITY NOW