(See John’s Previous Post for what this is all about.)
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SN contributed the following observation:
Update: One has to wonder how genuine this apology is…
And the famous Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, where Richards went on his racist rant Friday and performed again on Saturday, said he “is no longer welcome here.”
“He told our management that he was going to go out on Saturday and apologize for what he said a night earlier,” said spokeswoman Jackie Plaza. “We even invited back patrons from Friday night. But he never apologized.”
He’s a genius, he is getting Season 7 of Seinfeld, out on Tuesday, amazing press.
I accept your apology Michael. This could be a good chance to turn a negative into a positive.
Being mixed white and black I got a unique perspective on both sides. When I was a teen I went over to my white friends house and his mother basically told me “The races shouldn’t mix”
It took every fiber of my being not to cuss her out right there.
The most annoying thing me and my brothers (all black) hate is the perception that Nazr Ali or Jesse Jackson represent us. The majority of so called African American (That term needs to die) leaders have set us back more than they have helped us.
They all forgot what Martin Luther King Jr. said
“Not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
That character was demonstrated by Michael here.
Truth it we all know the words we’re not supposed to say and take delight in saying them in private. We’ve all gone into some type of rage where we say insensitive things we wish we could take back.
And although America loves watchings people suffer, I honestly hope Michael can come to peace with this and make the situation a step in becoming a better person.
As a white Catholic I cannot accept this apology.
30 Hail Marys and a couple of Our Fathers, maybe.
What a screwy culture we have.
Hecklers are the worst thing to happen to a stand-up comedian’s act, so why don’t the club owners kick them out? If you tried heckling during a play they’d toss you out before you caught your second breath. Why should comedy performances be any different?
I’m not saying what Richards did what right, from watching the video of the incident I get the impression he was really pissed off, but that his performance was so over the top that I would never believe he was actually racist. But it was certainly a stupid thing to do.
If Michael was spewing about Jews being stuck in an oven, what would happen then? Black racism is OK, cause everything is fucked up between the white/black relationship now.
Of course, since he is Jewish himself he got a nice TV appearance stumped for by Jerry Sienfeld.
It’s not like he lost his temper and said the ‘n-word’ once. Or twice. He went on a rant that would make the Klan blush. I would like to hear what the hecklers said before this rant but it can’t excuse what did. This showed a deep rooted hatred and his explanation was a bunch of garbage. Forcefield of anger? He went on from there to try to pin this on society, foreign policy (“our country and another nation”) to just rambling. Last time I saw the clip, I was just him on stage and the responsibility is his and his alone. I would say his career is over, but it has been for a long time already.
It has ALWAYS been my experience, without fail, that any person who says “the blacks” or “blacks” – exactly like Archie Bunker used to – is a complete racist who can’t bring themselves to say “black people.”
Also, “Afro-American” is just insulting. Only a racist would find it necessary to change “African-American” that way.
No…apology not accepted.
Can you say
Career ended!!
Remarkably humble.
Next step…
Blame it on alcohol.
#9. There is a huge difference between apologizing on national TV and apologizing in the club to the people you actually offended. When he refused to do the latter and only did the former, I get the impression he’s not too sincere and is using this incident to get some national exposure.
Too Soon!
Racism isn’t just about hatred. That’s the most strident, contemptible manifestation; but, everyone in a racist culture is conditioned to racist standards from birth.
There are racist conventions accepted and repeated in Black society. And the same — or worse in white America. And as hard as we all may try to deal with each other in a fair and level manner, the sickness can crop up at any time.
It requires social vigilance. It requires personal vigilance. I think many of us can come up with personal witness, personal exerience, with the problem.
And then there are those who advocate racism and racist solutions — to be the magic bullet to resolve their economic and social questions.
Also, “afro-american” used to be the politically correct term back in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s not a slam at all, but just shows his age.
You can tell this guy is shattered by this whole incident. This is the type of guy that when he gets angry, he starts spewing out things just to hurt the other person, whither he means them or not. He goes on the attack. And yeah, it’s like he has Turrets syndrome. Again, it’s not an excuse nor should he be let off the hook at all.
Now, to those that go off with the “oh, his true colors are coming through” must never have been this angry before. Obviously he didn’t mean it, as just look at this video here and see how broken and humble he really is. This isn’t acting folks. A true racist would have said those things, then just backed them up without an apology at all.
This is a true apology here….though with so much blood in the water, the media sharks are not going to let this guy survive. Him and his career are truly dead in the water now.
#11 — LOL! You win. Something like that will be next. I found this vid as hard to watch as the other one. Richards seems out of sorts — acting his age perhaps.
As for his career being dead in the water, I thin another poster said it best. It’s been dead in the water. SO what does this do? Jumpstarts it?
I saw the item on Letterman last night and, like everyone else in the audience and world, thought it was a deadpan joke. For what seemed at least a minute or more – an eternity – it was just painfully unfunny. Even when Seinfeld, who introduced the guy, sushes the snickering audience, telling them it’s no joke, everyone still thought it was a joke. Then it became just painfully real.
Like JCD, I still have suspicions – given the coincidental promotion for one reason – about this being a Kaufman thing.
But if it is a real incident & apology – and I think it is – all of them and their handlers should have had the smarts to set this up a little better, giving us some warning as to what was about to actually transpire on Letterman’s show. Else, what do they think the reaction was going to be? It’s that aspect that keeps me a little suspicious about the whole thing. The way the apology just kept us suspended in uncertainty. An absolute Kaufman trademark.
But understanding it to be real, what would I have done? (I haven’t seen the “comedy” act yet.) I would have fallen completely on my sword (as he does). Promised every nickle I ever earned from comedy, from that point on, to go to an important black charity, and maintained that policy until an African-American organization, like the NAACP, pronounced that my rehabilitation was genuine, successful and accomplished.
RBG
And what was that book Seinfeld was promoting at the same time on Letterman? “I Killed” I think it was called. It was all about stories from the trenches by stand-up comedians. It was about encounters with hecklers.
So we have two Seinfeld promotions by guys slowly fading out and it all ends in unprecedented world-wide press about racism. Not bad.
RBG
I’m not defending what Michael Richards did, but I’ve been in social situations at clubs with urban, African American males before and I’ve seen first hand how they can become very loud and obnoxious towards other people. I’m sure some people would say that I’m racist for saying that, but it’s true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Michael Richards shouldn’t have said what he did. He should have been able to brush it off, but unfortunately he snapped and made the situation worse.
So then. Michael Richards and Andy Kaufman were buddies. And in the movie “Man On The Moon,” you’ll remember Norm McDonald playing the actual Fridays cast member – Michael Richards – who disgustedly throws the cue cards at Andy for going off on his own tirade – resulting in an apparently real brawl on live TV. Michael having been one of only a couple people in on that notorious prank or “work”. Ok.
http://andykaufman.jvlnet.com/fridays.htm
RBG
is the word sand ni**** as bad as just ni****?
Has anyone thought that Michael Richards might be mentally ill? That might explain a lot.
Steve
Somewhere Mel’s laughing his ass off.
Hey, found this clip of the late, great Bill Hicks going off on a heckler. Bill TOTALLY loses also, but the difference here is, he was able to reign it back in AND keep it semi-funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ1fXTx0-uk
Being a comedian is very hard.
Trying to live in your OWN little world, and seeing things ABIT off, is fun.
The problem comes when reality, comes in and HOW you deal with it.
yeah, he is a genius – this is a brilliant marketing scheme (aka free publicity) – but i really dont see anything wrong with this. This guy is a COMEDIAN – he says shocking and outrageous thigs to get people to LAUGH because that how he get PAID.
Mendoza on comdey central makes fun of hispanics
theres all sorts of black comedians that poke gentel fun at the other “bruthers” – whats the big deal here?
Theres comedians on the asian channels that have then funnies chink jokes
its COMEDY – you dont like it? too fucking bad
So much for my thought that this might be an elaborate put-on. He’s toast. Now watch for a “greater sensitivity” in the media towards anyone discovered using that word.
RBG
Finally a Jew got scolded for saying racist remarks not unlike other shows *coughseinfeld* *coughborat*
Why can a black man call another black man “nigger”, but a white man or any other can’t? I am definitely not racist, just curious…
One of our favorite rap groups in the early 90’s was NWA, do you know what that stands for?
Looking from the outside in there is a lot of confusion over the differences between deep-seated racism, hate, and anger of the moment. The guy blew up and got personal with some black guys. He was well out of order and personal, but does that necessarily make him a racist who wishes ill on everyone not of his color?
After the media got their hands on it and confused the situation with interviews from various people with agendas, and others chipping in about inappropriate terms like Afro, and black, wow, he is now a racist? So from comedian who flipped out and got Seinfeld onto TV before a DVD comes out, he is a xenophobe, who spends time writing and promoting racist propoganda, teaching their kids to hate other minorities or whatever else it is real racists do in the cold light of day. Whatever!
People really need to get a few extra layers of skin and a sense of humor. There is so much inconsistency going on, and the race card is really over worked. Move on, not backwards and if you dont like racist remarks from comedians then you definitely dont want to isten to Chris Rock or Cosby or now, it seems, this Michael what’s his name on a bad night of heckling.
#11 – Next step… Blame it on alcohol.
😀