Michael Richards Meltdown

[Randy Twizzle]

It's possible career suicide for the K Man...

[BERIGAN]

It's possible career suicide for the K Man...

Yeah, I saw that. Well, I didn't watch the clip. Perhaps some sort of early onset senility? Channeling Andy Kaufman??? Fucked up, to say the least!

[trane_fanatic]

The guy obviously has some issues. The very fact that he was still allowed to perform the next night is offensive in itself.

[trane_fanatic]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/ap_en_...ichael_richards

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Richards racial tirade draws castigation By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES - A barrage of racial epithets unleashed by former "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards during a stand-up comedy routine drew condemnation from Richards' industry colleagues.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood on Friday when Richards responded to two black hecklers with the "n" word and profanities, said he was shocked by Richards' remarks.

"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining," Rodriguez told CNN. "Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."

Jerry Seinfeld issued a statement saying he was "sick over this."

"I'm sure Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake. It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt," Seinfeld said of Richards, 57, who played eccentric Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom and whose major credit since was the failed 2000 comedy series, "The Michael Richards Show."

Calls to Richards' representatives were not returned Monday.

His Laugh Factory tirade began after the two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn't funny. A videotape of the incident was posted on TMZ.com.

Richards retorted: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f------ fork up your a--."

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now mother------. Throw his a-- out. He's a n-----!" Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

Moderating his tone at one point, Richards tells the audience: "It shocks you. It shocks you" and refers to "what lays buried."

While there is some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" and people respond with "ooh" after Richards uses the n-word.

Eventually someone calls out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. `Seinfeld,' that's it."

On Monday, about a half-dozen community activists gathered at the club to denounce Richards' remarks and demand an apology.

"These kind of comments hurt all of us," said protester Lita Sister Herron of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. She called Richards' comments hate speech.

The protesters also demanded an apology from the Laugh Factory. At a news conference a short time later, club owner Jamie Masada expressed remorse and said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he's sorry.

"This is one thing we don't tolerate. ... I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart," Masada said Monday.

Richards did appear at the club Saturday, without incident, but that was because he had told the club he intended to apologize, according to a Laugh Factory statement Monday.

Rodriguez, also at the news conference, said: "I kept expecting a punch line. It didn't come."

Veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included famed comedians George Carlin, Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield, called Richards' remarks inexcusable. Comics often face hecklers without losing their cool, he said.

"It's never seen anything like this is my life," Levine said Monday. "I think it's a career ruiner for him. ... It's going to be a long road back for him, if at all."

Daryl Pitts, a Laugh Factory audience member interviewed by CNN, compared the incident to another recent celebrity controversy.

"You think about Mel Gibson and what he said, and put that in the context of this, it's very upsetting," Pitts said, referring to Gibson's anti-Semitic outburst during his arrest for drunken driving.

Scrutiny of Richards' remarks likely will continue but won't match the level prompted by Gibson's behavior because Richards is far less famous, Levine said.

Comedian George Lopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards' lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.

"The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn't know what to do when an audience is disruptive," Lopez said. "He's an actor whose show has been off the air, he shouldn't ever be on a stand-up gig."

[DukeCity]

Apparently Richards will be on Letterman tonight (via sattelite) to make some sort of apology. Seinfeld is a guest on the show, as well.

Good luck with all that!

[JSngry]

Contrary to what my kids' generation likes to think, racial language in this culture has not yet reached an across-the-board "anything goes" level.

Both of my kids have friends, good friends, from across the ethnic/racial spectrum, and the way I hear them mutually drop what in my days would have been grounds for a good ass whuppin' gives me a serious case of the s.

To everybody's credit, they seem to know that that type stuff is not for "general public consumption". And in a way, I'm glad that they're realizing that taking ownership of the language can be used to neuter it just as easily as it can to empower it. I know all these kids, and to them, it's their way of mocking the world they've come into. There's an ease to how all these kids of diverse cultural backgrounds come together with a unified spirit that's more than a little encouraging. When I was their age, it took effort (and sometimes courage) to form the type of bonds that they assume as their birthright. And hell yeah, that's beautiful.

But on the other hand (and this is what I stress to them, even though it comes off as eye-rollingly "parental", but oh well about that...), what the hell is wrong with killing something off by just letting it die by attrition? There was a world long before any of their little asses hit the streets, and the sticky residue of that world is something that we all have to trudge through every damn day.

I doubt that any of them will find it so damn funny in another 5 years or so, once they get out of their little suburban coccoons and the realities of the ongoing legacy of global institutionalized racism hits them. We'll see.

In the meantime, giving him the fullest possible benefit of the doubt, Michael Richards ain't no Lenny Bruce.

[Randy Twizzle]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

[Joe G]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

Thrilling.

[marcello]

Very good Jim!

I found this by the late Grover Sales:

Across the street from Off Broadway, Dick Gregory was headlining the hungry i. Like Chaplin, Fields, Lenny, and Erwin Corey, Greg was another American comic turned social critic. Greg and I walked in on the middle of Lenny's show; he had never heard Lenny. Spotting Greg, Lenny peered at the audience for an unnerving interval:

"Are ther any niggers here tonight?" Greg stiffened like a retriever, with the rest of the audience. In 1962, nobody had ever heard that word on stage, not in a white nightclub. Lenny began a mock soliloquy:

"Ohmygod, did you hear what he said? 'Are there any niggers here tonight?' Is that rank! Is that cruel! Is that a cheap way to get laughs? Well, I think I see a nigger at the bar talking to two guinea qwners, and next to them are a couple of wops, one kike, two greaseballs, a squarehead, three gooks, one frog, two limeys, a couple of sheenies, two jigaboos, one hunkey, fonky boogie - bid 'em up! Bid 'em up! Six more niggers! I pass with two dykes, four kikes, and eight niggers!"

The once frozen audience now gave way to hysteria, the sweet laughter of liberation only Lenny could unloose:

"Now, why have I done this? Is this only for shock-value? Well, if all the niggers started calling each other 'nigger,' not only among themselves, which they do anyway, but among the ofays. If President Kennedy got on television and said: 'I'm considering appointing two or three of the top niggers in the country into my cabinet' - if it was nothing but nigger, nigger, nigger - in six months 'nigger' wouldn't mean any more than 'goodnight,' 'God bless you,' or "I promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God - when that beautiful day comes, you'll never see another nigger kid come home from school crying because some ofay motherfucker called him a nigger."

Gregory turned to me: "This man is the eighth wonder of the world. You have to go back to Mark Twain to find anything remotely like him. And if they don't kill him, or throw him in jail, he's liable to shake up this whole fuckin' country."

A year later, Gregory published his book Nigger dedicated to "Dear Momma - Wherever you are, if you ever hear the word 'nigger' again, remember they are advertising my book."

[Randy Twizzle]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

Thrilling.

That's why I posted it dude... I guess I should have added one of those silly faces to add to the comic effect.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Randy Twizzle

[sonnyhill]

Taken in context, Richards's comments, in 2006, should not be considered "racist" -- whatever that word means these days. He went a bit over the top, but black people have far larger problems than what Kramer says in a comedy club to hecklers. I don't believe that he is a racist. He just reacted poorly to hecklers and did what a lot of people do in many arenas (especially the media) these days -- resorted to the lowest common denominator.

The biggest story for black people today should be the story reported on cnn.com concerning the black people egging on 6-year old black children to fight like dogs or chickens -- to toughen them up for the "streets." That is what should be the major topic of discussion and outrage amongst black people and everyone else today concerning race in general and how black people are f'ed up and need to fix a lost of s*it culturally in particular, not Kramer.

[Joe G]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

Thrilling.

That's why I posted it dude... I guess I should have added one of those silly faces to add to the comic effect.

Well yeah, that's where I figured you were coming from -- guess I should have posted a smiley, too?

[JSngry]

Very good Jim!

I found this by the late Grover Sales:

Across the street from Off Broadway, Dick Gregory was headlining the hungry i. Like Chaplin, Fields, Lenny, and Erwin Corey, Greg was another American comic turned social critic. Greg and I walked in on the middle of Lenny's show; he had never heard Lenny. Spotting Greg, Lenny peered at the audience for an unnerving interval:

"Are ther any niggers here tonight?" Greg stiffened like a retriever, with the rest of the audience. In 1962, nobody had ever heard that word on stage, not in a white nightclub. Lenny began a mock soliloquy:

"Ohmygod, did you hear what he said? 'Are there any niggers here tonight?' Is that rank! Is that cruel! Is that a cheap way to get laughs? Well, I think I see a nigger at the bar talking to two guinea qwners, and next to them are a couple of wops, one kike, two greaseballs, a squarehead, three gooks, one frog, two limeys, a couple of sheenies, two jigaboos, one hunkey, fonky boogie - bid 'em up! Bid 'em up! Six more niggers! I pass with two dykes, four kikes, and eight niggers!"

The once frozen audience now gave way to hysteria, the sweet laughter of liberation only Lenny could unloose:

"Now, why have I done this? Is this only for shock-value? Well, if all the niggers started calling each other 'nigger,' not only among themselves, which they do anyway, but among the ofays. If President Kennedy got on television and said: 'I'm considering appointing two or three of the top niggers in the country into my cabinet' - if it was nothing but nigger, nigger, nigger - in six months 'nigger' wouldn't mean any more than 'goodnight,' 'God bless you,' or "I promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God - when that beautiful day comes, you'll never see another nigger kid come home from school crying because some ofay motherfucker called him a nigger."

Gregory turned to me: "This man is the eighth wonder of the world. You have to go back to Mark Twain to find anything remotely like him. And if they don't kill him, or throw him in jail, he's liable to shake up this whole fuckin' country."

A year later, Gregory published his book Nigger dedicated to "Dear Momma - Wherever you are, if you ever hear the word 'nigger' again, remember they are advertising my book."

Exactly. It's an ongoing saga, and not everybody's playing the same game at the same table for the same stakes. But the game is being played.

However, "Kramer" is not cut out to be our National Healer. Duh.

[JSngry]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

Thrilling.

That's why I posted it dude... I guess I should have added one of those silly faces to add to the comic effect.

Well yeah, that's where I figured you were coming from -- guess I should have posted a smiley, too?

Could y'all please clue in somebody who doesn't want to install the Mozilla Active-X Control what this is all about?

[Joe G]

It's a grainy clip of what may or may not be Jerry Seinfeld leaving the Ed Sullivan Theater and ignoring someone near the camera who's repeatedly asking him "What did Michael say?" before getting into a limo.

[JSngry]

Gracias.

[Chuck Nessa]

Dicks be dicks.

[md655321]

Taken in context, Richards's comments, in 2006, should not be considered "racist" -- whatever that word means these days. He went a bit over the top, but black people have far larger problems than what Kramer says in a comedy club to hecklers. I don't believe that he is a racist. He just reacted poorly to hecklers and did what a lot of people do in many arenas (especially the media) these days -- resorted to the lowest common denominator.

The biggest story for black people today should be the story reported on cnn.com concerning the black people egging on 6-year old black children to fight like dogs or chickens -- to toughen them up for the "streets." That is what should be the major topic of discussion and outrage amongst black people and everyone else today concerning race in general and how black people are f'ed up and need to fix a lost of s*it culturally in particular, not Kramer.

[Chuck Nessa]

Please...................

[Jim R]

Our top story tonight, Jerry Seinfeld leaves the Ed Sullivan theatre...

Thrilling.

That's why I posted it dude... I guess I should have added one of those silly faces to add to the comic effect.

Randy, I think Joe's sarcasm was aimed directly at the braintrust who decided that was "top story" material, not at the fact that you chose to post it (at least that's how I saw it). No real need for either of you to post emoticons, imo.

[Larry Kart]

Perhaps the gist of this -- at least in terms of how and why it happened -- is that AFAIK Michael Richards is not really a standup comic but a sketch comic and thus probably has little or no experience of how to deal with hecklers. That plus the knowledge that his career was already on a steep downslope would do it. Of course, that doesn't explain why he went where he did when he lost it, but that's probably because he's both an ---hole and bat----. In any case, dealing with hecklers -- how to control your own emotions and how to dish out reasonably effective comebacks -- is the FIRST thing any standup learns how to do.

[chris olivarez]

Put a fork in Richards because he's done.

[mikelz777]

Damage control already on Letterman tonight. He seemed remorseful and sincere.

Edited November 21, 2006 by mikelz777

[Soul Stream]

I think we've gotten into a habit in this country of just jumping on a beating the shit out of celebrities or any other public figure who fucks up. Personally, I'm finding the whole course of events a little tiresome. In this day and age of cellphones that record video, this sort of stuff will just become more and more of prevelent.

I say give the guy a break. If you were in that audience, you have every right to be outraged (which people no doubt were, they walked out). If you're in your house watching it on YouTube, I think that's another story.

Also, in no defense of racism.... I don't get these people who heckle at comedy clubs. I've been in the audience when it happens and it's just a drag and uncomfortable. Certainly no excuse to hurl the N-word, but who knows what was said.

Richards seemed pretty destroyed on Letterman. I'm sure he knows his career is now over. Can we watch Seinfeld and Kramer's entrys with pleasure ever again? What a drag.

I just wish we weren't so eager to pounce and judge every human being on this earth but ourselves.

[chris olivarez]

I think we've gotten into a habit in this country of just jumping on a beating the shit out of celebrities or any other public figure who fucks up. Personally, I'm finding the whole course of events a little tiresome. In this day and age of cellphones that record video, this sort of stuff will just become more and more of prevelent.

I say give the guy a break. If you were in that audience, you have every right to be outraged (which people no doubt were, they walked out). If you're in your house watching it on YouTube, I think that's another story.

Also, in no defense of racism.... I don't get these people who heckle at comedy clubs. I've been in the audience when it happens and it's just a drag and uncomfortable. Certainly no excuse to hurl the N-word, but who knows what was said.

Richards seemed pretty destroyed on Letterman. I'm sure he knows his career is now over. Can we watch Seinfeld and Kramer's entrys with pleasure ever again? What a drag.

I just wish we weren't so eager to pounce and judge every human being on this earth but ourselves.

Good points Soul Stream. The hecklers did provoke Richards. If they didn't like the act they should've bailed and asked for their money back instead they chose to act like assholes and morons. That being said I feel Richards was way out of line to put it mildly.For a highly paid professional he should have conducted himself better. Asking the bouncers to do their job would have been a more desirable option or paying the idiots their money and telling them to hit the door instead he reacted like he did. Personally I don't hate Richards but I hate what he did. Despite his claims to the contrary I think he is a racist just like Mel Gibson is anti semitic. I'm afraid he revealed the truth the other night but that's about as much as I'm going to judge him.I'll admit and not proudly that my own house is not exactly in order.

Edited November 21, 2006 by chris olivarez