Did Michael Richards Go Too Far in This Controversial Video?

[Cyrus]

Anyone see his video. That guy went nuts

You can find it on youtube if you have not seen it yet.

The people in the audience were like "oh my gosh!" AHAHAHAHAHA.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

He was kissing Al Sharpton's butt this morning. Sharpton is going to make him do penance before attaining forgiveness. He want's Richards to meet with leaders in Harlem. Richards agreed.

 

[Evo]

He really lost it. Talk about ruining your career.

 

[[Quadratic]]

He was kissing Al Sharpton's butt this morning. Sharpton is going to make him do penance before attaining forgiveness. He want's Richards to meet with leaders in Harlem. Richards agreed.

...and in future news, Michael Richards, dead at 57.

 

[moose]

He really lost it. Talk about ruining your career.

I didn't know he even still had a career.

I'd pay to watch him run into rooms though

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

It was pretty nutty, but I think its a nonstory

 

[Cyrus]

I don't think he really had any career to ruin in the first place, .


He just got pissssseed off. I don't think he's racist. It's funny, because he's COOOOOOOSMO.

 

[verty]

He just got pissssseed off. I don't think he's racist.

How do you define it?

 

[slugcountry]

seems to me he just got pissed off and heckled back trying to hit the guy where it would hurt the most... not the best choice though lol kramer... oh well

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I found it interesting that on CNN, while discussing the outrage over Richard's comments, the news anchors and guests had no problem joking about us "crackers".

 

[Gelsamel Epsilon]

If this happened in Australia It wouldn't gain any coverage here. In fact there are multiple comedians in Australia which feature racist jokes and no one cares. Maybe because racism isn't so prominent in Australia. Either that or we can take a joke.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think Richards was way over the line. Also, clearly he did lose it because he dropped the mic and walked off stage. But I also think that many comedians make a living by acting like scum bags. It wouldn't have surprised me if this was supposed to have been humor.

Now the two young guys involved have a lawyer who claims that their safety was compromised by Richards.

 

[Gelsamel Epsilon]

Yeh, he did definitely lose it, however it probably wouldn't have been such a big thing in Australia. Definitely not as big, but it still could be potentially career ruining if the person is supposed to be a clean comedian. Also, I'm surprised at the reaction to 'cracker' (you'll probably never hear this used in Australia ever).

People say 'cool person' is worse because of it's history but that is bull****, most african-american's probably don't know it's history. And person X gets offended by insult Y differently to insult Z, so it's all subjective anyway. When it comes down to it 'cracker' is still a derogatory racial remark.

 

[Astronuc]

I think Richards was way over the line. Also, clearly he did lose it because he dropped the mic and walked off stage. But I also think that many comedians make a living by acting like scum bags. It wouldn't have surprised me if this was supposed to have been humor.

Apparently Richards was trying to be more 'outrageous' than the two hecklers, who apparently claim they weren't heckling, but were ordering drinks after coming in late.

I don't care for the comedians who act like scum bags, or who use excessive profanity or racial epithets.

The two hecklers, Frank McBride and Kyle Doss, are apparently planning to sue Richards.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I don't care for the comedians who act like scum bags, or who use excessive profanity or racial epithets.

Of course, part of it is that we're a couple of old farts..

I used to find things funny that now seem offensive. But even when a young tike, I thought some comedians, like Red Fox, for example, were crude to be point of being insulting.

Going back to the first or second season, do you remember the skit about Claudine Longet and Spider Savage done on Saturday Night Live? [below] I thought it was funny, but it also made me wince a bit even then. I think this was the first time that I began to question where the line lies. I kept thinking, yes, that's funny, but the guy is dead...and that's not funny Of course the really sad part is that I still remember it so clearly... damn they were good.

The setup was based on the real events involving Claudine Longet - a celebrity who "accidentally" shot and killed her boyfriend and pro-skiier, Spider Savage. So, SNL has this skit with skiers coming down a hill where, one by one, Claudine "accidentally" shoots them all.

 

[Kurdt]

Many comedians are insulting about particular things but that is the nature of comedy especially satire. There is however a clear difference between a comedian producing a satirical joke (with a legitimate point to be made) or performance and one that is clearly just being insulting and vulgar for the sake of it. I think in this case Kramer was just trying to upset the hecklers by using particularly crude and offensive language towards them. Unfortunately this shows nothing more than his inherent lack of wit to deal with the hecklers sensibly and then his frustration because of that.

 

[Evo]

Many comedians are insulting about particular things but that is the nature of comedy especially satire. There is however a clear difference between a comedian producing a satirical joke (with a legitimate point to be made) or performance and one that is clearly just being insulting and vulgar for the sake of it. I think in this case Kramer was just trying to upset the hecklers by using particularly crude and offensive language towards them. Unfortunately this shows nothing more than his inherent lack of wit to deal with the hecklers sensibly and then his frustration because of that.

Did you see the video? He may have started that way, but he clearly lost it.

 

[Kurdt]

Did you see the video? He may have started that way, but he clearly lost it.

Yes he did seem particularly upset, but as a performer he should be prepared for heckling no matter what the form. I still think there was no excuse for his behaviour however provoked (or not) it may have been.

 

[Dooga Blackrazor]

I am convinced he is a racist. His apology video reinforced that. It is white nationalists who reference things like potential race conflict and say "they are not racist" in an apology speech. People are being too kind in assuming Richards was just mad.

 

[edward]

Vulgarity in the clubs is now the norm. I can remember when it was considered outrageous ie, Red Fox or Buddy hackett, just to use the F word. Anyone remember the old SNL skit with Chevy Chase and Richard Prior? The N word was used in the skit and that skit is now considered to be a classic.

As for the racist thing it is ironic that black comedians use the N word all the time. It seems to depend on who is on the receiving end of the slur.

Perhaps Richards and Mel Gibson can form a support group.
If Richards had been a little known performer the incident would have never even made the local news.

 

[devil-fire]

i think this thing is being blown way out of proportion. of course his remarks are racist ie. they refer to race, but its not like race isn't referred to every day in comic bits. his comments were in poor taste (not trying to be funny but to be harmful) but i don't think that should be enough to ruin someone's career. if richards wasn't white, it wouldn't be a big thing. if he was yelling about some other issue that shows poor character like infidelity or theft, it wouldn't be a big thing.

in the usa it seems the worst thing someone can be called or the worst thing someone can be is a racist. if richards was found to be heavily addicted to drugs and abusive to women, it wouldn't be as bad for his career as these comments

 

[inol]

hmm so should this kind of thing in future be known as "doing a kramer" or "doing a gibson"?

 

[Kurdt]

i think this thing is being blown way out of proportion. of course his remarks are racist ie. they refer to race, but its not like race isn't referred to every day in comic bits. his comments were in poor taste (not trying to be funny but to be harmful) but i don't think that should be enough to ruin someone's career. if richards wasn't white, it wouldn't be a big thing. if he was yelling about some other issue that shows poor character like infidelity or theft, it wouldn't be a big thing.

in the usa it seems the worst thing someone can be called or the worst thing someone can be is a racist. if richards was found to be heavily addicted to drugs and abusive to women, it wouldn't be as bad for his career as these comments

Well generally racisim is accepted as being a big deal since its the irrational hatred of someone based on their particular race (or colour of skin), which in my opinion is worse than somebody who chooses to abuse substances and about level with being abusive to women. The question remains whether he is racist or these coments were completely out of character and provoked by some sort of emotional stress.

 

[devil-fire]

Well generally racisim is accepted as being a big deal since its the irrational hatred of someone based on their particular race (or colour of skin), which in my opinion is worse than somebody who chooses to abuse substances and about level with being abusive to women.

i think a racist is someone who's opinions are biased relating to race, not exclusivly involving hatred or violence. i would consider the wife abusing alcholic less socialy acceptable then a person who thinks black (or white) people are lazy.

 

[Kurdt]

i think a racist is someone who's opinions are biased relating to race, not exclusivly involving hatred or violence. i would consider the wife abusing alcholic less socialy acceptable then a person who thinks black (or white) people are lazy.

Well whatever racism is its still an irrational view of an entire race of people. You can think a particular person is lazy but then to apply that judgement to their entire race is ludicrous and that's why racism is not acceptable.

 

[devil-fire]

Well whatever racism is its still an irrational view of an entire race of people. You can think a particular person is lazy but then to apply that judgement to their entire race is ludicrous and that's why racism is not acceptable.

i agree that it should not be acceptable. I'm just pointing out that a person can be more accepted in media culture as a wife beater then someone of a particular race who uses racial slurs

edited for spelling

 

[DaveC426913]

There's little doubt in my mind that he was attempting to be outrageous. I think labelling him a racist is knee-jerking. Tasteless, yeah. Stupid and egregious, yeah. But not racist.

Comedians have to walk an ever-finer line between outrageous and unacceptable.

 

[Cyrus]

I don't think he was trying to be outrageous or funny for that matter. I think he just wanted to insult that guy as bad as he possibly could to get back at him.

 

[devil-fire]

it would be helpfull in making a judgment if the "heckling"/"drink ordering" was published too.

 

[DaveC426913]

I don't think he was trying to be outrageous or funny for that matter. I think he just wanted to insult that guy as bad as he possibly could to get back at him.

Well yes, that too. But I think he was doing it while aware he was on stage in front of an audience.