Michael "Kramer" Richards - a racist?

[PrayersForMaura]

That's why it's called a snap-reaction...it doesn't occur to anyone. He clearly spoke before he thought. It happens.

I agree with you.

Everyone is so quick to judge, when we've ALL had emotional outbursts.

When people get angry with each other -- even loved ones -- as you said, they reach for the words that are going to hurt the person the most.

Some things I have heard people call each other or me:

• B*tch
• Wh*re
• 
• N*gger
• Cracker
• Spic
• A*shole
• White trash (oh yes, posters here used that a time or two)
• Hoosier

Some people even scream at others who cut them off and call them every name in the book. Luckily, since we don't have the spotlight on us we are not on videotape.

All people have ignorance of some sort inside them.
He lost his cool, he apologized.

If a Black person is angry and calls another black person a N*gger, suddenly it's ok. Well it shouldn't be.

All of these words are despicable, but it doesn't make one a bad person or a racist or a woman-hater or whatever because they use a word to hurt one another.

We are brought up hearing these words in society. It's like our bag of weapons. When we feel wounded we take out our bag of weapons and choose to hurt another person with the deadliest weapon we have.

The bad thing about words is, you can't take them back.
But he did apologize.

Clearly what he said was wrong. I don't condone it.
But I don't hate him for it. I feel bad that he used BAD judgment.
But we all have a time or too, regardless of what the offensive word was that we said.

 

[GlitchWizard]

"DON'T WEAR A MASK! Be who you are! Don't pretend to be something you aren't."

The general public cries this out like a mantra.
Parent's say the same things to their kids.
Psychiatrists say it's not healthy to hide behind what others want of you.
Doctors say it causes stress to pretend to be something you aren't.

But the minute someone does, and it's not something "you" would do... it's everyone out for blood.

So, on goes the mask. Back to pretending. Everyone into a mold of how you "should" be, "should" act.

So, from now on, those of you who preach to people to be who they are and not lie or pretend to be something different - please qualify it with "Only if it's acceptable to me." That way, it's clear.

I wasn't offended. I don't want to pretend to be offended just to please all of you people. I don't like hecklers AND I don't like explosive people - so I don't like EITHER participant in this fight. (And I don't want to pretend to to please you.)

Keep in mind when Seinfeld character dude made his statement, he is trying to please YOU, the public - and his friend Kramer character dude.

He can't win, because you won't let him.

Okay, off my soapbox. I'm one who doesn't hide behind a mask - it's hard for others like me to find me if I look like everyone else.

 

[GlitchWizard]

PS

"YOU PEOPLE" in my prior post was aimed at the general public - of which posters on here are a part of - but I wasn't talking about "you people" meaning anyone in particular that posted anything in particular. It's a soapbox I had long before I met anyone on here.

 

[MagicRose99]

I agree with you.

Everyone is so quick to judge, when we've ALL had emotional outbursts.

When people get angry with each other -- even loved ones -- as you said, they reach for the words that are going to hurt the person the most.

Some things I have heard people call each other or me:

• B*tch
• Wh*re
• 
• N*gger
• Cracker
• Spic
• A*shole
• White trash (oh yes, posters here used that a time or two)
• Hoosier

Some people even scream at others who cut them off and call them every name in the book. Luckily, since we don't have the spotlight on us we are not on videotape.

All people have ignorance of some sort inside them.
He lost his cool, he apologized.

If a Black person is angry and calls another black person a N*gger, suddenly it's ok. Well it shouldn't be.

All of these words are despicable, but it doesn't make one a bad person or a racist or a woman-hater or whatever because they use a word to hurt one another.

We are brought up hearing these words in society. It's like our bag of weapons. When we feel wounded we take out our bag of weapons and choose to hurt another person with the deadliest weapon we have.

The bad thing about words is, you can't take them back.
But he did apologize.

Clearly what he said was wrong. I don't condone it.
But I don't hate him for it. I feel bad that he used BAD judgment.
But we all have a time or too, regardless of what the offensive word was that we said.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[southcitymom]

"DON'T WEAR A MASK! Be who you are! Don't pretend to be something you aren't."

The general public cries this out like a mantra.
Parent's say the same things to their kids.
Psychiatrists say it's not healthy to hide behind what others want of you.
Doctors say it causes stress to pretend to be something you aren't.

But the minute someone does, and it's not something "you" would do... it's everyone out for blood.

So, on goes the mask. Back to pretending. Everyone into a mold of how you "should" be, "should" act.

So, from now on, those of you who preach to people to be who they are and not lie or pretend to be something different - please qualify it with "Only if it's acceptable to me." That way, it's clear.

I wasn't offended. I don't want to pretend to be offended just to please all of you people. I don't like hecklers AND I don't like explosive people - so I don't like EITHER participant in this fight. (And I don't want to pretend to to please you.)

Keep in mind when Seinfeld character dude made his statement, he is trying to please YOU, the public - and his friend Kramer character dude.

He can't win, because you won't let him.

Okay, off my soapbox. I'm one who doesn't hide behind a mask - it's hard for others like me to find me if I look like everyone else.

Glitch,

Your posts regarding this issue have summed up a lot of my feelings quite well.

Richards got flustered and made some stupid choices. He tried to work his stupid choices into his standup comedy routine and it backfired even more. I'm empathetic for people who were hurt by his words and I'm glad that he had the stones to apologize for his stupidity.

Hopefully, everyone can move on.

 

[Ntegrity]

I'm glad to see so many willing to accept this guy's humanity. We all lose our cool and say things we regret -- at least I know I've done it on occasion. I'm just not sure why Mel Gibson's outburst is being regarded so much more harshly by most people. At least his words were fueled by alcohol and anger at the cop who stopped him. That makes his loss of control more understandable to me.

 

[mssheila]

...If someone were heckling me, and I "lost it", I would just tell them to shut the f*ck up...It would not occur to me to use racial epithets, because I do not do this...Swear, yes, racial epithets, no...

If he had just told them to shut the f*ck up, I do not think that there would be a problem now...

Cappuccina- you are 100% right. I was just saying the same exact thing to my sister on the phone. We were talking about this, and she had some strong feelings. She's been dating a black man for 14 years. She was disturbed by this. We talked about having lost our temper at times, but.... it would NEVER occur to me to use that word! I don't EVER use it. It's not in my vocabulary. However, if it was in my regular vocab, it might come out in a rant. That's why I think this is not just a "flip out" snap... it tells me that he's used that word enough that it would just 'slip out' when he's angry.

 

[2luvmy]

If he couldn't take the heckling then he shouldn't be perfoming. It's that simple.


I don't agree about the "bag of weapons". Especially when one is in the public eye. You just don't do that!! You know that people are going to disagree with you and be "haters" and you have to exercise self control.

Sure I have said things that were hateful and hurtful when angry, but I just can't bring myself to use the "N" word or other worlds insulting ethnicity.

While several of my friends use "" I can't even use that!

It's just uncalled for.

 

[cappuccina]

...when someone "loses it", they tend to say the "bad things" that they would say when really, really pushed (in my case, multiple uses of the f* word) - they are NOT going to say something that they would not normally say at all, that isn't a part of who they are...

...this is more "my style" when I am mad... LOL

(Warning, bleeped out swear words for those who may not like this type of thing...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iX1gXHacF8

 

[southcitymom]

There's a story on Perez Hilton today http://perezhilton.com/topics/michael_richards/kramers_history_of_hatred_20061121.phpthat Kramer went inappropriately ballistic on a female comedian once. Details at link include graphic language.

Someone might need some anger management courses....

 

[mssheila]

...when someone "loses it", they tend to say the "bad things" that they would say when really, really pushed (in my case, multiple uses of the f* word) - they are NOT going to say something that they would not normally say at all, that isn't a part of who they are...

...this is more "my style" when I am mad... LOL

(Warning, bleeped out swear words for those who may not like this type of thing...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iX1gXHacF8

The emphasis in your quote is mine. You nailed it right on the head. This is exactly what I am trying to say. On rare occassions when I lose it, I've been known to drop the F Bomb, I've said things like.. I hate you!... or.... You're such an A**hole..... Those are my bag of weapons words that I've regretfully used.

These are horrible things to say... but I can't even IMAGINE using the N word, no matter how angry I am with someone. It's not IN my 'bag of weapons'.

 

[Ntegrity]

Why is it okay for blacks to call each other ""? I don't get it. :waitasec:

 

[windovervocalcords]

Why is it okay for blacks to call each other ""? I don't get it. :waitasec:

Because they know they are all in the same boat, vulnerable to being seen as n's by racists, not being able to hide their skin color, just wearing it proudly. It's often used affectionately but not always.

Its a way of taking the power back over the word in a harmless way. Same as lesbians caliing themselves dykes. "Dyke" is normally thrown out to be hurtful when said by a lesbian/gay hater. It is rare this term would be used by lesbians to disparage each other in a moment of anger or frustration.

 

[mssheila]

More on the comedian who was insulted by Richards:

http://tinyurl.com/y4xxw3

So, I introduced him and he did his act, which was a painful 20 minutes of racially charged . I was soon getting a really bad feeling. It was that kind of feeling that you get for someone when you're embarrassed for them.

<SNIP>

I reply to him that it's kind of a slow crowd tonight and all of sudden he starts calling me a and says, "You will never work in this town again."

continuing later on in the article ........
So, after about 10 minutes of the "C" word barrage, I start fighting back. Just to give you a visual the guy is 6"4 and I am about 4"11, but I couldn't take any more. I start calling him a ****ing and who the **** do you think you are type right back. It was one of the scariest things I have witnessed and been a part of.

I even took a swing at him and missed horribly, but at least I tried. Everybody in the show room saw this going on and it kind of ruined any momentum for the show. After all this went down, some friends came over and asked me what had happened and all I could muster was, "The Dude went postal!"

<SNIP>

Michael Richards is OUT OF CONTROL.

 

[mssheila]

Why is it okay for blacks to call each other ""? I don't get it. :waitasec:

I don't know, but I'm not black. I do agree, however, that it's a good thing that they took that word and made it one of their own. Empowerment, I believe, is the word that was used, and I think that's completely accurate.

I guess I would compare that to this: If someone I didn't know, or someone I disliked, calls me a B*tch, I would get very offended. But if a girlfriend was joking with me and called me the B word, I would probably laugh and never think of it as an insult.

 

[2luvmy]

Why is it okay for blacks to call each other ""? I don't get it. :waitasec:

I personally do not use the word or any form of it.


Here is one definition of many at urban dictionary.com
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=&page=3


:

A word that came into meaning when Black people decided to take power away from the word . Because they can't stop people from saying it. This is why Black people can get mad when white people use it because we took White man's word and made it ours.

is offensive but can be taken as an offensive term when a white person uses it with a they don't know and when "my' or whaddup isn't used in front of it.

Also describes a stupid black person.

Used by a black person to threaten a black person

Whaddup

My

Diss (followed by a shaking of the head).

Whachu lookin at !

 

[MagicRose99]

Because they know they are all in the same boat, vulnerable to being seen as n's by racists, not being able to hide their skin color, just wearing it proudly. It's often used affectionately but not always.

Its a way of taking the power back over the word in a harmless way. Same as lesbians caliing themselves dykes. "Dyke" is normally thrown out to be hurtful when said by a lesbian/gay hater. It is rare this term would be used by lesbians to disparage each other in a moment of anger or frustration.

I'm sorry... but I respectfully disagree... if it isn't ok for a white to use the word, then it isn't ok for a black to use it either. That is called "double-standards"; if it isn't acceptable by one, is shouldn't be acceptable by any.

 

[mssheila]

Because they know they are all in the same boat, vulnerable to being seen as n's by racists, not being able to hide their skin color, just wearing it proudly. It's often used affectionately but not always.

Its a way of taking the power back over the word in a harmless way. Same as lesbians caliing themselves dykes. "Dyke" is normally thrown out to be hurtful when said by a lesbian/gay hater. It is rare this term would be used by lesbians to disparage each other in a moment of anger or frustration.

Wind, I just said the same thing... lol I didn't see your post before I posted my "B" word analogy. It's the same exact idea.. Great minds, you know? :blushing:

 

[Ntegrity]

Thanks, WOVC. I never understood the reasoning and I hear it a lot. Is there an comparable word for whites? I always refer to them as PWT (po' white trash).

 

[windovervocalcords]

Thanks, WOVC. I never understood the reasoning and I hear it a lot. Is there an comparable word for whites? I always refer to them as PWT (po' white trash).

I don't know. I have never heard whites refer to each other as "cracker" or "honky" have you?

Paula Poundstone could probably do a good routine on that topic.