Michael "Kramer" Richards - a racist?

[GonzoReiter]

This is not to say Richards has no racist thoughts or feelings. As Gonzo pointed out above, we all do. And I'm sure Richards drew (as all good actors) do on some of his own feelings for his tirade. But I'm not sure we can conclude the words/ideas he expressed are ones he thinks reasonable or commonly expresses.

Maybe the moral is: don't do racist material - not even under provocation or in jest. Because once that bottle is opened...

Richards may just be an ordinary garden variety bigot or a victim of closet racism which Elmar Holenstein describes as a crypto-racist in this excerpted discussion of his anti-crypto-racism-rule:

Human beings have insidious dispositions. When they are frustrated or suffering from stress, they are inclined to perceive shortcomings pertaining to themselves or to the group with which they identify in magnified form in members of other groups. It is called racism when appearance (in particular the skin colour), origin and a different language and culture are decisive for the formation of the anti-group. Racists associate with deviant and especially conspicuous external features »profound« internal differences. Systematic correlation, co-extension and co-variation (the same extension and uniform variation) cannot be detected in anatomical and physiological terms between body-surface properties and inner-bodily properties nor in psychological and sociological terms between visible bodily properties and mental properties. Racists see drawbacks and detriments (a) only in the other group, (b) generalizing in all members of the group, and they see (c) only drawbacks and detriments in the other group.

​

Whatever the underlying reason for "Kramer's" outbursts, it would seem wise for he and other aspiring stand ups to eschew the temptation to go for the punch lines which elicit "nervous" laughter from crude or demeaning comedic routines.

 

[Nova]

Whatever the underlying reason for "Kramer's" outbursts, it would seem wise for he and other aspiring stand ups to eschew the temptation to go for the punch lines which elicit "nervous" laughter from crude or demeaning comedic routines.

Indeed. But good comics almost always walk a tight-rope between the acceptable and unaccaptable. (Again, not defending Richards. It wasn't his first time at the mike; he should have known better.)

 

[GonzoReiter]

Indeed. But good comics almost always walk a tight-rope between the acceptable and unaccaptable. (Again, not defending Richards. It wasn't his first time at the mike; he should have known better.)

Understood, Nova...and thanks for the civil discourse. It's always a pleasure to see your hat hanging on a thread here.

 

[izzyB]

Well, it's shocking, just shocking I tell you to find that GLORIA ALLRED has inserted herself into this case. She was just on the TODAY show with the two young men who were the target of Michael Richards rant. IMO she made them less sympathetic when she threw down the gauntlet to Michael Richards to meet with them & a retired judge to hear the case & pay up for the damage he did to those guys. Sounded like a shakedown IMO.

agree 1000% with every word in this post! now don't get me wrong, i think michael richards owes these guys an apology....but money, come on!! if they ask for money they lose my sympathy. and same for gloria allred, who i liked until today when i read she was going after money damages.

for what?! do these guys deserve an apology....absolutely!!! do they deserve money.....uh, i don't think so. they have no damage that money can remedy.

 

[Details]

Hmmm - I'm not sure on this. Seeing the 50 years comment, I'd say he's a complete racist. But if prompted by a lot of anti-semetic comments from the group, I do think it is possible that someone goes into racist comments because they just want to hurt someone as much as possible, and, in such a case, perhaps to point out to the anti-semetic racist that they too have a lot of people prejudiced against them.

But the question is - is that real, and the real reason. The previous outbreak against a woman suggests he knows, and uses that level of hatred more than just this once.

I do think an angry rant does show what is in your heart - maybe something you bury because you know it is wrong - but still maybe believe it anyway. Even if you refuse to act on it, behave as if you are colorblind, it may still be in there. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if you keep it buried - we can all have negative influences to our thoughts we fight against. But from a factual standpoint, we also all know about these words, the buttons to push on anyone of particular minorities. When someone really wants to hurt someone else, they could use it, just as the worst name they know. Of course, if you are white, male, there isn't any term with that kind of history behind it. There isn't a name that calls up beliefs that they are subhuman, should be exterminated (and nearly were), etc. Cracker is nowhere near that level.

 

[Jacobi]

But if prompted by a lot of anti-semetic comments from the group, I do think it is possible that someone goes into racist comments because they just want to hurt someone as much as possible, and, in such a case, perhaps to point out to the anti-semetic racist that they too have a lot of people prejudiced against them.

Not sure I buy the fact that Richards would go ballistic over anti-semitic comments when he isn't even jewish (allegedly), and especially given the new reports that Richards himself has spouted anti-semitic remarks in a previous stand-up routine, back in April. His recently-hired PR expert, Mr Rubenstein, confirmed the remarks were made, but that Richards was "playing a part" at the time...

 

[cinsbythesea]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15887520/

Gloria Allred never misses an opportunity does she?!

 

[Details]

Not sure I buy the fact that Richards would go ballistic over anti-semitic comments when he isn't even jewish, and especially given the new reports that Richards himself has spouted anti-semitic remarks in a previous stand-up routine, back in April. His recently-hired PR expert, Mr Rubenstein, confirmed the remarks were made, but that Richards was "playing a part" at the time...

I could see that just in that he does have jewish friends (presuming Seinfeld is a friend). But if he's made them, even as part of playing a role - then no sale.

 

[Lauren]

This was a totally wacked out comment(s) by someone who has some anger issues. He can be sorry all he likes. His career is bye bye.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Jacobi, what you mean "he isn't even Jewish'--Of course he is--Michael Richards is Jewish--That's a main point of this thread, Nova was the first poster here to mention that he knew people at the club and the black guys were uttering anti-semitic remarks

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Julia, agree--Kramer's career is over--he has more money than he knows what to do with, but his career is definitely finished,and his comedic legacy will forever be tarnished and damaged beyond repair--Sad thing indeed since we ave been huge Seinfeld fans for 15 years

 

[Jacobi]

Jacobi, what you mean "he isn't even Jewish'--Of course he is--Michael Richards is Jewish--That's a main point of this thread, Nova was the first poster here to mention that he knew people at the club and the black guys were uttering anti-semitic remarks

Biographies on Richards state that he is of Italian blood and raised a Catholic. There is also the matter of Richards' Masonic ties. Here's a link to an article which I posted earlier (in response to Nova's post):
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=16838

Whether he is really Jewish or not has been in the news recently because of the allegation of anti-semitic remarks made by Richards in April. In response to these allegations, Richards' newly hired PR guru came out and said that Richards is Jewish and that the remarks were part of his act (a la Borat). Here's a discussion on that:
http://www.laist.com/archives/2006/11/23/is_michael_richards_a_jew_or_not.php

...

 

[SieSie]

Michael Richards will appear on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program to discuss his racist rant at a Los Angeles comedy club, the civil rights leader said Saturday.

Richards' participation in the "Keep Hope Alive" program is a chance to reach out and apologize to the black community, Jackson said.

........

"I asked him, 'Why do you hate blacks? Have you been robbed or accosted or molested in some way?'" Jackson said. "He said, 'No, I can't quite explain it.' I said, 'That's why you need to talk it out.'"

Richards' publicist Howard Rubenstein said Saturday his client has begun psychiatric counseling in Los Angeles to learn how to manage his anger and why he made the racist remarks.

"He acknowledged that his statements were harmful and opened a terrible racial wound in our nation," Rubenstein said. "He pledges never ever to say anything like that again. He's quite remorseful."

More at link.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Fox News is saying Richards is still meeting with Black Leaders to 'splain his racist rant--damage control,but it won't work--I think he should just slink away to his mansion, and retire from show business altogether--Make some apologies and call it quits--He might try donating about a million bucks to the NAACP--but not sure even that would help his image much

 

[azwriter]

Fox News is saying Richards is still meeting with Black Leaders to 'splain his racist rant--damage control,but it won't work--I think he should just slink away to his mansion, and retire from show business altogether--Make some apologies and call it quits--He might try donating about a million bucks to the NAACP--but not sure even that would help his image much

Goodness, this could go on forever: another day, another apology from Richards.
Peter Hamilton, I agree, he needs to fade from public. Enough already!
What really gets me about this whole episode is that Richards claims to be surprised by his own actions and doesn't know why he went into such a rage.Such BS!

 

[czechmate7]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15887520/

Gloria Allred never misses an opportunity does she?!

Here is something I don't understand. What ever happened to freedom of speech?

Granted, he was wrong. But, what about the individuals who heckled him with anti-semitic remarks??? So what if he isn't Jewish...they didn't know that!!! Why is it ok for them to make derogatory remarks but when Richards makes one all of a sudden a lawyer is involved and someone wants $$$$???!!

This looks like a case of we can do it, but he can't.....

 

[Melisinde]

Here is something I don't understand. What ever happened to freedom of speech?

Granted, he was wrong. But, what about the individuals who heckled him with anti-semitic remarks??? So what if he isn't Jewish...they didn't know that!!! Why is it ok for them to make derogatory remarks but when Richards makes one all of a sudden a lawyer is involved and someone wants $$$$???!!

This looks like a case of we can do it, but he can't.....

Oh, but see the victims of Kramer's rant believe there should be "limits on free speech"
:bang:

I agree with you complete, czech. He was wrong. No one involved in this case is making this right though...

 

[GlitchWizard]

.... yet where is their accountability for their own racist comments they made in response to him?? Is "racism by self-defense" now allowed??....

Thanks. The Diet Coke that spurt up my nose when I read this and laughed - BURNS!

 

[czechmate7]

I'm sure all this will blow over like Mel Gibsons' incident did....Why should his career be "over" over this (as some posters have stated)?? I don't think he has much of a career left anyway~but this should have nothing to do with that.

 

[Nova]

Jacobi, what you mean "he isn't even Jewish'--Of course he is--Michael Richards is Jewish--That's a main point of this thread, Nova was the first poster here to mention that he knew people at the club and the black guys were uttering anti-semitic remarks

Peter, I was told by a friend of Richards about the anti-semitic heckling, but I didn't ask whether Richards is Jewish. I'm not sure it matters.

As for Richards' career being over, if Richard Nixon and Trent Lott can be rehabilitated, I don't see why a comedian can't be. Let's face it, who thought Richards was emotionally stable in the first place?

I'm reminded of a line from the film, Soapdish, after a soap opera star (played by Sally Fields) is accused of being "unstable." Gary Marshall, playing the head of the network, responds, "Of course, she's unstable. That why millions of people watch her."