TMZ has video of Michael Richards, better known as "Kramer" on Seinfeld, going on a racially-charged rant after two black people heckle him in a comedy club in LA.The camera started rolling just as Richards began his attack, screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass." Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf**ker. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger, look, there's a nigger!"The video is interesting as it's not just a totally manic rant, well it is, but he becomes self-consciously aware of the impending controversy, and eventually tries to appeal to the crowd, "They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a nigger."
When is a word that's just a word, not just a word? I can understand the confusion for white people. You loved Chappelle's Show. You see an offensive character like Borat become a box-office superstar. And you've got a guy like Damon Wayans trying to trademark the word. There is obviously a rising comfort level. And it's not just wacky entertainers like Kramer, teachers are letting it just roll off the tongue also. But it's best to just let it go, don't go there. It's not edgy coming from you. Maybe after we get a black president, we'll feel a little more secure in our position, and adjust some of the laws regarding "n-word" usage, but for now hold back. The double-standard remains in effect, ni**as can say it, crackas can't. Sorry.
Kramer's Racist Tirade [TMZ]
Trademarking Racism [TAN]
"Can You Loan A Ni**ah A Pencil?" [TAN]
I didn't watch the video and am appalled that he (or anyone) could do this kind of thing. It's hate speech.
ReplyDeleteFuck the double standard-- It's hate any way you play it, and I'll never use that word. I think people are fools when I hear them spew that stuff. Man up and learn some new vocabulary. Honestly, when I hear black people calling each other n*gga, I wish I were white. Now that's fucking sad.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Kramer? Hilarious. The actor? Well, come on, now.
Yikes. He seems like hes mentally deranged, like he had a mental breakdown up there. All of a sudden all that stuff he'd been hiding came up to the surface. He was seen as he really is, and it was an ugly sight. No more Seinfeld for me. This makes me wonder how many people are as fucked up as this guy but are better at concealing it.
ReplyDeleteyeah, you can't deny people are feeling more comfortable.
ReplyDeletethough with michael richards in particular, I can't say I"m surprised. he seemed like he might have it in him. That cooky acting thing.
I always find the controversy surrounding the word to be weird. Many black people make every effort to desensitize everyone to the word and make it as ubiquitous as possible through everyday public interaction, comedy, rap and movies and they claim it's being done to take away the word's power. Yet the moment a white person says it, black people get outraged and immediately give the word all it's power back. So what's the point of trying to take away the word's power in the first place if you're just going to give the power back?
ReplyDeleteI really don't care about the usage of the word, I care about the intent behind whatever's being said. If a naive white person, like a foreigner, who listens to rap and doesn't realize the taboo of the word came up to me and said "What's up my nigga?" I wouldn't be offended because I'd know he wasn't saying it with malice. If another white person told me "I wish all African-Americans would die like the pieces of shit they are" I wouldn't consider him a better person for refraining from using the word "nigga."
I'd rather judge someone by their actions and intentions. Richards is a racist asshole not for using the word but for the racist sentiment that went along with said usage. If I try to claim that there it's always wrong for whites to use that word, I'm implying that all whites are inherently racist at heart and are incapable of expressing themselves without racist sentiment.
"The double-standard remains in effect,ni**as can say it, crackas can't. Sorry."
ReplyDeleteyou piece of shit thug... any wonder why there is so much hate against negros.
get ur sad litle fucking b-ball home-boy lives together will ya!
take a long look in the mirror
To Anonymous: Cracka, please.
ReplyDeleteIt's really cowardly to leave an ignorant comment like that anonymously. I guess you don't need a white hood when you can hide behind the Internet.
One thing that has struck me about white supremacists is that they are often rather dull-witted and homely -- hardly the best arguments for whites as a master race.
im not a white supremacists, love everyone else just SOOOO FUCKING sick of the same ol story niggers!
ReplyDeleteEncantada: wow ur sooooooooooooooo UGLY... OMG!!!!
ReplyDeletei think your doing the wrong type of yoga!
and who are you to call someone a cracka there Mrs. intelligence!
Thin I agree with T, it's just a word at this point. But I also think at this point it's obviously common knowledge and courtesy, to avoid "potentially" offensing people. Michael Richards lost it and deserves whatever consequences he receives.
ReplyDeletealso anonymous people, why be mean and nasty? if you're not bold enough to show your own picture or website, how arey ou bold enough to call people names. get a life.
Seinfeld's "Kramer" gets angry at audience, calls Black patrons "Niggers"
ReplyDeleteSeinfeld's Michael Richards gets angry at audience, calls Black patrons "Niggers"
i knew there was something about him i never liked. but this is ill. makes me look at seinfeld totally different.
ReplyDeleteWhat about non-crackers and non-niggers using the word? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteYet the moment a white person says it, black people get outraged and immediately give the word all it's power back. So what's the point of trying to take away the word's power in the first place if you're just going to give the power back?
ReplyDeleteThe fallacy here is in assuming that the folks who want to desensitize the world to "nigger" are the same folks who take offense at its use. Not all black people think alike.
"The fallacy here is in assuming that the folks who want to desensitize the world to "nigger" are the same folks who take offense at its use. Not all black people think alike."
ReplyDeleteOh please, there are tons of black people who use the word "nigga," that would be mad if a white person used it. To try to pretend otherwise is the real fallacy.
Why is it that black people in this audence throw out the "cracker" title in response to the "nigger" without any upset by white people at this term?
ReplyDeleteBlacks call each other nigger all the time, we have all heard it done in a brotherly manner.
Yet somehow, through media manipulation we have all been lead to belive that it is a reserved word, more offensive than the "F" word or any other.
I don't buy it. It is just a word. If you go to a comedy club you can expect anything, your religion, race, creed, profession, persona and anything else may be offended. If you can't take that heat stay out of comedy clubs.
What happened to freedom of speech? While I may take offense at something said, I do believe that we all have a right to say as we wish in this country. Or did someone take an eraser to the Bill of Rights?
uh, yeah... that was the most hateful, vitriolic thing i've ever heard said in public in my lifetime. that was indeed uncalled for. but i say that there's a difference between referring to lynching, or implicitly advocating it, as Richards was doing, and actually smiling for the camera in front of the burning corpse of a murdered, tortured black victim. nobody really knows for sure if Richards is the kind of man who would do that. he might me. i don't know.
ReplyDeletearen't we all souls seeking peace, even in our own day? don't we all want to make a better life for ourselves? don't we all want to avoid suffering and be happy?
who knows what i once was? nobody, not even me. i don't know if i am more than what i see in the mirror or less. i could have been anybody in a previous lifetime: e.g., i could have once been a cruel mongol soldier who poured molten silver into his enemy's ear.
but whatever i was, whatever i am, i hope that i am moving in the direction towards compassion, and away from suffering. i think everyone wants that deep down, even Mr. Richards.
anyone who is at peace should know, hopefully from verbal communication and not from experience, that judging someone on a single narrow, dimension just doesn't cut it; all things and events are dependently originated. it's hard to understand, and never simple.
"kramer" was unethical at the Laugh Factory. fortunately, modern people in general seem to be taking baby steps in a direction of tolerance and understanding, and "kramer" has those people to fall back on, because the only way he can learn not to be racist now is by people in general forgiving him for being one.
peace.
When he appeared on Letterman to apologize he seemed pretty confused, like "How the hell did I get HERE?"
ReplyDeleteThat might stem from the possibility that he meant to shock and hurt a couple of hecklers using the harshest means possible, in this case, the N word and references to slavery, but actually didn't think it was racist to do so.
It reminds me of Elvis Costello in the 70's on his first US tour, after taking shit from Stephen Stills, said something like "F all blind n&&&&rs", referring to RAy Charles, in an effort to insult American music in the ugliest way possible.
Elvis Costello just went on being himself and the black cloud over his head (no pun) went away-- it seemed to become apparent that he wasn't quite a racist, but maybe just a bit of an asshole.
Not sure if the same will happen for Richards. He's too famous and seems a bit unhinged. He says he doesn't think he's a racist, but that kind of insensitivity qualifies for it; I didn't see even a hint of irony in his "jokes".
The shock he expresses at his own actions shows that he's got some issues to work out. Big time.
Everyone knows what a nigger is.
ReplyDeleteWorse than roaches, niggers should have been driven back to Africa, rather than given freedom here.
Stuck in this quagmire, we should create legislation to control the niggers who are not already in jail.
Among other restrictions, niggers should not be allowed to:
- drive (eliminates that dirty Q-Tip ahead of you who is crawling and that road-raged stupid-nigger bitch),
- own cell phones (the marketing of which is nigger-focused, promoting gawdy, crap-feature phones to morons who cannot even afford them), or
- pollute music ("rap" panders to flunked niggers) and fashion (useless, ugly, oversized gang clothing rots on retail shelves).
Richards is now trying to save his bacon in a politically correct business.
Instead, he should be holding up his middle finger and telling niggers to leave.
Mexicans make themselves useful; niggers are lazy and worthless, and should be either exported or re-chained.
FUCK NIGGERS - SHIP 'EM BACK WITH A MEXICAN UNDER EACH ARM!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm sure those guys in the audience were perfect angels, and the tirade just came out of a vacuum and victimized some poor black boys. Let's all bow to the supreme morality of America's black folks...
ReplyDeletewhat do they say about breaking and owning stuff? Black people can play games with racial slurs, other people may not because it opens old wounds
ReplyDeleteTAN --
ReplyDeleteFeel free to use that Blogger comment delete feature.
Legitimate back-and-forth is fine, and there's room for people to argue. But I think most of the regular readers of your blog would not be bothered (and please chime in on this, regular readers...chime away) if you ixnayed the igotbays.
Would it be censorship? Eh, so be it. I understand there are already Web sites where the knuckle draggers can bash Mexican Americans, Asians, African Americans, and anyone else their frustrated little hearts wish to bash. Places where they can howl "F----ng N----r" at their computer monitors, listen to "White Power" guitar noise, and upload pictures of their swastika-themed needlepoint projects.
Not sure you have any obligation to entertain their comments here.
kramers the man. hes fucking hilarious and much more of an important person than any of those niggers heckling him. the niggers go out looking for trouble than try and make it look like their words and actions are justified by using the word nigger as an excuse. these niggers asked to be called niggers. end of story. fuckin niggers.
ReplyDeleteI am truly sick and tired of these niggers, something needs to be done. Hitler had the right ideal, just the wrong race.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with what Michael Richards said but I believe it has been blown out of all proportion.
ReplyDeleteSo far no-one has mentioned the fact that Michael Richards apologised sincerely for his actions and met with several leaders of the African-American community to discuss his actions with them.
He is a good man, don't judge him by one mistake.
Niggers suck and eat shit.
ReplyDeleteNIGGER OUT!!
ReplyDeleteWhat if 'nigga' is used by a white person acting black? I'm pretty sure that would work out just fine.
ReplyDeleteok ok ok umm... most of da peeple on here r trippin... i dont know why u hate black people THAT IS JUST STUPID...i mean come on now DUH...COMMON SENSE..WERE ALL THE SAME INSIDE! and wen u think of this stuff abt us goin bak to slavery(which frustrates me soo much) think...wat if it was me? wat if i had to get whipped,and killed,and mistreated?--->stop bein so damn ignorant by assuming that all black people are ghetto and wat not and alike! if u really feel that way just go and fuckin kill yourselfs cus nothin is happening to any of these niggas here-->SHIT!
ReplyDeleteFUCK HITLER!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhites aren't stupid and lazy like you fuck'in niggers. I was in Nam when you nigger's got affirmitive action passed and you've been on welfair ever since. You are thankless baboon fuckups...
ReplyDeleteYour fat fuck'in greasy nigger holes are nasty...
i dont think he did anything wrong. they can call each other the "N" word and think its cool then get pissed when we say it??
ReplyDeleteBlack People are week and need to get jobs. There are 11% of the population that are black but that 11% are causing 80% of all crime. Nobody can deny this fact. IF BLACK PEOPLE WANT RESPECT THEN THEY SHOULD ACT RESPECTFUL. Richards just told that guy what he wanted to hear. The guy wanted to start trouble and he couldnt take it (pussy). I'm so happy and proud to be white!
ReplyDeleteBlack disrespect other races with their action ,they call each other Negro but no one can call them that,If you want respect be respectful to others, please.Blacks are responsible for over 83%of all crimes in US.
ReplyDeleteBlack educated or not have nasty attitude.I would expect different behavior from an educated black but they still hate the world and think that the world owes them.
ReplyDeleteno one owes you nothing,do not blame us for what you see in the mirror.
if you want respect act like a human being not an animal .sorry but blacks are uncivilized it is in their blood.
America has no lowest level of decency; everything is allowed because of "free speech" which is never granted to, and is often denied to, intelligent people trying to create light, but always to the obscene and hateful. First the whites against the blacks ("It's a free country!") and then by the blacks trying unsuccessfully and often obscenely to defend themselves in a language in which they are, can be and have historically been used (with impunity) as an afro-ed antonym.
ReplyDelete