Michael Richards loses it

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Dottore
If Jamie Fox or some other black celebrity made similarly racial remarks about whites in a public forum it would get just as much media attention - or more.

Really? This is an excerpt from Chris Rock's "comedy show" entitled Bigger and Blacker:

Whenever an old black man sees an old white man...the old black man always kisses the old white man's ass.

''How you doing, sir? Pleased to meet you.
Whatever l can get you, you let me know.''

As soon as the white man get out of sight,
he's like:

''Cracker-ass cracker! l'll put my foot in the crack of your ass,
cracker-ass cracker! l wish that cracker would've said some ****
to me, saltine-assed, mother****ing cracker! Cracker, kiss my ass, you ****ing cracker!"

The white man come back. ''Howdy, sir?''

l got an uncle real crazy. My uncle B., years old, hates
the white people, married to a white lady. And he sits around going,
''These crackers ain't ****, except for Susie.''

He tried to explain
the whole thing to me one day.

He said, ''Yeah, l got a white wife. l love her,
she love me. That's all that matters. But l'll tell you this:
if the revolution ever come, l'll kill her first...just to show these crackers l mean business!

''Mother****er, cracker-ass, mother****er
cracker! ****, cracker, mother****er!

''Hi, honey. Mother****er cracker. l'll kill my cracker kids, too!''

Care to venture a guess at how much outrage there was about this? Lemme help ya...none. Zero. Zip. Nada. In fact, all the people in the audience were laughing. See, it's funny for a black man to use racial slurs against white people, but it is abhorrent and horrific for a white man to use a slur against black people.

[dhoward]

Racist.

[Brew 66]

The difference between Chris Rock and Michael Richards seems obvious!
Chris Rock is writting comedy for "his" audience. Michael Richards is attacking "his"

[dhoward]

Still way out of balance.

[m21sniper]

Originally posted by Steve Carlton
Unbelievable. I understand he's on Letterman tonight to apologize.

Appologize for what?

[m21sniper]

Originally posted by k911sc
[B]i don't know what he's even bothering with stand up fer, it was my understanding the last few years the cast was getting a million+ per episode. if i had that kind of money i'd just "go away", find some property with a house, a big garage for my cars & tools, far from the lights of town, the BS and racism. id also have a few dogs, maybe a wife, and some kids.

Which is precisely why 95% of the folks on this board don't know your name.

These people stay in the lime-light because it feeds a hunger they have.

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Brew 66
The difference between Chris Rock and Michael Richards seems obvious!
Chris Rock is writting comedy for "his" audience. Michael Richards is attacking "his"

That makes absolutely no sense.

First, are you saying it's ok to spew racist hatred as long as it is "for your audience"? Man, Richards should just line up a couple KKK conventions, then...I guess no one would have a problem with someone saying racist things at a KKK meeting.

And second, in what world is Michael Richards considered popular amongst black people? I would hate to venture a guess at what the racial makeup of the Seinfeld audience was...wanna bet it isn't predominantly black?

[the]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
I guess no one would have a problem with someone saying racist things at a KKK meeting.

Actually, most probably wouldn't have a problem with that. It is a free country. Most wouldn't agree with it, but I don't think many would really give 2 seconds of thought about what's said in a KKK meeting.

It is kinda interesting how the context matters so much. For example, they used to have that KKK guy on Howard Stern, I forget his name. Southern white guy. Of course, he was an unabashed, unapologetic racist who said the most completely over the top racist things, and was serious about it. Really believed it.

But that didn't seem to even register on the controversy meter. Why?

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by nostatic
there's no such thing as bad press

No kidding... I'm like Michael Richards? Who is that? Ohhhhh Kramer!

His career is toast? What career?

The Laugh Factory is a dump, been there many times, have friends that have performed there... sure some big names have come out of the club back in the day but they don't have anything good to say about the place. The owner doesn't pay for $hit and they milk starving young comedians then when they become famous and move on to bigger and better things the club slaps their name on the wall.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
That makes absolutely no sense.

First, are you saying it's ok to spew racist hatred as long as it is "for your audience"? Man, Richards should just line up a couple KKK conventions, then...I guess no one would have a problem with someone saying racist things at a KKK meeting.

And second, in what world is Michael Richards considered popular amongst black people? I would hate to venture a guess at what the racial makeup of the Seinfeld audience was...wanna bet it isn't predominantly black?

Sorry Nathans Dad - but the point is that satire can be cruel AND funny AND racist - and that is OK. One of the assumptions in satire is that we laugh at one another and nothing is sacred. It is a category of humor - that has been around for many many years (see Jonathan Swift) and which most people get.

You need to distinguish this from a personal attack - based on race - against someone by a public figure.

[tabs]

Personally I never use the word "Nigger" I find using the word "Nigger" to be derogitory and demeaning.

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Dottore
Sorry Nathans Dad - but the point is that satire can be cruel AND funny AND racist - and that is OK. One of the assumptions in satire is that we laugh at one another and nothing is sacred. It is a category of humor - that has been around for many many years (see Jonathan Swift) and which most people get.

You need to distinguish this from a personal attack - based on race - against someone by a public figure.

I see. So if Richards simply says he was using "satire" then this all goes away?

[dhoward]

[speeder]

Crackers.

[craigster59]

Didja ever notice how white folks.. (insert Pryor, Murphy,Rock, et al. schtick here)...

[m21sniper]

Originally posted by speeder
Crackers.

Darkie.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
I see. So if Richards simply says he was using "satire" then this all goes away?

Satire is a form of humor. You either get it or you don't.

Richards was NOT doing a satirical piece about niggers and crackers. He was engaged in a racist and vicious personal attack on someone. I think the words were that "50 years ago he would have been swinging from a tree etc".

What exactly do you not get about this distinction????

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
Upodate: The two African American citizens who were involved in this issue were on the Today show this morning. Apparently they have hired a lawyer who is "challenging" Richards to meet with the two men in front of a retired judge and see if Richards thinks he owes these two money or not. She says that once he sees the trauma he caused he will feel compelled to given them money.

Lauer asked her what her legal recourse was if Richards refused and she dodged the question.

My opinion is that either there is no case here since it was verbal abuse or (more likely) on the ticket to the Laugh Factory there is some sort of disclaimer that says you cannot sue the performer or the comedy club if you are insulted by the performance.

Course leave it to a lawyer to try and squeeze some cash out of any situation.

They should get two tickets to the laugh factory to see a repeat of Michael Richards' act. (He actually performed the next night).

I watched the tape. I was expecting to see something funny, but it wasn't. It was more like a 4 year old hurling the same insult over and over again. To see how to really deal with hecklers, do a search on Bill Burr in Philadelphia who launches a 10 minute tirade against the city and actually turns them around.

As far as the term MR used....hmmm, I'm not qualified to say if it hurts *me* or not, but I do notice a lot of people use it mostly in comedy and music (listen to Snoop or Patrice O'Neal...all the time). Is it still offensive in 2006? I don't know... Maybe if you mean it... probbaly definitely to older folks...but perhaps it's still "marketed" as still offensive as hell or else it would lose it's sting when someone else uses it.

[scottmandue]

Everybody sing!

GONNA BUY ME A SHOTGUN AN KILL ALL THE WHITEYS I SEE...
GONNA BUY ME A SHOTGUN AN KILL ALL THE WHITEYS I SEE...
WHEN I KILL ALL THE WHITEYS I SEE, WHITEY AIN'T GONNA BOTHER ME...
GONNA BUY ME A SHOTGUN AN KILL ALL THE WHITEYS I SEE...

"I think we have our Gigi!"

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by Dottore
Satire is a form of humor. You either get it or you don't.

Richards was NOT doing a satirical piece about niggers and crackers. He was engaged in a racist and vicious personal attack on someone. I think the words were that "50 years ago he would have been swinging from a tree etc".

What exactly do you not get about this distinction????

And how do you know he wasn't doing a satirical piece? How do you know that Chris Rock really doesn't hate white people and means what he says when he is doing his comedy act that you consider satire?

My point is that your perception of their intentions is entirely colored by your own personal bias. You have no earthly way of knowing what Richards' intentions were in that moment. Perhaps he was trying to be a racist ass, perhaps he was just being satirical.

It has become accepted for black people to make racial comments. It is considered the norm, funny even. When a white comedian does the same, however, all hell breaks loose. It the same stupid dichotomy that exists around the "n" word. Black men use it as a term of endearment. Let a white man use it though, and you might end up getting shot. I don't call my friends crackers, whiteys or any other slur, do you? Why is it that the black community has such different rules from the rest of America? I don't see Paul Rodriguez calling his fellow hispanics wetbacks...