"Ni***, please."
Posted on 11/20/2006 4:05:45 PM PST by Dark Skies
Former Seinfeld star Michael Richards stunned a comedy club audience, shouting racial insults at people who made fun of him during his performance, it was reported.
The 57-year-old actor-comedian, best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's eccentric neighbour Kramer on the hit TV show, was performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on Friday night when he started the insults, according to video posted on entertainment website TMZ.com.
The tirade apparently began after two black audience members started shouting at him that he wasn't funny.
Richards answered: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f--king fork up your arse."
He paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show.
"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now mother-f--ker. Throw his arse out. He's a nigger!" Richards shouted before repeating the racial insult over and over again.
An audience member heckled back: "That was uncalled for, you f--king cracker-ass motherf--ker."
Richards retorted: "Cracker-ass? You calling me cracker-ass, nigger?"
While there was some audible chuckling in the audience, someone could be heard gasping, "Oh my God."
Another audience member is heard to call out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. 'Seinfeld,' that's it."
Richards performed the next night at the Laugh Factory without incident.
Calls to Richards' representatives were not immediately returned early today.
He refused to comment on-camera when reached by CNN, but the news network reported that he said off-camera he felt sorry for what had happened and had made amends.
Former co-star Jerry Seinfeld issued a statement saying he was "sick over this".
"I'm sure Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake. It is so extremely offensive. I feel terrible for all the people who have been hurt," Seinfeld said.
Comic Paul Rodriguez, who was at the club, said he thought Richards' remarks crossed the line.
"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining," he said.
"Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."
Comedian George Lopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards' lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.
"The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn't know what to do when an audience is disruptive," Lopez said.
"He's an actor whose show has been off the air, he shouldn't ever be on a stand-up gig."
Amazing watching a guy kill off his entire career in a matter of moments.
Wonder when the demands will come to take "Seinfeld" off of syndication?
Cosmo had a "career"? /s
{applause}...Well stated.
"Ni***, please."
He'll enter rehab.
Did he cross the line? Yeah, I'd agree with that assessment. It's not a free speech issue though. If Eddie Murphy, or Chris Rock had said it, it would be a non-issue - no matter the color of the audience member.
... discovered by Billy Crystal who featured him on one of his comedy specials
... drafted in army during Vietnam, served for 2 years, was stationed in Germany
... won 3 emmy awards for his "Kramer" role
... 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason
... numerous film, TV, stage credits at IMDB
Well said
Think the dreaded "N" word has gone beyond a racial term-it describes a set of behaviors, blacks use it openly, whites are forced to think it, never speak it, for fear of the repercussions.
Not to excuse Richards, but he said it out loud (Very Loud) and broke the taboo. The hollering class will make him pay.
What the loudest advocates of "Free Speech" seem to always forget is that it doesn't prevent being offended, and that the right to speech does not equate to the right to be listened to.
Not gone wild, gone insane!
The link is already posted on FR. It is really something!
It will be interesting to see if this incident gets the same amount of media exposure that Mel Gibson's tirade received.
Slow news day.
Let us all be thankful that nothing of consequence happened today.
One free pass, comin' up.
The same people who are offended by his rant will tune in to watch Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, etc.....
Richards is an idiot but the hypocrisy of those offended is astounding.
Most whites. A couple years ago, I watched a very skillful, experienced, professional public speaker use the "N word" repeatedly to a mixed audience. When this white boy was finished speaking, he got an enthusiastic standing O from everybody in the audience, including the black people. It all depends on how you put it across.
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