Posted on 11/20/2006 4:05:45 PM PST by Dark Skies
Did he address behavior versus race?
BTW, what has Julia-Louise Dreyfus done? Since the Love Boat went off, I can't think of anything any of them could do.
If there is one actor who is feeling much better now, it's Mel Gibson.
You're a theenwurd!...You're a theenwurd!...You're a theenwurd! Fifty years ago you would have been upside down with a bullwhip in your arse, paid for by the National Endowment For The Arts...Ha!
Yes, he did. He didn't use the word as a slur and that was clear. Still, I considered it remarkable that he could "get away" with saying that word over and over as he did.
Kramer is a 33rd Degree MASON????? I thought he was Jewish!
I don't understand what all the fuss is about. When you're in a comedy club you can say whatever you want. There's no indication the black guys couldn't take it; in fact they did a good job of dishing it out. Tied game.
I have to give him a "well done" on that
He also was in the show "Fridays"in the early 80's.Had a run in with Andy Kaufman on it.Don't know if it was a put on or not.
How did Jim Webb and Robert Byrd get in that club?
I think he only plays one on TV.
Now, you're black, and were prepared to support Richards if he goes after a guy who's interrupting the show you came to see. But instead of going after the heckler, he has now attacked YOU, and made you someone worthy of the disgust and hatred in his voice, because to him, you are just an N, too.
Someone throws him a lifeline--"that's uncalled for". They seem surprised at the line Kramer crossed, and think he will catch himself. But he doesn't, he keeps going, and gets worse, and now, it's time to go, no matter what race you are.
It is just plain wrong to do this in this day and age. We've been through a lot as a country, and he's in an urban setting, in a mixed crowd, a sophisticated clientele. Why would you reduce interactions only to race? Why would you demean another person, and lots of the rest of your audience, this way? It's just no CIVIL. He stood up in front of one of the people who paid to see him perform, and instead of going after a guy for heckling, called the man a name he knew the man and all members of that race, including members of the audience, would consider vile. And then he repeated it.
It's not an edgy bit that went awry, it's a demonstration of hatred directed at another person that sprang from somewhere deep within. I can't believe a guy that long in the industry couldn't control himself better than that.
It won't, they're already making excuses "it's the fault of the comedy club atmosphere that made him do it." No one in the media or Hollywood jumped to Mel's defence or were so quick to forgive. Let's see if Kramer offers to meet with black leaders and talk about deep rooted feelings and such.
With that said, I'm not in favor of what the guy said but there are worse things that could happen in one's life than being called names.
Sorry, while liberals have many things wrong with them, racism comes from all parts of the political spectrum. It is not only the exclusive property of the Left.
Masons seem confusing (coming from a nonMason standpoint). Even Hindus can be Masons.
The thing is, how exactly is cracker offensive? What is the historical baggage behind it (an actual question if you know the answer)? The n word was used toward slaves by slave owners or very racist (as in to the point of violence) people. Crackers are simply crispy snacks to eat on their own or with something on top (unless you know otherwise).
Good post. My best guess is that Richards wanted to hurt those guys physically for stepping on his performance like that. But he knew he couldn't do that, so he settled for clobbering them with an epithet that today has more shock value than it did back before the era of PC. At that moment, I don't think he cared what effect this might have on his career. After 9 seasons as a major fixture on Seinfeld, he's wealthy and the residuals, etc. will keep pouring in for him. He doesn't have to work another day in his life. I think he just took the disrespect personally enough to not care about repercussions.
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