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."
I can't believe a guy that long in the industry couldn't control himself better than that.
I agree with your last paragraph. People can be thoughtless and cruel. The biographies of now famous comics often tell of complete humiliation. Jim Carrey, rubber faced lad comes to mind. Peter Sellers,supposedly one of the immortals,burst into tears and told an audience " you bloody well hate me",he walked off the stage and into fame.
I heard the audio. Funny thing was that Kramer's opening thrust re the fork, actually drew laughs and muted cheers. This guy actually had the crowd with him. He blew it. A female voice laughed.
Later the female voice said "Oh my God". She knew he blew it. I wonder how many Freepers have been to "stand up comedy". I have and I just do not like it. (An old curmudgeon) laughs.
Well, actually it was a botched joke, he meant to say that Bush was stupid and we needed to get out of Iraq.
Also, he released a statement saying he is entering rehab in Minnesota for an undisclosed addiction.
**eyes rolling**
I thought it was funny.
Not funny at all.
Borat gets this reaction in a lot of his events. People don't assume a mean motive at first, and laugh out of habit and perhaps courtesy. Then, the words keep coming, and suddenly people get this look on their face like someone farted (which in Borat's case, he probably did) and then they look at each other and say "uh oh". That moment happened when the lady says "oh my God".
Kramer "borated" himself. He exposed his own racism.
Hey Kramer, Robert Byrd called. He wants his act back!
Any time I hear something like this (for instance the Mel Gibson thing) I think of Baldwin saying that Henry Hyde and his family should be stoned to death, right there on network TV (it was either the Jay Leno show or maybe David Letterman, I forget which). It didn't sound like a joke at all. But I don't recall anyone expressing outrage except for conservatives. So....while I think what Richards said is pretty stupid, I find it hypocritical for the usual suspects to say much about it.
susie
I thing this guy got it right!!! me!
http://rightwing.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=324&pid=2304&st=0&#entry2304
I wish we were all more civil, at least in public. But you're right, it's everywhere.
susie
You may be right, it was a rage thing, and he hit back with what he had out of anger. If so, I'd hate to make him mad when he was holding a shotgun.
Actually, as long as the govt doesn't step in it's not really a free speech issue. I suppose the comedy club could fire him for it, especially if it causes people to boycott the club. (or maybe I'm wrong--but that's what I think--and if I'm wrong, I know some freeper will come to my rescue and point out my error! ;) )
susie
ruh roh.....
susie
Anyone ever read the Lord's words to the Cananite woman? ("not meet to take from the children"-- redirect energy and blessings from the Jews-- and give to the dogs -- the Gentiles). The savvy Gentile woman gave a great response to the "slight" and was rewarded with the healing of her daughter.
Offensive.
1. Used as a disparaging term for a poor white person of the rural, especially southeast United States.
2. Used as a disparaging term for a white person.
susie
Kramer was on David Letterman tonight via satellite with Jerry Seinfeld.
Kramer pretty much blamed his tirade on the racial atmosphere in society, and on the treatment of blacks during hurricane katrina and on "wars between us and other countries."
What a load o' crap.
You....live on Kramer's street?
Uh, you and I must've seen two different David Letterman shows tonight. Richards (Kramer) didn't blame it on those things at all, he took full responsibility for his rage. His reference to the things you mentioned was a concern that his outburst would incite further racism toward blacks and the withdrawing of help for the blacks affected by Katrina.
He was obviously very genuinely sorry. I don't know how anyone couldn't have seen that. I hope that this is a wake up call for him for dealing with his anger in general, as his tirade was certainly over the top. And it seems, from his response on Letterman, that it was.
I agree he was genuinely sorry but here's what he said:
"And I'll get to the force field of this hostility, why it's there, why the rage is in any of us, why the trash takes place, whether or not it's between me and a couple of hecklers in the audience or between this country and another nation"
Sorry, but that's almost as pathetic as his original outburst.
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