Michael Richards outburst

Started by MacGuffin, November 20, 2006, 11:30:41 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

picolas

exactly. he's just really bad at stand-up. you can see in the outburst video that he's angry but at the same time he's speaking as though he's still doing stand-up. it has almost nothing to do with racism.

pete

not that you need to be black to have your opinion counted, but picolas, you're saying things that are much easier for you to say than someone else who took it.  it's weird that your sympathetic outrage doesn't include the other outraged, but I guess that's the nature of being outraged.

(cue a black poster to picolas' aid)
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

picolas

i'm not outraged. it was probably harder to be there than to watch it on youtube but i still think it's kind of an empty fiasco. i don't mean to appear insensitive to anyone who was offended. i just don't think it's worth being offended by.

MacGuffin

Richards calls Sharpton, Jackson

Michael Richards is doing damage control.

In the aftermath of his racial tirade against two black hecklers during a standup comedy routine, Richards on Wednesday hired a publicist with strong ties to the black community who set up calls to two black leaders.

New York publicist Howard Rubenstein took on Richards as a client Wednesday after being contacted by the comic. He then arranged for Richards to call the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

"I've known those gentlemen for many years," Rubenstein told The Associated Press.

"Michael apologized profusely. He wants to heal the tremendous wound that he's inflicted on the American public, and on the African-American community. ... I think it was a positive discussion," he said.

Jackson, reached by phone, said Richards called "expressing his remorse and his confusion."

"He's embarrassed. He got caught on tape. That's a big part of his anxiety now," said Jackson.

"Clearly he needs some race sensibility training, and some psychiatric help. His anger is volatile and dangerous to himself and others," Jackson said. "I hope he gets the help he needs. But the culture that's producing this kind of animosity toward blacks must be addressed. ... We're increasingly facing cultural isolation in Hollywood, in the movies and in TV."

Jackson added, "We have to evaluate the use of the n-word and categorize it as hate speech, no matter who uses it."

Calls to Sharpton's home and to his National Action Network on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

Richards, who played the kooky neighbor Kramer on the TV show "Seinfeld," lashed out at the hecklers last week during a performance at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory. A video of his rant then appeared on TMZ.com.

In a subsequent satellite appearance on David Letterman's "Late Show," Richards said his tirade was fueled by anger, not bigotry.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said in a statement Wednesday that the tirade and anti-Semitic comments by Mel Gibson earlier this year point to a pervasive trend in American culture, and that Richards' declaration "is indicative of the type of denial that too often accompanies racist rhetoric."

Rubenstein, whose media relations firm specializes in "crisis management," according to the firm's Web site, said he had never met or spoken to Richards before the actor called him.

"He convinced me that he was sincere in his repentance and would do what's right," Rubenstein said.

"I've been very involved in the African-American community for 25 to 30 years," Rubenstein continued. "It would be a tragedy if this exacerbated our race relations. I hope I can help. ... It's always been an effort on my part to improve African-American and Jewish ethnic relations."

As for reports that Richards shouted out anti-Semitic remarks during another standup comedy routine in April, Rubenstein confirmed that Richards did, but that he was only role-playing.

"He's Jewish. He's not anti-Semitic at all. He was role-playing, he was playing a part. He did use inappropriate language, but he doesn't have any anti-Semitic feelings whatsoever," Rubenstein said.

"Michael says that he has a very hot temper, and that he says inappropriate things from time to time. Yes, there's no excuse for that."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

polkablues

Quote from: MacGuffin on November 23, 2006, 01:17:48 AM
He wants to heal the tremendous wound that he's inflicted on the American public, and on the African-American community.

Let's look at it this way... if Kramer calling some dude the n-word during a stand-up routine is the worst thing to happen to the African-American community this week, I'd call that a hell of a good week for the African-American community.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Ravi

Who told you to use the n-bomb?  I didn't tell you to use the n-bomb!

Gamblour.

No one has mentioned the part where he said "50 years ago we'd have you hanging upside down with a fork up your ass." That was truly the point where it was obviously not a joke. And then the point where he kept saying nigger over and over....and then the part where he said this is what happens when you interrupt a white man. I felt pretty sick while I was watching this, especially since it's Kramer. Why the fuck would he do something like this? It wasn't an attempt at standup, or Lenny Bruce sendup, it was just pretty fucking blatantly racist. And it really sucks, that someone so hilarious, at least as one character, could just fuck up this badly. Good thing he's not an anti-Semite, then Jerry wouldn't be able to bail him out.
WWPTAD?

picolas

it wasn't a joke. it was a pitiful, anger-fueled attempt at a non-understandable joke. if you watch his just for laughs appearance you can see he doesn't make any kind of joke-sense back then either. he just says "this guy's neck was as big as my arm!" garam mentioned he says "You see! This shocks you!" afterwards, which is another example of nonsense that vaguely resembles the outline of a lame joke. not that there's anything that isn't wrong with that. it's just that i don't think it was coming from a truly racist mind. it was coming from a confused, angry, bad standup's mind.

Weird. Oh

Quote from: Ravi on November 23, 2006, 04:00:58 AM
Who told you to use the n-bomb?  I didn't tell you to use the n-bomb!

that's just who he needs to come to his defense, Jackie Chiles!
The more arguments you win, the fewer friends you will have.


Pubrick

Quote from: RegularKarate on November 20, 2006, 04:39:54 PM
"we should re-edit that to include the ba-ba-bow bass sound from Seinfeld at the end"
looks like they went one (million) better..

Quote from: Tictacbk on November 29, 2006, 01:11:36 AM
http://zine.nationallampoon.com/index.php?option=com_jambozine&layout=article&view=page&aid=247&Itemid=32
that right there is the internet achievement of the year (so far).

highlights of nonstop highlights:
the monkey's side! -----------------|
                                                 |---hidden to preserve the fresh hilarity of where they take it. watch then swipe to see if you agree.
this son of a bitch is ice cold ------|
the ending.. so perfect.

this is amazing. i'm glad a definitive compilation has been made so amateurs can see how it's done.
under the paving stones.

matt35mm

It was very well done.  I never remembered so many applicable things from Seinfeld.  Bravo!

As a side note, the link didn't work for me.  I had to replace "zine" with "www," then it worked.

JG


Ravi

"How could anyone not like him?"

MacGuffin

Another apology to come
Michael Richards plans to meet with the targets of his racist rant and give his mea culpa in person.
Source: Los Angeles Times

In a session brokered by a lawyer and to be mediated by a retired judge, comedian Michael Richards plans to meet with the four African American men he targeted during a racist diatribe two weeks ago from the stage of Hollywood's Laugh Factory.

Richards, best known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer, the "hipster doofus" character on "Seinfeld," is expected to offer a direct apology for the outburst and also likely will pay a cash settlement, his spokesman said.

Three of the four men — Kyle Doss, Frank McBride and Patrick McLucas — and their lawyer, Gloria Allred, met with reporters in Los Angeles late Friday morning to announce the meeting, which Allred said would probably happen after the first of the year.

The judge, yet to be selected, is expected to suggest after mediating the meeting what further steps Richards should take to make amends.

Doss read a statement in which he said he was "very hurt by what happened at the Laugh Factory." He said he welcomed the chance for the four men to tell Richards "how his words made us feel" and said they would accept whatever recommendation the judge makes.

"We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr. Richards, and we thank him for this positive step," Doss said.

In a separate interview, Richards' spokesman, Chris Giglio, said the comedian, hoping to arrange just such a meeting, had been in touch with Allred.

"He's really happy that he has a chance to do this," Giglio said.

Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada, though, was upset about the possibility that the four men, whom he described as "opportunists," could make money from the incident.

Masada argued that scores of people in the audience were offended and each should receive a personal apology.

Masada said he has offered to bring the audience from the Nov. 17 show back to the club to meet with Richards and allow the comedian to apologize and explain his actions.

"People making money out of that — I think that's disgusting," Masada said in a telephone interview from New York, where he also has a comedy club.

"Michael Richards should not give in to Gloria Allred or any of that at all. My recommendation is that he should, from his conscience, [give] some money to some underprivileged kids so that they have money to go to school."

Richards has already issued several public apologies in venues ranging from "Late Show With David Letterman" to the Rev. Jesse Jackson's syndicated "Keep Hope Alive" radio program.

Richards described the outburst as an enraged reaction to heckling from members of the audience, a showdown that was caught on a patron's cellphone video camera and posted on the TMZ.com website.

Masada has since banned Richards from performing at the Laugh Factory. Earlier this week, Masada announced that he would fine performers who used the "N-word," which was repeated several times in Richards' diatribe, and bar any repeat offenders.

Masada also has asked comedians to drop other potentially hateful epithets from their repertoires.

"Comedy should bring everybody together," Masada said. "From the bottom of my heart, that's what I'm hoping for."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks