Seinfied's Kramer lost his cool

[Lise]

It ain't easy to keep your cool.................................. so what is racism as Russ pointed?

    [FONT color=#0000ff][img height=120 alt="Michael Richards is seen in this Nov. 17, 2004 file photo in New York. (AP / Louis Lanzano)" src="vny!://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20061120/160_ap_kramer_061120.jpg" width=160 border=0][/FONT]  Michael Richards is seen in this Nov. 17, 2004 file photo in New York. (AP / Louis Lanzano)

 [FONT size=5]'Kramer' actor launches into racially charged rant[/FONT]

 [P class=timeStamp]Updated Mon. Nov. 20 2006 2:51 PM ET

 [P class=storyAttributes]CTV.ca News Staff

 Michael Richards, the actor best known as Kramer from "Seinfeld," is in hot water after a racially charged tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club.

 Richards lost his cool after repeated heckling from two black audience members during a stand-up routine at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory.

 The 57-year-old actor-comedian, best known for his eccentric role as Kramer on the hit sitcom "Seinfeld," was performing at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood Friday night when he started spewing the racial slurs, according to video posted on showbiz website TMZ.com.

 The rant apparently began after the two audience members started yelling that he wasn't funny.

 Richards retorted: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f------ fork up your a--."

 But Richards' outburst didn't end there.

 He then began pacing up and down the stage, yelling at the men for interrupting his routine in an expletive-laden tirade.

 "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now mother------. Throw his a-- out. He's a n-----!" Richards shouts before repeating the slur over and over again.

 He also demanded one of the patrons be removed from the comedy club.

 While there is some audible chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" while others are heard to say "0oh" after Richard uses the n-word.

 One of the men who was the object of the outburst shouted back that "That's un-f***ing called for, ain't necessary."

 Richards eventually cut his act short and walked off the stage without any explanation.

 The tape also shows audience members beginning to leave the comedy hall.

 Richards performed the next night at the same comedy club without incident.

 In a statement issued on Monday, Jerry Seinfeld said he felt sick over the "extremely offensive" comments, but he said that he was sure Richards felt the same way.

 Calls to Richards' representatives from The Associated Press were not immediately returned early Monday.

 CNN reported that he told the network off-camera that he felt sorry for what happened and that he had made amends.

 Fellow comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was also on the bill Friday night, said Richards had some explaining to do.

 "Once the word n----- comes out of your mouth, and you don't happen to be African-American then you have a whole lot of explaining," he told CNN.

 While comedians often cross the lines of good taste within their acts, Rodriguez said Richards' remarks far surpassed the boundaries of what is acceptable.

 "Freedom of speech has limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations," Rodriguez told the network.



[FONT size=1]Source: [/FONT][A href="vny!://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061120/michael_richards_tirade_061120/20061120?hub=Entertainment"][FONT size=1]vny!://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061120/michael_richards_tirade_061120/20061120?hub=Entertainment[/FONT][/A]  

[Sportsdude]

I bet he'll say he has an alcohol problem and go into rehab.  Thats the in thing to do now apparently.  

[kingy]

when does mel gibson perform?

[Mel Gibson]

Leave him alone.  It was just a misunderstanding.  Sheesh!  

[P.C.]

Well, I think I will always like Kramer, but any respect for Richards just went through the floor.

[Lise]

Here's Michael Richard during the ranting. Poor quality though but you can read the words.

  You be the judge.

  [A href="vny!://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjE0E5lgm9Q"]vny!://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjE0E5lgm9Q[/A]

[Russ]

I read on another website thats not all of it.. that the two that were heckling him were drunk and calling him a washed up cracka.. before that video started.

  That being said from that video (to me) he tried to make a joke out of them being black with stereotyping jokes, and it backfired in a MAJOR way. He realized he went far too overboard and walked offstage.

  Its a double standard with racial comments and jokes.

  EDIT: I dont think his comments were in line in any way.. I just thought it looked like he wanted to make a run on joke about the two being black.

[P.C.]

Well, double standard or not, you couldn't get me mad enough to use that kind of racial crap.  I'm afraid I don't find that a very good excuse.  If they were being asses, then he certainly within his rights to treat them like asses right back......that's it.

[Russ]

P.C. wrote:
 Well, double standard or not, you couldn't get me mad enough to use that kind of racial crap.  I'm afraid I don't find that a very good excuse.  If they were being asses, then he certainly within his rights to treat them like asses right back......that's it.[/DIV]
 Crap I knew I came across wrong.

I put too many comments jumbled together.

  He shouldnt have racially made jokes about their race.

  As for my comment about double standards I wasnt refering to this incident, I was being general about this comment.

 Fellow comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was also on the bill Friday night, said Richards had some explaining to do.

 "Once the word n----- comes out of your mouth, and you don't happen to be African-American then you have a whole lot of explaining," he told CNN.

 While comedians often cross the lines of good taste within their acts, Rodriguez said Richards' remarks far surpassed the boundaries of what is acceptable.

 I believe you cannot say that if you are of an ethnicity you can make racist comments against it while claiming racism when another ethnicity makes the same or similar jokes. Racist comments and words are racist comments and words.

[kitten]

I agree, Russ.  When the nasty comments are made within an ethnic group, others will hear and assume those words are acceptable.

[Sportsdude]

sounds like what I heard last night on 1040 AM Vancouver last night on the post game show for the canucks/lions. Lots of drunks lots of racial slurs/gay bashing by people from North Van and Mission and Chilliwack. Don't they screen calls anymore? What happend to the delay button? lol  

[kitten]

What delay button?  It's "free speech".  I mean it's stupid, but it's free.

[P.C.]

Probably the same dufuses that post on DV.

  Russ, you didn't come across wrong at all.  I wasn't 'calling you' on your comment, I was just making a 'general' comment.  I don't agree with the racist jokes BY any ethnicity ABOUT any ethnicity, even if it's to 'their' own.  But using those words in anger is just plain repulsive.

[Sportsdude]

Down here they screen callers so if you sound drunk you don't get on and its on a seven second delay so if you cuss, you get hung up on by the radio station and the curse word doesn't air thus saving the radio station millions of dollars in fines from the FCC.  

[kitten]

I think Canada is a little more liberal in that regard.  There are limits, but there isn't such rigorous enforcement unless it is in print and clearly libellous.