Looks Like Kramer's In A Little Hot Water

['97ventureowner]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/...chael_richards

[00accord44]

Michael Richards loses it on a heckler

Forbes.com article

Why does Forbes.com have an article on this???

A barrage of racial epithets unleashed by former "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards during a stand-up comedy routine drew condemnation from Richards' industry colleagues.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood on Friday when Richards responded to two black hecklers with the "n" word and profanities, said he was shocked by Richards' remarks.

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

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 of Richards, 57, who played eccentric Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom and whose major credit since was the failed 2000 comedy series, "The Michael Richards Show."

Calls to Richards' representatives were not returned Monday.

His Laugh Factory tirade began after the two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn't funny. A videotape of the incident was posted on TMZ.com.

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

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

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

Moderating his tone at one point, Richards tells the audience: "It shocks you. It shocks you" and refers to "what lays buried."

While there is some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" and people respond with "ooh" after Richards uses the n-word.

Eventually someone calls out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. `Seinfeld,' that's it."

On Monday, about a half-dozen community activists gathered at the club to denounce Richards' remarks and demand an apology.

"These kind of comments hurt all of us," said protester Lita Sister Herron of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. She called Richards' comments hate speech.

The protesters also demanded an apology from the Laugh Factory. At a news conference a short time later, club owner Jamie Masada expressed remorse and said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he's sorry.

"This is one thing we don't tolerate. ... I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart," Masada said Monday.

Richards did appear at the club Saturday, without incident, but that was because he had told the club he intended to apologize, according to a Laugh Factory statement Monday.

Rodriguez, also at the news conference, said: "I kept expecting a punch line. It didn't come."

Veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included famed comedians George Carlin, Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield, called Richards' remarks inexcusable. Comics often face hecklers without losing their cool, he said.

"It's never seen anything like this is my life," Levine said Monday. "I think it's a career ruiner for him. ... It's going to be a long road back for him, if at all."

Daryl Pitts, a Laugh Factory audience member interviewed by CNN, compared the incident to another recent celebrity controversy.

"You think about Mel Gibson and what he said, and put that in the context of this, it's very upsetting," Pitts said, referring to Gibson's anti-Semitic outburst during his arrest for drunken driving.

Scrutiny of Richards' remarks likely will continue but won't match the level prompted by Gibson's behavior because Richards is far less famous, Levine said.

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."


Associated Press Writer Jacob Adelman contributed to this report.

[G-man422]

This is unfortunate. I always liked him,.........i dont really know what to think of him now. But it should be known to all, NEVER interupt a comedy bit.

['97ventureowner]

And he still hasn't apologized for the incident. This could possibly send what's left of his career down the tubes. I don't think he did this to keep his name "above the radar" since he hasn't had much success since leaving Seinfeld, but one has to wonder. I posted a thread about this earlier in Politics/ Current Events forum with a different link to the story:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=645941

[G-man422]

is there a different video somewhere? i dont have a youtube account, so it wont let me watch the vid.

EDIT: Found it, thats CR@ZY!

[00accord44]

Sorry mang, didn't mean to repost on you. I was creating a new thread while listening to the radio and warding off my pesky lil sister

But yeah, he lost it. I was originally gonna name the thread Kramer Goes KKKrazy but I felt that was a bit much and everybody would yell at me for being the angry black man... again

But as for the topic, if a comedian can't deal with being heckled, then they need to find a real job. Add to that the fact that you're so easily recognized by millions, then a heckler will show no remorse cuz they know you're loaded.

And ANYTHING can be ignored if its worded right... okay maybe not, but this could have. If he used the N word and it was funny as hell, then he gets a pass. That word gets many people in trouble and I myself am a lot more tolerant of it than I used to be. As long as I know its not used as an insult, I'll generally let it fly. Its just a word, but it has its acceptable uses just like the F word.

['97ventureowner]

I guess now he's apologizing for the incidence. He's supposed to be on Letterman tonight with Jerry Seinfeld.

[00accord44]

I'll definitely be watching.

EDIT- Watched the interview. I wasn't too impressed, but then again, theres not much he can say to get out of this one. Only Jesse Jackson can clear his name now.

[VR43000GT]

Definately uncalled for. He should not have used those words even if the man was interupting. However, I also saw that the other man called him a cracker-a** mother-f**ker. In my eyes both the heckler and Michael Richards are pieces of sh*t for doing that. By the heckler then calling Michael that he just lowered himself down to the same level. My .02

[KustmAce]

weeeeeeee for freedom of speech

no one has any right to judge him. if anything props for not putting up with bullshit and ripping some assholes a new one.

i still love him and his work

[00accord44]

I think you're missing the point. It aint about his free speech, its about him losing his mind completely... theres a difference. I still like him, but crazy people tend to like other crazy people.

[KustmAce]

meh...the only reason its in the headlines is because hes famous.

someone call the waaambulance.

[03cavPA]

Yeah, he definitely went off. Big deal.

It's on both Foxnews and MSN front page. Must be a slow news day. No new dirt on Britney, I guess.

[turtlecrxsi]

Originally Posted by KustmAce

meh...the only reason its in the headlines is because hes famous.

someone call the waaambulance.

+1 on the waaambulance

Sure, he could've ignored the heckler but really who cares? Entertainers have gone off and have said much worse. I guess being white and saying "nigger" is just wrong... oops...

[YogsVR4]

I wasn't there but my impressions is that he came out sounding like an idiot. Is he a racist? I doubt it. He just lost his cool. Like most people who are ticked off he probably just used the strongest words he had against the target. If it was a woman he probably would have called them c*nts.