Train Wrecks
Audience Laughs at "Kramer," Seinfeld Pissed

In one of the most awkward moments in the history of late night television, a shamed Michael Richards appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to apologize for his racist, hate-fueled rant. It wasn't meant to be funny, but the audience laughed anyway.

Richards agreed to appear on the show, even after Letterman took a comedic jab at "the guy who played Kramer" on the Top Ten list, at the request of his good friend and former co-star Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry was there to promote "Seinfeld" Season 7 on DVD.

As Richards began explaining the "nasty things" said about "Afro-Americans," the audience couldn't help but chuckle. Seinfeld, immediately scolded the crowd, saying "stop laughing, it ain't funny." But the crowd couldn't help themselves.

The confused fans continued to chuckle, and Richards seemingly blamed Letterman for the awkwardness. "I've already heard you make some jokes about it and that's OK, but I'm really busted up about it."

Richards admitted that he may have acted without thinking. "I'm hearing your audience laugh ... and I'm not even sure that this is where I should be addressing the situation."



Reader Comments

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16. AfroAmericans hahahahahha LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 11:19AM on Nov 21st 2006 by T

17. He lost his temper.... I accept his appology.

Posted at 11:34AM on Nov 21st 2006 by b

18. Blacks and muslims : they truly understand the art of "playing the victim" while all the time they themselves are being the biggest haters.

Posted at 11:20AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Lord Snooty

19. I can't believe people really give a damn about these comments. If a black gentleman was to call a white man cracker ass, nobody would have cared. But I guess these comments gives the minority something to cry about. Get a grip. I'm so sick of affirmative action, minority special treatment. I can't wait until the white man/women can have an organization like LULAC or the NAACP. The minority simply keep racism going. I wasn't raised racist, but I certaily have my own views now.

Posted at 11:25AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Reynolds

20. how come it's ok for chris rock or any other black comedian (Anyone ever watch BET?) to go up on stage and for an hour rant and bitch about white people, and be racist against everyone ever, and fine, not use any derrogetory terms, but still say hatefilled remarks, that usually arne't funny... and this guy says this thing and it's a huge deal?

I understand the N word is bad, and I know what he did was wrong. But give it a rest. It's no worse than what black comedians do all the time! in every act.

Posted at 11:21AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Melissa

21. get over it every one of us makes mistakes under pressure if it was black man insulting a white guy no big deal start defending your own people he said he was sorry kramer i still love you and ill buy your cd this christmas

Posted at 12:01PM on Nov 21st 2006 by donna

22. I think this is crazy , I mean we are all responsible for our actions . That's why you need to think before you speak . Mr. Richards appolgy is little to late once the words come out of your mouth you become responsible for them . And does he actually think by him coming on Letterman's show that all is going to be fixed .... NO! I say ....... you made your bed now it's time for you to lay in it .

Posted at 12:14PM on Nov 21st 2006 by Danielle

23. okay, he's an asshole, he's sorry, let's move on!!!

Posted at 6:38PM on Nov 21st 2006 by justcallmeD-Nice

24. i think they were laughing at the fact that he was there by via satellilte and wasn't man enough to apologize in person and the fact that his outburst went on for more than five minutes. if he would've said something like that and then stopped and said he was sorry okay then, but he kept ranting and raving, over and over again, and that's why they were laughing because he said he didn't mean to do it, but his actions don't speak that.

with mel gibson the dude was stone drunk, i mean goodness that dude was drunk out of his mine, this dude kramer was in his right state of mind.

and about the cracker comment the reason why we are making a big deal out of it is because some of our relatives were killed because of racists whites, i know somewhere down the line on my mom's side someone raped one of my mom's aunt because looking at her you would've thought she was white, but she was half white, she lived somewhere in the late 1800s where that thing went on. our family members from the 50s and 60s were hung by trees, and you get upset over the word cracker? please. he called us the n word and he had so much hate behind it, and it was like 50s revisited with racial slurs, because that's nothing to laugh about or not make a big deal out of.

Posted at 11:26AM on Nov 21st 2006 by candace

25. He made a mistake. African American people will continue to make this a big deal for months, and why? Does anyone in this entire world care what Michael Richards says or thinks? He got lucky to be on Seinfeld, but he truly has nothing to offer anyone. He is just another Hollywood has been that is mad at the world.

Posted at 11:25AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Jennifer

26. His racism and hatred goes deep; this didn't just come out of no where.
Reports will surface now as to his history of malevolence. There's already a report of his accosting a woman comedian at yet another comedy club, calling her a "cunt" repeatedly. This guy's a f***!

Posted at 11:26AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Alix

27. Why are you sorry for what you said, it is what you feel. Your career is down the tube.

Posted at 11:45AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Bea

28. People, get a life! So a comedian goes a little nuts and uses racial slurs. Why aren't these same people outraged when all the black comedians use "cracker", "whitey", "honky", etc, not to mention their comments regarding mexican-americans, chinese, koreans, women, etc. I'd like to see someone like Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor do an entire routine without putting down, demoralizing, or otherwise offending another race. Personally, I'd like an appology from each one of them over white racial slurs. Move on! If you think you have it so bad here, move out!

Posted at 11:28AM on Nov 21st 2006 by Tim Hardman

29. Thank-you Michael Richards. I've done some stupid things in my life, but now, thanks to you, if ever I cringe at something that I've done, I'll just think of you, and know that I could have done something really stupid, like you did.

Posted at 4:50PM on Nov 21st 2006 by kc

30. The difference between saying the n-word and cracker is historical. The word cracker has no underlying meaning and it is not as powerful or hurtful as the n-word. And being an African-American if I were to get angry at a white person the first thing out of my mouth would not be racial slurs. Those come from beliefs that you already have inside of you.

Posted at 12:02PM on Nov 21st 2006 by Jessica

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