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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91. Sahhi, you are most def a racist person. Comics get heckled all the time, whether the hecklers be black white, asian, hispanic, etc. If Richards made a joke about the people(the hecklers) who happened to be black it would have been different. He got mad and starting spewing racial slurs, which is not acceptable. I don't think you would like it if the same thing happened to you, or to someone of your ethnic background... You need to think before you speak that racist garbage that you spew.

Posted at 12:09PM on Nov 21st 2006 by DIARY OF A MAD BLACK GIRL ;-)

92. first i want to say we are not AFRO-AMERICAN.We are Black. We will not be upset if you say or type the word black american. yes black comedians will use the word white people but have you ever heard a black comedian say the things kramer said on stage.It's sad but keep it real kramer said what he felt this is something that was within him that finally came out.you can say we taking it to far and that we call each other niggas what's the different.well it's not o.k. for black to call blacks nigga.but it's said with a different intent and white people know this.when you as a white person this it's not in a conversation with a black person who's o.k. with it's said with a voice of anger and with a different intent. don't try to to dress it up like oh whats the big deal.KRAMER WAS WRONG AND HE SAID WHAT HE FELT APOLOGY WAS FOR HIM NOT US.HE KNOW IT WAS IN HIS BEST INTEREST SINCE SOME BLACK PEOPLE USED TO WATCH HIS SHOW AND HELP MAKE IT A SUCCESS. MAY GOD TOUCH HIS HEART AND REMOVE THE HATRED IS MY PRAYER

Posted at 8:44AM on Nov 27th 2006 by jackie

93. T, At least you're admitting you're a racist... I made that statement to people that are racist and spew hate about other ethnic groups... At least you are no longer a closeted racist, you're out in the open where we can all see your inferiority complexes...

Posted at 12:11PM on Nov 21st 2006 by DIARY OF A MAD BLACK GIRL ;-)

94. Shut up cracker jacks! He is WRONG ! Point blank. I hate you ignorant ass crackers with the "you say its" and the "n word means ignorants" and all your "why cant we say its" FUCK THAT!!

All the black people on this site have been civil and made alot of smart comments and all your dumb ass confederate ass trailer park ass people can say is. i like saying the n word n word n word!! FUck you bitches! say that shit to a black persons face!

some one needs to whoop your parents asses for raising you up to be morons!

i would never call a black person the n word cause its WRONG!!! and you ignorant ass people get on line and start typing it cause its funny. dumb asses

Posted at 12:21PM on Nov 21st 2006 by i hate my people

95. 75 - I wouldn't call you a cracker because I am not a racist person. And as he used the n-word he deserves a crack of the whip.

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

96. CONGRATULATIONS...!!!!! AND THE WINNER IS: THE LAUGH FACTORY !!!
CATEGORY; FOR MORE MEDIA COVERAGE,
PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY......THEY COULD NEVER HAVE
AFFORDED TO PAY IN REAL DOLLARS.!!!!
THE ONLY 'BAD' PR - IS NO PR !!!!

Posted at 12:14PM on Nov 21st 2006 by Beverly Hills Babe - Public Relations Expert

97. Give the guy a break!Let him apologise,everyone makes mistakes.what if our mistakes were able to be seen by all of america?

Posted at 12:15PM on Nov 21st 2006 by angela h

98. To the a**hole hecklers: Didn't yo mama's teach you boys any manners? Apparently not.

Posted at 12:14PM on Nov 21st 2006 by Puh der Baer

99. I really can't see why anyone would hollar about what Michael Richards has said on stage. It's not like he is the fist one that has made a blunder in public these days, If he had been a black guy, not a comment would have been made. That's my opinion.

Posted at 12:39PM on Nov 21st 2006 by James

100. SAHHI, that is not the meaning of the word CRACKER... Cracker means the slave master who "CRACKS" the whip on his slaves to abuse, control, punish, and for his/her enjoyment. So the white slavemaster who cracks the whip, is a CRACKER! And like I've said before if Richards would have "CLOWNED" the two hecklers, meaning to make fun of them, remember this was a comedy show, it would have been different. He got pissed because they told him he wasn't funny... He let his true feelings come out, and that's where we are with this story...

Posted at 12:16PM on Nov 21st 2006 by DIARY OF A MAD BLACK GIRL ;-)

101. OH MY GAWD!!!!! DO YOU SEE THE RACISM ON THIS VERY STRING???? HOW MANY OF YOU WERE THERE PERSONALLY IN THE AUDIENCE??? SO YOU CAN'T MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON HOW BAD "YOU" THOUGHT THEIR COMMENTS WERE. AND CAN'T YOU SEE HOW RACIST YOU ARE????? MOST COMICS GET HECKLED!!! WHAT PLANET HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING ON?? BECAUSE THEY'RE BLACK ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR HECKLING IS SOMEHOW ELEVATED TO EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE? COME ON...DON'T BE THAT DUMB FOR THE SAKE OF ATTEMPTING TO WIN AN "ARGUMENT". HAVE YOU SEEN OR HAVE BEEN ONE YOURSELF, A DRUNK OUT OF CONTROL WHITE PERSON???? TALK ABOUT OFFENSIVE...THEY'RE INCREDIBLY OBNOXIOUS...AND I'M USING THE TERM IN THE CORRECT MANNER NOT AS SOME FLAG FOR BEING STUPIDLY "FUNNY"... AND MEAN AND PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE!!! OH THAT'S RIGHT....WE JUST DID. WHY WE'RE HERE ON THIS STRING.



Posted at 12:17PM on Nov 21st 2006 by Liz

102. A bunch of people here want to know what's the difference between a
white comedian calling a Black man a racial slur, and a Black
comedian calling white people "crackers." Hmm, perhaps the
difference might be that the white person's slurs come with the backing of centuries of slavery and continued racism, violence and oppression perpetrated by white people against Black people
and other people of color? Seems like an awfully big difference to
me.

Also, people seem to be ignoring the fact Richards didn't just use
racial slurs. He also said that 50 years ago "we" (meaning white
people) would have had the Black man upside down with a
fork up his ass. But I guess threatening someone with some kind of
weird-ass reference to lynchings and racist violence is no big deal, too, right?

Posted at 12:18PM on Nov 21st 2006 by jack

103. NO ACTUALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE OVER THE SHIT,ITS YOU FUCKS THAT KEEP RANTING ABOUT IT,IF BLACKS WERE SUCH AN ENSIGNIFICANCE TO YOU THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL ON IT ,POSERS.

Posted at 12:20PM on Nov 21st 2006 by The Ritious One!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

104. Sticks & Stones will break your bones ---But words will never hurt you---Its your MIND not the words------Hate in your Heart---Makes Hate all you hear

Posted at 12:49PM on Nov 21st 2006 by atlantis

105. So lets say he kills a black person and then says that he is really sorry and he is not really a racist. He just snapped it at that time and wanted to kill that person. And then his fans will say, oh he just simply made a stupid mistake and he is a man who is brave enough to apologize. I mean, we are all capable of doing bad things. But most of us can control or refrain ourselves from doing bad things. And those who can not go out of control and do bad things to others. Of course, the black dude who hackled him also did bad thing by disrespecting him and other audience for disturbing a show.

Posted at 12:23PM on Nov 21st 2006 by bruce yang

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