Michael Richards -- Forgive and Forget?

31. CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THE NEW SET OF OBAMA JOKES HE'S BEEN WORKING ON.........HE'LL HAVE 4 YEARS (maybe) OF MATERIAL TO PULL FROM ................

Posted at 6:51PM on Jan 5th 2009 by noitall

32. giddiup

Posted at 2:18PM on Jan 6th 2009 by kadengirl

33. i say we should forgive him if thse clowns would have shut up from the beggining this would not have happened, even that it did, did those black guys get attention for the white racist remarks?

Posted at 6:15PM on Feb 9th 2009 by Red

34. Welcome back!!!!! I'm so glad to hear that Michael Richards is coming back. He is a comic genius and I'll be glad to see him again. About the whole rant thing, who knows what was going on that night? Maybe the audience member was being a total jerk and M.R.'s was just tired of having to deal with it. I'd love to know if the holier-than-thou people who criticized him the most could honestly claim they've never said *ANY*thing out of line in their lives- I seriously doubt it. He apologized and as far as I'm concerned, it's over.

Posted at 2:44PM on Mar 6th 2009 by sherrycooler

35. I don't believe what he did was anything CLOSE to a crime. I don't hate people because of their race, religion or anything. What really gets me is how blacks think that they are now entitled to anything and everything just because they were opressed a few years ago. All races should be thankful for what they have, and especially blacks since they went through so much to get the respect that they DO have now. Rather than coming up with "rap" lyrics that basically say "white man sucks", why can't they just play real music and show any talent that they might have, and many do. Like Lenny Kravitz, I think he's a great guitarist as well as Hendrix, and I've been playing guitar since 1976. Those guys play real music and aren't afraid to show it. These new "rap artists" as they are called probably don't have any talent because it doesn't take much to stand up and yell a few rhyming words at people. Today's blacks still don't seem to have a good command of the English language, even the ones in high places, though there are a few who can and do speak intelligently. That still baffles me. It's almost as if it's another form of rebellion on their part. It would have been better on the white man's part to never have harvested slaves from Africa or any country in the first place, but that cannot be undone now, and yes, I did watch Roots - all the way through. It's just ridiculous especially the way some blacks think that they can ride through neighborhoods with their blasting loud "music" playing, with no regard to who else might be there. My wife has MS, and gets bad headaches. She surely doesn't need anything like that to add to the pain, but that seems to be lost on the black youth now. It's really sad...

Posted at 9:07AM on Mar 15th 2009 by The Voice

36. Black comedians/rappers do NOT use the real N word. The word they use, 'nigga', is wordplay meant to show solidarity with those who have historically been the target of the real N word, and does not mean the same thing - it is not meant to demean anyone. 'Nigga' is a value neutral term, synonymous with 'homeboy' or 'dude' - an urban slang word ONLY used to refer to MEN, and usually only young men. The real N word is a hateful RACIAL term synonymous with 'subhuman', 'inferior', 'slave', etc - a vicious slur historically used by whites to demean blacks and other non-whites for their RACE. Nobody should use the real N word. Anyone can use the word 'nigga' if they are using it correctly (as the urban version of 'dude') in the correct context. In fact, many young people of all races who grew up listening to hip-hop/rap use the term in this fashion.

Also, it is not a double standard for members of any group to have the privilege to make fun of each other while denying this privilege to external groups. For example, members of a family usually make fun of each other, but if outsiders did the same thing they would get their asses kicked. It is also not a double standard for a less powerful group to have the privilege to ridicule more powerful or oppressive groups or individuals, while the reverse is not allowed. For example, the general public can make fun of politicians and celebrities, while the reverse is not allowed, as the latter groups/individuals have far more wealth and power than the former. 'Cracker' and the N word are not synonymous and don't have the same power, simply because the white race as a group has had (and still have) far greater power over minorities than the reverse, and have historically used this power towards oppressive ends. Whites only stopped using racial slurs in everyday conversation because they were forced to. Blacks and other minorities only started using racial slurs against whites because they were forced to defend themselves.

The situation with Richards is very sad, as the Seinfeld gang were beloved for the characters they played for so many years, and his behavior puts a taint on it all, ruining it for many fans such as myself. What is ironic is that Kramer is the most empathetic of the characters - the lovable, good-natured 'hipster doofus' who - while usually screwing things up in the process - usually goes out of his way to help people. Richards could learn something from Kramer.

I really think Richards has a mental disorder, such as bipolar disorder, which is characterized by manic highs and depressive lows, fits of rage, a jekyl and hyde type personality, etc. Sometimes he seems more like the lovable Kramer, and other times like a monster. Also, about a month before this incident, he threw a similar tantrum - against Jewish audience members who said something to him, who he attacked with racial/ethnic slurs and said something to the effect that "you f---in Jews killed Jesus". He now is trying to say it was part of his act, but those who were there did not feel that way, and after the incident with the black guys it clearly appears to be a pattern with Richards. If he could make fun of Jews, and supposedly that was the religion he reportedly adopted for himself years ago although did not officially convert, and his agent and most of the Seinfeld cast and crew members are Jews (Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Larry David, etc). It seems like he can't handle criticism or heckling, and goes nuts, reaching back for the worst thing he can think of and slings it at whoever he feels has offended him. Such behavior is characteristic of mental disorders and drug/alcohol addiction.

Posted at 7:45AM on Mar 30th 2009 by jumper0101