Kramer?

  • Posted by smijer
  • November 21, 2006

WRT Michael Richards… Man, I just don’t know what to think.

My first instinct was that this was a Borat-style stunt, possibly with a couple of actors doing the heckling to lead up to it. Maybe for Seinfeld’s “Bee-Movie”. After seeing Richards on Letterman, though - that wasn’t the tenor of his apology.

I was a *huge* fan of Seinfeld… but I’m afraid I will never be able to see it, or Richards’ character, the same way now.

The one thing I can say in his favor: his statement on Letterman that it was good that people had gone to the press with the tape and railed against his behavior - it was true, and it was good that he said it. I hope he meant the apology and everything else he said on Letterman… but I don’t know how to believe that the apology was sincere while believing that the initial actions were also.

Maybe he was just, moronically, trying to rage against his hecklers “in character”. If so, no excuse. But that’s about the best spin I can put on it.

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November 21st, 2006
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
h sofia
Posted on:
November 22, 2006 at 3:36 am

I have never been a huge fan of the show, Seinfeld, but my interest waned even further after listening to the audio CD recording of Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop, the one-man show of Danny Hoch. In one of the chapters he describes his experience trying to convince the producers and other actors of the show to not cater to racial stereotypes. According to him Michael Richards (Kramer) urged him to do the character that he felt very uncomfortable with with a rationalization along the lines of, “Pretend that you’re not really doing it.” Also, my opinion of Seinfeld the comedian pretty much tanked after hearing Hoch’s piece.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Bill Baar
Posted on:
November 22, 2006 at 9:36 am

I haven’t paid much attention although I did play the clip on the net. American Comedy has gone to the gutter and I think that’s what were seeing. It’s corrosive. It’s corroded this man’s soul.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Buck
Posted on:
November 22, 2006 at 10:11 am

Always have and always will love Kramer. I don’t know Michael Richards.

My first reaction was, “why is a guy who is probably worth countless millions messing around in a two bit comedy club anyway?”

The person most hurt by Michael Richards was Michael Richards. Only Chris Rock can get away with that kind of thing.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Joe Lance
Posted on:
November 22, 2006 at 10:38 am

I did like “Seinfeld,” but have come to understand that a goodly portion of its genius came from Larry David. See “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

I’m intrigued by Sharon Cobb’s theory that embedded bigotry lies dormant in a great many who grew up in a time when such attitudes were more plainly expressed, and that this bigotry, of whatever stripe, can be triggered by some circumstance.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Bill Baar
Posted on:
November 23, 2006 at 9:37 am

…embedded bigotry lies dormant…

Maybe, but I’m more inclined to think he learned it, and recently… We have crude comedy, a crude culture; this is just a small leap… we become unsensitive and this outburst the result

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
Buck
Posted on:
November 27, 2006 at 10:06 am

we become unsensitive and this outburst the result

I guess it could be easier to explain at a comedy club than say in a macaca situation like Allen was in.
I am more disturbed by the stupidity than I am the insensitivity.