Speechless
Michael Richards’ career is over. Or at least it definitely should be. Last Friday, he went on a five-minute tirade on stage during a stand-up routine after two black guys heckled him. The same people who brought you the Mel Gibson crack up (TMZ.com) are hosting a video of the Richards incident, and as one of my esteemed colleagues here at work put it, “Wow. He makes Mel Gibson look like Martin Luther King Jr.”
Specifically, during this five-minute tirade, Richards repeatedly - repeatedly - called the men “niggers,” at one point saying, “Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass!” followed by “Throw his ass out! He’s a nigger!”
I stopped watching the video about half-way because it was making me nauseated, but you can see it here if you want.
Last night, Richards went on David Letterman and assured us, “I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about this.”
It’s a bit like killing someone, then marveling to the judge that “I’m not even a murderer! That’s what’s so insane about this.” Say goodnight to Michael Richards. He’s lucky he’s already a failure or people might be making an even bigger ruckus about this.
John wrote:
I just watched both those clips today and I don’t think Michael Richards is a racist. He is not, rather, racist to a degree that is really all that shocking or malicious. His racism, such as it is, is remarkable only because he’s Michael Richards and someone filmed it. Certainly, something in him snapped on that stage and he lost control. It was shocking and yes, probably career-ending. But there was nothing rational or controlled or premeditated about his remarks; he flew off the handle and some pretty ugly shit came bubbling up from inside him. Some might say that flying off the handle like that is evidence of “deep-seeded” or “subconscious” racism, but I disagree. It is, as Richards himself decribed it, evidence of some deep-seeded rage that latched onto these two hecklers and took the form of racist remarks. At any rate, your sentence: “It’s a bit like killing someone, then marveling to the judge that ‘I’m not even a murderer! That’s what’s so insane about this.’” is, um, unhelpful.
Posted on 21-Nov-06 at 4:22 pm | Permalink
pjk wrote:
I think you’re right in pointing out the degree of his racism - probably he’s a “lesser” racist, and is not hosting White Power gatherings in his basement. and I can also see how, given Richards’ style of comedy, something that sounded funny and outrageous in his head just came out badly. but I’m sticking with my “killing someone” analogy. for all the limitations of the word “racist,” you simply don’t blurt out a tirade like Richards’s without having some prejudices that can be described as racist. IF in the year 2006 you get angry at black people and immediately start calling them niggers, THEN it’s a pretty good bet you’re a racist. he, like mel gibson, can appologize all he wants, but it’s pretty clear what he really thinks.
all that said, I do kind of feel sorry for the guy. the one thing more uncomfortable than his tirade was his squirming apology on Letterman last night. he tried to change the topic to katrina and the Iraq war, rather unsuccessfully. it’ll be interesting to see what he does in the next few weeks to try and salvage something from the wreckage.
Posted on 21-Nov-06 at 7:01 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
“IF in the year 2006 you get angry at black people and immediately start calling them niggers, THEN it’s a pretty good bet you’re a racist.” I’m not so sure about that. Or, if that statement is true, is it true for all races? If, when a black person calls a white person “cracker,” does that make the black person a racist? I have a feeling that if a similar tirade was unleashed on white hecklers by a black comedian, no one would notice.
Posted on 22-Nov-06 at 8:48 am | Permalink
talitha wrote:
Maybe no one would notice if a black comedian called white hecklers “crackers”, but that just reveals the double standard in our culture–the remarks would still be racist.
Posted on 23-Nov-06 at 11:28 pm | Permalink