Kramer pulls a Mel Gibson

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by hah

How do you know?

He was up on a stage "entertaining". People may have paid to see his performance.

I'm not saying Richards is right. I'm saying he was doing similar things that the Borat character does.

Not possible. Listen to what he says to the guys. He wants them thrown out because they're black.

[RougeUnderoos]

On the website that has the video posted there is a statement from Jerry Seinfeld and he says something about this "terrible mistake and I'm sure Michael feels bad".

Wikipedia's Richards site says he played that same club the next night (Saturday) without incident.

I think this little incident, while getting a lot of play here, is being ignored. I guess his time was up even before this?

[hah]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Honestly dude are you that thick that you cant see a 180 degree difference in the two? Its like comparing the nutrional quality of an apple to that of a chocolate bar.

For the last time I will try and explain this.......Borat is a FICTIONAL charcter who portrayed SEEMINGLY racist views to expose the true sterotypes existing in America(say have you ever watched Ali g charcter hmmmmm)

Richards is a comic who got mad and let off a string of RACIAL SLURS, directed towards the specific black people who ****ed him off.

What planet do you live on to make this comparison?

What if the BORAT character did the same thing as Richards. Would it be ok?

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by hah

What if the BORAT character did the same thing as Richards. Would it be ok?

HE CANT HE IS NOT A REAL PERSON!!!!!

If Sasha Baron Cohen did a comedy set, as himself and starting calling a bunch of black dudes that heckled him N***ers...... then no that wouldnt be ok....just give it up already.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by J pold

I am sorry but I cannot accept this as justification for his actions, just because someone is making racist and derogatory statements does not give someone else the right to say it back, I don’t care how “heat of the moment is it” imagine the worst thing that someone could say to you, would it be ok for them to say it in the heat of the moment?

If someone is attacking you verbally, they aren't going to be nice about it. I would expect them to say things that are going to hurt me. In turn, I am going to say things back in order to hurt them. And no, I am not going to be nice about it.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by hah

What if the BORAT character did the same thing as Richards. Would it be ok?

He says racist and sexist things all the time. That's the character -- a racist, sexist moron. That's part of the joke.

To put it another way, do you think Robert De Niro should be in jail for murder? He killed a lot of people in Goodfellas.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by arsenal

If someone is attacking you verbally, they aren't going to be nice about it. I would expect them to say things that are going to hurt me. In turn, I am going to say things back in order to hurt them. And no, I am not going to be nice about it.

We aren't children. Someone harassing you, regardless of the content of their harassment, doesn't give you carte blanche to say whatever nasty things that come to mind. At least for rational adults it doesn't.

Even if someone jackass does verbally attack you you don't go off on a lunatic tirade. Really now, do you think that was a reasonable response to anything they said? No matter what it was, his reaction was justified? I mean look at him up there - he's screaming and ranting like a crazy person. What could someone say to you to get you to act like that? How could any words make you go off like that?

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

To put it another way, do you think Robert De Niro should be in jail for murder? He killed a lot of people in Goodfellas.

He only killed one(Billy Batts, with the help of Joe Pesci), he just had a lot of people killed, but I don't think he was in on the actual murder, so no, I don't think he should go to jail.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

We aren't children. Someone harassing you, regardless of the content of their harassment, doesn't give you carte blanche to say whatever nasty things that come to mind. At least for rational adults it doesn't.

Even if someone jackass does verbally attack you you don't go off on a lunatic tirade. Really now, do you think that was a reasonable response to anything they said? No matter what it was, his reaction was justified? I mean look at him up there - he's screaming and ranting like a crazy person. What could someone say to you to get you to act like that? How could any words make you go off like that?

So you are saying that there is nothing someone could say to you, that couldn't cause you to forget all rationality and go off on a crazy tirade? I know it could happen to me, and I sure it could happen to you as well.
All I am really saying is we don't know what was said to him to cause this. And from what we can tell from the lack of headlines he has made lately, that this is out of character for him. I highly doubt he is a racist or a crazy person.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by arsenal

So you are saying that there is nothing someone could say to you, that couldn't cause you to forget all rationality and go off on a crazy tirade? I know it could happen to me, and I sure it could happen to you as well.
All I am really saying is we don't know what was said to him to cause this. And from what we can tell from the lack of headlines he has made lately, that this is out of character for him. I highly doubt he is a racist or a crazy person.

Iam sure that most of us here could and have gone off on tirades, but the difference is instead of calling someone racial slurs, which to me is never aceptable, some of us might do the more rational thing and yell at them, and call them a dumb bast*** or a stupid mother f****.....never a need for racist slurs though.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by hah

I did not see the entire "show" just the clip on the internet. Maybe he was playing a "character" at the time of the clip.

Judging by the reaction of the crowd and the longer Richards goes on, the more people are leaving, I would say no, it wasn't a character.

[Hanna Sniper]

Originally Posted by J pold

Unless you are an African American, you have no say in the debate about the word “n” only the African American population knows that its like to have that used word against them and there ancestors, and they are the only ones who have the right to decide whether or not to use it

So are you the kettle or the pot?

How the hell can you know for sure they are African American, it’s a shame that we have to label someone as “insert tag here” just because of the colour of their skin. We can assume they are AMERICAN and that’s just an assumption because of where the video was taken.

Example
I never understood this, Say a man moves to USA from Africa… three generations later his great grandson is born and you call that child African American and NOT an American… that’s still racist just a hell of a lot politer then what Richards did.
Oh just for kicks, that man that moved from Africa in my example was white

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by arsenal

So you are saying that there is nothing someone could say to you, that couldn't cause you to forget all rationality and go off on a crazy tirade?

No. There is nothing anyone could say to me to make me go off like that. You know how it goes-- sticks and stones and all that. I can be offended just like the next guy and I'm capable of firing back, but nobody could say anything to make me act like that and to say all sorts of nasty racial stuff, especially since I don't believe it.

You appear to believe this might have been racially motivated on the part of the black guys in the audience. Maybe it wast. I tend to lump most racists immediately into the "moron" category so they just couldn't say anything racially motivated to get my blood boiling. They are too dumb to get me all that riled up. What's the point?

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Hanna Sniper

So are you the kettle or the pot?

How the hell can you know for sure they are African American, it’s a shame that we have to label someone as “insert tag here” just because of the colour of their skin. We can assume they are AMERICAN and that’s just an assumption because of where the video was taken.

Example
I never understood this, Say a man moves to USA from Africa… three generations later his great grandson is born and you call that child African American and NOT an American… that’s still racist just a hell of a lot politer then what Richards did.
Oh just for kicks, that man that moved from Africa in my example was white

I agree with you on that. Calling someone an African American is unleveling the field again. What about people from Jamica or Hati? Calling them African American would be pretty rude. This "political correctness" it just causing another class division.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by hah

I did not see the entire "show" just the clip on the internet. Maybe he was playing a "character" at the time of the clip.

Well there is nothing in any of the new stories about it being part of the act or the character.

Nor has there been a statement by Richards or his reps saying it was part of the act.

Nor is there a history of it ever being part of the act.

So if that is indeed the point you are trying to make, well its a pretty big reach.

[Cheese]

Other links...

Defence of Richards

other article saying he made amends...

He later told CNN, off-camera, that he was sorry for what happened and that he had made amends. 24 hours later, he was back performing on the same stage.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by Hanna Sniper

So are you the kettle or the pot?

How the hell can you know for sure they are African American, it’s a shame that we have to label someone as “insert tag here” just because of the colour of their skin. We can assume they are AMERICAN and that’s just an assumption because of where the video was taken.

Example
I never understood this, Say a man moves to USA from Africa… three generations later his great grandson is born and you call that child African American and NOT an American… that’s still racist just a hell of a lot politer then what Richards did.
Oh just for kicks, that man that moved from Africa in my example was white

I agree with you, I never liked the Label African American in fact I hate labeling people by the color of there skin altogether, I didn’t make the word and I only use it because to me the word “black” isn’t very liberating either, referring to anyone only by the color of there skin isn’t, the only reason I did use it is because in my post I had to be specific to that group and for lack of a better term I used African American I could have used black or the black race, all to me are stupid because again all they are doing is labeling someone by the color of there skin which is wrong.

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

So I guess all black people are racist then because the are always calling each other niger.

That's different. It is well known that when African-Americans call themselves that, that it's a term for "bro" or "dude". Like hey "n....." what's up? It's acceptable in that tone to them because they are using it in a tone that doesn't portray hate.

[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Other links...

Defence of Richards

Your "Defence of Richards" link makes a lot of sense. Personally I think
one minor instance shouldn't mark a man for life. The reason I said minor is because he was only using words. Some guys said some bad words to him and he responded with bad words back. I hate our politically correct culture. An insult is an insult. If it was motivated by their skin color that would be one thing. It seems obvious that the motivation was some things these two black men were saying which conveniently were edited from the tape. Was he right to say those bad words? No but, being wrong is a pretty natural human occurrence. Sometimes it's hard to give a measured response once someone has got under your skin.

I do wonder if the filmer had permission to film in the club. I also wonder if the filmer had some association with the two black men.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

That's different. It is well known that when African-Americans call themselves that, that it's a term for "bro" or "dude". Like hey "n....." what's up? It's acceptable in that tone to them because they are using it in a tone that doesn't portray hate.

If you read my other posts...that is exactly what I am saying.....the word itself is not racist it is how the word is used.