You have to watch a 30 second comercial first
http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/showbiz/2006/11/19/b.anderson.nword.cnn

Season 7 will not sell well, and I wonder about the rest of the seasons.

Michael Richards exploded in anger as he performed at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday, hurling racial epithets that left the crowd gasping, and TMZ has obtained exclusive video of the ugly incident.

Richards, who played the wacky Cosmo Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," appeared onstage at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. It appears two guys, both African-American, were in the cheap seats playfully heckling Richards when suddenly, the comedian lost it.

The camera started rolling just as Richards began his attack, screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass."

Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf**ker. Throw his ass out. He's a ******! He's a ******! He's a ******! A ******, look, there's a ******!"

The crowd is visibly and audibly confused and upset. Richards responds by saying, "They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a ******."

One of the men who was the object of Richard's tirade was outraged, shouting back "That''s un-f***ing called for, ain't necessary."

After the three minute tirade, it appears the majority of the audience members got up and left in disgust.

Attempts to reach Richard's reps were unsuccessful

Just like I've said before "The more things change, the more they remain the same".

He might of apologized and made amends but the damage is done!

I always thought he was the quiet and shy type in real life

Hope he gets blacklisted. Absolutely no excuse for that whatsoever. :mad:

I am embarrassed to use his characters name now. The rage was caught on tape though not well. I had problems viewing it with firefox.

http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1772645

There is no excuse for this behavior coming from anyone. Period. I have 0 respect for this man now. I'm just in shock. I cant believe that he would use language like that. Ever.

I think it will slow sales to be honest. Out of order and not funny

Richards will be on David Letterman tonight via satellite to explain and say he is sorry. Jerry will be there too because he was already scheduled to be on Letterman.

I haven't seen the video yet, but it has been all over the news about what he's done. I am shocked that he would do something so distasteful and disrespectful.

What a bizarre display. It looked like he just flipped out.

http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/ap-richards-apologizes-for-racial-slurs/60837.htm


"(AP) Richards Apologizes for Racial Slurs"

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES

Michael Richards said Monday he spewed racial epithets during a stand-up comedy routine because he lost his cool while being heckled and not because he's a bigot. "For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry," the former "Seinfeld" co-star said during a satellite appearance for David Letterman's "Late Show."

"I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this," Richards said, his tone becoming angry and frustrated as he defended himself. A...
...clip from the show played on CBS before "Late Show" aired Monday night.

Richards described himself as going into "a rage" over the two audience members who interrupted his act Friday at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Richards responded to the black hecklers with repeated use of the "n word" and profanities.

Jerry Seinfeld, who had issued a statement saying he was "sick over this horrible, horrible mistake" and calling it offensive, was scheduled as a Letterman guest Monday. He encouraged Richards to make a satellite appearance to talk about the incident, a CBS publicist said.

Richards, 57, who played Seinfeld's eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom and whose major credit since was a failed 2000 comedy, hadn't spoken publicly about his remarks before "Late Show." Calls to his representatives were not returned Monday.

His on-stage remarks were condemned by industry colleagues.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards' performance, said he was shocked.

"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining," Rodriguez told CNN."Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."

His Laugh Factory tirade began after the two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn't funny. A videotape of the incident was posted on TMZ.com.

Richards retorted: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f------ fork up your a--."

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now mother------. Throw his a-- out. He's a n-----!"Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

Moderating his tone at one point, Richards tells the audience, "It shocks you, it shocks you" and refers to "what lays buried."

While there is some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping "Oh my God" and people respond with "ooh" after Richards uses the n-word.

Eventually someone calls out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. `Seinfeld,' that's it."

On Monday, about a half-dozen community activistsgathered at the club to denounce Richards' remarks and demand an apology.

"These kind of comments hurt all of us," said protester Lita Sister Herron of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. She called Richards' comments hate speech.

The protesters also demanded an apology from the Laugh Factory. At a news conference a short time later, club owner Jamie Masada expressed remorse and said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he's sorry.

"This is one thing we don't tolerate. ... I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart," Masada said Monday.

Richards didappear at the club Saturday, without incident, but that was because he had told the club he intended to apologize, according to a Laugh Factory statement Monday.

Rodriguez, also at the news conference, said: "I kept expecting a punch line. It didn't come."

Veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included comedians George Carlin, Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield, called Richards' remarks inexcusable. Comics often face hecklers without losing their cool, he said.

"It's never seen anything like this is my life," Levine said Monday. "I think it's a career ruinerfor him. ... It's going to be a long road back for him, if at all."

Daryl Pitts, a Laugh Factory audience member interviewed by CNN, compared the incident to another recent celebrity controversy.

"You think about Mel Gibson and what he said, and put that in the context of this, it's very upsetting," Pitts said, referring to Gibson's anti-Semitic outburst during his arrest for drunken driving.

Scrutiny of Richards' remarks likely will continue but won't match the level prompted by Gibson's behavior because Richards is far less famous, Levine said.

Comedian GeorgeLopez told Los Angeles television station KTLA that he thought Richards' lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor.

"The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn't know what to do when an audience is disruptive," Lopez said. "He's an actor whose show has been off the air, he shouldn't ever be on a stand-up gig."

He will probably say he was drunk. Whatever, that was uncalled for. No excuse whatsoever for saying those words. I have been to that comedy club in Los Angeles. There were a few times that people in the audience are drunk and say stupid stuff, pure hecklers. But the comedians would know how to snap back with something funny. I never expected to see this from Richards. I won't see him the same way anymore.

What a bizarre display. It looked like he just flipped out.

Maybe he was snorting a little sumthin sumthin.

I just saw his apology on Letterman and it seemed sincere. The guy lost it. Was it right what he said. Hell no, but, he came out and apologized in front of the nation, and that took guts.

I am embarrassed to use his characters name now. The rage was caught on tape though not well. I had problems viewing it with firefox.

http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1772645


I use Firefox and I went to the tmz.com website and they have the video clip everyone's talking about and the video's seen around the world on the Internet.

Click here (http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1772645).

tmz.com.

Try viewing the video using Firefox, the video should work.

He looked very STRANGE on David Letterman tonight

Downright scary and pathetic...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amjUNF_R_PY

Apology or not, I don't think I'll ever look at Michael Richards the same way again. I feel worse about him than I do about Mel Gibson, probably because I've seen the video of the vile filth that spewed out of Mr. Richards' mouth.

It's going to be a long road to redemption for him.

Apology or not, I don't think I'll ever look at Michael Richards the same way again. I feel worse about him than I do about Mel Gibson, probably because I've seen the video of the vile filth that spewed out of Mr. Richards' mouth.

It's going to be a long road to redemption for him.
I think the thing that makes this different for Richards vs. Mel, is the fact that Mel was drunk. Richards was not. Richards was caught on camera, not Mel. With technology nowadays, not only are cops being caught on camera doing things they shouldn't, but now EVERYONE will be caught. Richards, in my opinion, only apologized because it was on camera and everyone saw it. Including himself and he saw in his own eyes what he said. Had it not been on camera, I wonder if he would have appeared quickly and apologized.

For a guy who's not a racist, Richards sure was smooth in delivering those lines... no hesitation whatsoever. Plus, he not only used the dreaded "N" word, he made reference to lynching as well...

Of course, (on Letterman) he blamed it on the Bush's response to Katrina...guess that's why he has all this 'rage' inside of him...

The guy is not a stand up comic...he's an actor (or at least, he was)... just because he played a funny character, doesn't mean he can make people laugh as a stand up comic...totally different world there..

I've always thought Richards is a little weird. He was out of line, but what about the ones who were heckling him? They are the ones who started it in the first place. Richards should have known better and not flip out like that, but security should have stepped in and swiftly removed the hecklers from the club. Then maybe nothing further would have happened.

Of course, (on Letterman) he blamed it on the Bush's response to Katrina...
He did? That takes the cake in the "Bush's fault" department . :lol:

I've always thought Richards is a little weird. He was out of line, but what about the ones who were heckling him? They are the ones who started it in the first place. Richards should have known better and not flip out like that, but security should have stepped in and swiftly removed the hecklers from the club. Then maybe nothing further would have happened.


If you are a stand comedian and you are being heckled, you are supposed to have the comedy skills to make fun of them and have the crowd laughing and then eventually they will laugh. Richards just proved he has no skills to be a comedian

He mentioned Katrina, didn't mention "Bush's response."

The apology can be seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iWLgsW7zdpE

If you are a stand comedian and you are being heckled, you are supposed to have the comedy skills to make fun of them and have the crowd laughing and then eventually they will laugh. Richards just proved he has no skills to be a comedian

I agree, Richards is more of a comedic actor than a stand up comedian.

I went and saw George Carlin in 1998, and he was heckled by someone a row in front of me. He lashed out at the guy in anger, but it was actually funny and controlled. It was also quite a bit shorter than Richards' explosion.

First time I ever heard of Michael Richards was on the old late night ABC show Fridays, so I assumed he's been around comedy, stand-up and otherwise, a long time and would know of a better way to handle hecklers. That wasn't just being angry at hecklers, there's definitely I think some deep anger he's been carrying around inside him.

If you are a stand comedian and you are being heckled, you are supposed to have the comedy skills to make fun of them and have the crowd laughing and then eventually they will laugh. Richards just proved he has no skills to be a comedian

Maybe Richards was having a bad night. Still no excuse for the heckling. I'd like to know what they said to him. Maybe they said something pretty bad in order for him to lose it like that. Heckling can lead to hostility. If you go to see a stand up comic and you don't think the person is funny, best thing to do is just walk out. That's gets the message across without being verbally disrespectful to the performer.

He mentioned Katrina, didn't mention "Bush's response."

The apology can be seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iWLgsW7zdpE

True.. you have to take it a step further to understand that "Katrina" IS code for the Feds supposed ineptness... Richards couldn't have been angry simply because a hurricane hit...we get those all the time.... "Katrina" has a meaning all its own...

But I don't really want this to get into politics, I just wanted to point out that there was no reason for Richards to mention Katrina in order to "explain" his actions....

I've always thought Richards is a little weird. He was out of line, but what about the ones who were heckling him? They are the ones who started it in the first place. Richards should have known better and not flip out like that, but security should have stepped in and swiftly removed the hecklers from the club. Then maybe nothing further would have happened.

Good point...as often happens, the instigators got off scot-free

it was a peculiar outburst but he seems genuinely sorry, no harm done in my book

Has the possibility been considered Richards has been on some sort of drug or something?

Has the possibility been considered Richards has been on some sort of drug or something?


I always thought so by the way he played the Kramer character

Good point...as often happens, the instigators got off scot-free
I have been to the Laugh Factory many times. Hecklers are part of the deal. That is why George Lopez and Paul Rodriguez stood up and stated you don't go there when it comes to hecklers. Professional comedians know how to deal with hecklers. They deal with them all the time. It's nothing new. So, let's not go there with the "lets blame the victims" statements.

Richards was at the Improv in October, looks like people didn't like his performance there either (no rage there though):
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724245/board/nest/56136628

I have been to the Laugh Factory many times. Hecklers are part of the deal. That is why George Lopez and Paul Rodriguez stood up and stated you don't go there when it comes to hecklers. Professional comedians know how to deal with hecklers. They deal with them all the time. It's nothing new. So, let's not go there with the "lets blame the victims" statements.

Heckling should not be allowed, period. Why should it be OK to insult the comedian? Even if it's part of the act, I think it's in poor taste and humor at someone else's expense is not funny. Richards was as much a victim as the hecklers were. Both are to blame. If you attend a show and don't think the comedian is funny, just walk out.

I just wanted to say how shocked i was to hear about what Micheal Richards did that jsut does not sound like him like many foks put on here i myself thought he was a quiet kind of man but as far a slow sales of season 7 i still think it wil sell ok bease i reading somewhere that when seinfeld seasons 1&2 came out on dvd jerry said he wanted all 9 seasons to be realsed on dvd again i know that michel is soory for what he did


:wave:

Heckling should not be allowed, period. Why should it be OK to insult the comedian? Even if it's part of the act, I think it's in poor taste and humor at someone else's expense is not funny. Richards was as much a victim as the hecklers were. Both are to blame. If you attend a show and don't think the comedian is funny, just walk out.

Yeah, I don't understand why clubs allow heckling... certainly some comedians are better at handling it than others, but there's no reason to allow it....I've been to a few comedy club shows over the years and have enjoyed them, but I've never been at a show involving hecklers. But as Irene said, if hecklers are part of the deal, I suppose it's OK as long as the comedians know that going in...

Just as it happens in many sporting events, some fans think that the show is about THEM...

Richards actually should take a page from "Seinfeld" and show up where these hecklers work, and boo them... now THAT would be funny...

Heckling has been around as long as there has been stand-up comedy. I don't particularly like it, but it is goes with the territory. I thought it was weak that he tried to turn the tables and make it a Katrina issue.

With all his money and fame, if he was so concerned about the handling of Katrina, how come this is the first time we are hearing from him about that?

Any Comedian that can't handle HECKLERS is not qualified to tell jokes on Stage

GOOD RESPONSES MADAME X AND SOLOMON.

May I add some info that Madame X referred to as far as heckling and the origins of it:

Heckling originates from the textile trade, where to heckle was to tease or comb out flax or hemp fibres. The additional meaning - to interrupt speakers with awkward or embarrassing questions - was added in Scotland, and specifically perhaps in early nineteenth century Dundee, a famously radical town where the hecklers who combed the flax had established a reputation as the most radical and belligerent element in the workforce. In the heckling factory, one heckler would read out the day's news while the others worked, to the accompaniment of interruptions and furious debate.

Heckling was a major part of the vaudeville theater. Sometimes it was incorporated into the play. Milton Berle's weekly TV variety series in the 1960s featured a heckler named Sidney Spritzer (German/Yiddish for "Squirter") played by Borscht Belt comic Irving Benson. In the 1970s and 1980s, The Muppet Show, which was also built around a vaudeville theme, featured two hecklers, Statler & Waldorf (two old men named after famous hotels). Heckles are now particularly likely to be heard at stand-up comedy performances, to unsettle or compete with the performer.

I just purchased season 7 today...and to be quite honnest, I'm not really in the mood to watch it tonight. I just heard about this whole thing today and let me tell you, I am truely dissapointed and sickened!!!

Before even seeing the video, i had a different image of how the whole thing had happend, but ever since i've seen the video, that image grew 10 times worse.

Keep in mind folks that one of the guys who was shouting to Richards onstage said him and his friends were "playfully" heckling him.

What does that mean?

;)

Richards actually should take a page from "Seinfeld" and show up where these hecklers work, and boo them... now THAT would be funny...

You're just begging for some poor sap to lose a pinky toe.

it was a peculiar outburst but he seems genuinely sorry, no harm done in my book
Haha, peculiar my ass! lol. For him to say something like 50 years ago we would stick a fork in you and hang you is over the top. Honestly, 50 years ago is not that long ago. Those were his true feelings, I do not think a non-racist would say that off the top of his head, and if he was drunk, it just means he meant it even more because really let their true feelings out when they are drunk lol. Of course he apologized. Do people really think that shows that he did not mean what he said? He's embarrassed that it came out, but I doubt he'd be apologizing if no one caught it on camera and it was not in the news...

I agree that if there was no video he would not have apologized. This happened Friday and he apologized on Monday. He said he was going to apologize the next day (Saturday) but he ignored it and hoped it would go away. In the news stories from CNN he could not be reached for comment. When the video got out people saw how racial the video really was, and he knew he was busted.

Haha, peculiar my ass! lol. For him to say something like 50 years ago we would stick a fork in you and hang you is over the top. Honestly, 50 years ago is not that long ago. Those were his true feelings, I do not think a non-racist would say that off the top of his head, and if he was drunk, it just means he meant it even more because really let their true feelings out when they are drunk lol. Of course he apologized. Do people really think that shows that he did not mean what he said? He's embarrassed that it came out, but I doubt he'd be apologizing if no one caught it on camera and it was not in the news...


Thank You!!! He was showing his true colors. By him using the n-word was a stretch but to talk about lynching, that topped the cake. He ONLY feels bad because he got caught.

WARNING, WARNING...DANGER, DANGER!!! NEW TWIST TO THIS STORY!!!!


The two guys that Richards was yelling at are filing a lawsuit...their attorney is GLORIA ALLRED!!!

The two guys were on Hannity and Colmes last night (Wed), and one of the guys said he felt intimidated...

INTIMIDATED??? What did he think, the crowd was suddenly going to turn on him and lynch him? It was obvious from the crowd reaction that if anyone was going to be lynched, it was going to be Richards...

Also, the guy claims that he brought his 4 year old nephew to the show, and the nephew is traumatized... he brings a 4 year old to a comedy club?? Gee, why not just bring the kid to the nearest whorehouse and REALLY show him what the world is like...

But I can't believe this guy says he felt intimidated... if you're intimidated by Kramer, is there ANYTHING that WON'T intimidate you??

:racist: Stupid. He lost it and its going totake a loooooong time to make amends with that.

This is ridiculous. The man messed up. That's no question. If the hecklers would have called him a derogatory names do you think it would have made headlines? He said and referred to the African American audience members in a fashion that he and almost every other white person does when they are not around. Big surprise! I will say it was rude and not appropriate . I once walked into a store room and overheard blacks making horrible comments about whites. Allot of the world is racist. Not just Michael Richards. African Americans often refer to themselves as ******s. Though I think the word is rude. Allot of those entertainment guys saying they are ashamed of him are bigots too. We still have a long way to go before the secret hate I see brewing amongst all races comes to an end. There are plenty of people that could grow up. I don't think the hecklers deserve any money. If they were truly tortured by the comments they would have only asked for an apology. Hopefully no one takes this the wrong way because I have always loved all forms of human life. Hang in there Michael Richards. And... clean up your act.

I think you crave too much spotlight time. I was displeased to see you on the news again. What's the point?

This is ridiculous. The man messed up. That's no question. If the hecklers would have called him a derogatory names do you think it would have made headlines? He said and referred to the African American audience members in a fashion that he and almost every other white person does when they are not around. Big surprise! I will say it was rude and not appropriate . I once walked into a store room and overheard blacks making horrible comments about whites. Allot of the world is racist. Not just Michael Richards. African Americans often refer to themselves as ******s. Though I think the word is rude. Allot of those entertainment guys saying they are ashamed of him are bigots too. We still have a long way to go before the secret hate I see brewing amongst all races comes to an end. There are plenty of people that could grow up. I don't think the hecklers deserve any money. If they were truly tortured by the comments they would have only asked for an apology. Hopefully no one takes this the wrong way because I have always loved all forms of human life. Hang in there Michael Richards. And... clean up your act.



Where the hell did u come from?-lol

Where the hell did u come from?-lol
:lol: :lol:

I don't know if he is a complete racist, he is the only one who truly knows the answer to that. And even if he is he isn't going to go public announcing he is a racist. I will still continue to watch Seinfeld in syndiction and buy the DVD's. His personal beleives have nothing to do with the show itself.

There is nothing wrong with caucasians referring to blacks as ******s. If some blacks refer to other blacks as ******s then why can't caucasians refer to blacks as ******s? On Sanford And Son the word ****** was utilized a lot by the blacks on that program.:cool:

He will probably say he was drunk. Whatever, that was uncalled for. No excuse whatsoever for saying those words.

Very good points you bring up. I don't give a flying fig as to whether he was drunk or not. It was obvious that he had some feelings bottled up inside and let them out. I take offense to that. I do not care if his career is ruined. You are right, "whatever". I get tired of people using their drunkeness as a crutch. Some girl spit in my face two years ago and the cops would not arrest her because they called it aggravated battery. She also tried to get a little racial with me in my taxi cab. I let the state bring her to court since the police would not help and then the judge put her in check when all was said and done.

I have no respect for that jerk. I normally do not make public comments that are negative towards to T.V. personalites on message boards but this jackass deserves it! It makes me mad to even think about it now. How dare he?:sarah:

I wonder what Oprah has to say about it.

This is ridiculous. The man messed up. That's no question. If the hecklers would have called him a derogatory names do you think it would have made headlines? He said and referred to the African American audience members in a fashion that he and almost every other white person does when they are not around. Big surprise! I will say it was rude and not appropriate . I once walked into a store room and overheard blacks making horrible comments about whites. Allot of the world is racist. Not just Michael Richards. African Americans often refer to themselves as ******s. Though I think the word is rude. Allot of those entertainment guys saying they are ashamed of him are bigots too. We still have a long way to go before the secret hate I see brewing amongst all races comes to an end. There are plenty of people that could grow up. I don't think the hecklers deserve any money. If they were truly tortured by the comments they would have only asked for an apology. Hopefully no one takes this the wrong way because I have always loved all forms of human life. Hang in there Michael Richards. And... clean up your act.


Sorry, I respect your right to express your opinion but I beg to differ with some of the comments. It shows that he was harboring some resentment on the inside and wanted to hit the two men where it hurt. I don't blame him for being mad that two people heckled him, but he must have been weak to use racism to fight back and to use it as a crutch. He better get his act together. I don't refer to my self as the N-Word. I will correct people on that as well whether they are black or white. I let them know what my name is. Whether blacks call themselves that or not, to have someone out the race say it in the manner that Michael Richards expressed it was vulgar, wrong and meant to offend.

Sorry, I respect your right to express your opinion but I beg to differ with some of the comments. It shows that he was harboring some resentment on the inside and wanted to hit the two men where it hurt. I don't blame him for being mad that two people heckled him, but he must have been weak to use racism to fight back and to use it as a crutch. He better get his act together. I don't refer to my self as the N-Word. I will correct people on that as well whether they are black or white. I let them know what my name is. Whether blacks call themselves that or not, to have someone out the race say it in the manner that Michael Richards expressed it was vulgar, wrong and meant to offend.
That is a good point. Richards being "weak" as to having to use racism, skin color as a way to "get back" at those guys. That is such a good way of putting it.

This is a good example of why Richards is not a stand-up comedian. A professional stand-up comedian knows how to deal with hecklers, drunks and so forth while on stage.

Well, Ms Irene, he got them back. I'm sure that it was a load off his mind...at the time. All it cost him was the respect of many others out there for possibly the rest of his life.

Well, Ms Irene, he got them back. I'm sure that it was a load off his mind...at the time. All it cost him was the respect of many others out there for possibly the rest of his life.
So true, so very true.

O.J. is probably thanking him Michael for taking some of the heat off him. LOL. Michael Richards new book, "if I did say the "N" word, this is how I would have said it.".....LOL.

This guy has some serious issues. that WAS uncalled for. but he will get what he deserves people will just not be at any more of his shows and any event he will be out talk about gettin heckled.

Season 7 will not sell well, and I wonder about the rest of the seasons.

I still copped season 7....

I still copped season 7.... I did too, Richards was irritated, and the guy was being ignorant by heckling, which is one of the many definitions of the word. I'm black, the word only has power if you give it power. Just like a toaster.

I did too, Richards was irritated, and the guy was being ignorant by heckling, which is one of the many definitions of the word. I'm black, the word only has power if you give it power. Just like a toaster.


I never understood why so many black people gave that word so much power. Basically give a certain white person the power that they can make you upset just by saying one word. Makes no sense

I will never be bothered by the word