HOLLYWOOD - Funnyman Jerry Seinfeld turned serious on TV last night when he urged The Late Show's live studio audience to "stop laughing" as members chuckled at pal Michael Richards.
Richards was appearing on the show, hosted by David Letterman, to address the controversy following his racist rant onstage at a Los Angeles comedy club.

The comedian, who played quirky Cosmo Kramer opposite Seinfeld in cult sitcom Seinfeld, stunned his audience at the Laugh Factory on Friday after turning on two African-American hecklers.

But, as he attempted to apologize to America on TV last night via satellite from Hollywood, many studio audience members thought the whole stunt was a joke.

Richards said, "I lost my temper onstage... I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage and said some pretty nasty things to some Afro-Americans."

But Seinfeld, a guest in the studio in New York, took offense when some audience members found his comments funny and began laughing.

He said, "Stop laughing. It's not funny."

This prompted Richards to address the chuckling: "I'm hearing your audience laugh and I'm not even sure that this is where I should be addressing the situation... I'm really busted up over this."

HOLLYWOOD - Funnyman Jerry Seinfeld turned serious on TV last night when he urged The Late Show's live studio audience to "stop laughing" as members chuckled at pal Michael Richards.
Richards was appearing on the show, hosted by David Letterman, to address the controversy following his racist rant onstage at a Los Angeles comedy club.

The comedian, who played quirky Cosmo Kramer opposite Seinfeld in cult sitcom Seinfeld, stunned his audience at the Laugh Factory on Friday after turning on two African-American hecklers.

But, as he attempted to apologize to America on TV last night via satellite from Hollywood, many studio audience members thought the whole stunt was a joke.

Richards said, "I lost my temper onstage... I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage and said some pretty nasty things to some Afro-Americans."

But Seinfeld, a guest in the studio in New York, took offense when some audience members found his comments funny and began laughing.

He said, "Stop laughing. It's not funny."

This prompted Richards to address the chuckling: "I'm hearing your audience laugh and I'm not even sure that this is where I should be addressing the situation... I'm really busted up over this."



They laughed because of how WEIRD he looked on Satellite-LOL I was like-"This is man not normal"

They laughed because of how WEIRD he looked on Satellite-LOL I was like-"This is man not normal"


They heckle when he is trying to be funny and they laugh when he is trying to be serious. lol

Perhaps if he went on a news show instead of a comedy show people would take him more seriously.

They heckle when he is trying to be funny and they laugh when he is trying to be serious. lol
By George, you figured it out! :lol: :lol: :lol: Now he knows how to make people laugh. Notice, when he apologized, he behaved somewhat like Kramer? :lol: :lol:

Perhaps if he went on a news show instead of a comedy show people would take him more seriously.

No kidding and when he said
"I'm not even sure that this is where I should be addressing the situation"

That is the smartest thing he has said in a long time! Did he think just going on Letterman was going to fix the problem? He needs to also go on Larry King or somebody high profile and apologize so more people would see it.

By George, you figured it out! :lol: :lol: :lol: Now he knows how to make people laugh. Notice, when he apologized, he behaved somewhat like Kramer? :lol: :lol:


He sure was which is why they were laughing-lol

Perhaps if he went on a news show instead of a comedy show people would take him more seriously.
He probably wanted the kid glove treatment, and a news show host would probably be tough on him.

They heckle when he is trying to be funny and they laugh when he is trying to be serious.

That's exactly what I was thinking... :eek:

i don't see the point of apologizing because we all know that forced apologies are a pile of YOU KNOW WHAT. If he is racist then let him be racist,

No kidding and when he said
"I'm not even sure that this is where I should be addressing the situation"

That is the smartest thing he has said in a long time! Did he think just going on Letterman was going to fix the problem? He needs to also go on Larry King or somebody high profile and apologize so more people would see it.


He is scheduled to go on Oprah.

I would also be upset at The Audience for Laughting

He is scheduled to go on Oprah.


WHY?????????????????/, all he is doing is looking more and more stupid

WHY?????????????????/, all he is doing is looking more and more stupid

ratings

I was upset too that they were laughing. He was trying to apologize and the audience didn't seem to understand until Jerry Seinfeld told them not to laugh. I know Ricards is cursed by his role as Kramer but this was reality, not a TV show role he was playing.

I was upset too that they were laughing. He was trying to apologize and the audience didn't seem to understand until Jerry Seinfeld told them not to laugh. I know Ricards is cursed by his role as Kramer but this was reality, not a TV show role he was playing.


They were laughing because the Apology was FORCED and FAKE

I was upset too that they were laughing. He was trying to apologize and the audience didn't seem to understand until Jerry Seinfeld told them not to laugh. I know Ricards is cursed by his role as Kramer but this was reality, not a TV show role he was playing.

The majority of the audience are yahoos from out of town. They probably didn't even know Richards actually did call somebody the "N" word. So to them, they probably thought it was some kind of skit.

They were laughing because the Apology was FORCED and FAKE

I don't think it was.

The majority of the audience are yahoos from out of town. They probably didn't even know Richards actually did call somebody the "N" word. So to them, they probably thought it was some kind of skit.

That makes sense.

The thing is is Richards truly sorry or is he doing damage control? It's always going to be in my mind now. He wasn't drunk or anything so I don't know how he can be that stupid. He isn't a newcomer to Hollywood. He should have known this would get out.

I don't think it was.


Why Not?

i don't see the point of apologizing because we all know that forced apologies are a pile of YOU KNOW WHAT. If he is racist then let him be racist,

I saw the "Letterman" appearance and never for a moment did I think his apology was "forced" or "fake."
He did indeed look "broken up" about what happened and I took him at his word.
"If he is racist, then let him be racist" is an interesting quote. The fact is, a racist doesn't ask for or wait for permission to be racist, does he?

I think it's important to draw a distinction between rage and racism-How many of us have been caught saying things that we've deeply regretted later, and how many of us would be comfortable saying that our angriest words best represented us?

I saw the "Letterman" appearance and never for a moment did I think his apology was "forced" or "fake."
He did indeed look "broken up" about what happened and I took him at his word.
"If he is racist, then let him be racist" is an interesting quote. The fact is, a racist doesn't ask for or wait for permission to be racist, does he?

I think it's important to draw a distinction between rage and racism-How many of us have been caught saying things that we've deeply regretted later, and how many of us would be comfortable saying that our angriest words best represented us?
I understand what you are saying.

However, Richards went beyond saying such angry words. We have all, I am sure, said things out of anger and regretted it. However, I don't get so angry that I would spew out what occurred to black people fifty years ago. Hell, I don't ever mention race or skin color at all when I am angry at a person. If I get mad at a woman who almost caused me to have a car accident, I would say, "You stupid broad." Her skin wouldn't come into my mind.

Richards started out bashing these guys calling them cheapskates because of the seats they had. That was sorta funny, because he was talking abt something other than their skin color. When he decided to refer to their skin color to bash them, that is when he crossed the line. He doesn't have to be a racist to say such hatred. That was enough.

He should have gone on Oprah, but he didn't...who knows, maybe he will. He chose Letterman, I'm sure because he did not feel he would be grilled the same way he would be on a show like Larry King or Oprah. I read on another message board that someone who knew someone with connections to him knows that he was part of a white supremacist orgaanization...whether that is true or not, who knows, but obviously it's not surprising lol.

I saw the "Letterman" appearance and never for a moment did I think his apology was "forced" or "fake."
He did indeed look "broken up" about what happened and I took him at his word.
"If he is racist, then let him be racist" is an interesting quote. The fact is, a racist doesn't ask for or wait for permission to be racist, does he?

I think it's important to draw a distinction between rage and racism-How many of us have been caught saying things that we've deeply regretted later, and how many of us would be comfortable saying that our angriest words best represented us?
Well duh, he was broken up about it because he was caught. Not all racist people are explicit and public with their racism, but it does come out. I believe that what he said were his true feelings because he did not even need a minute to start calling him the N word. And not only did he say the N word, but he started talking about lynching and how not long ago he could force a shovel in him, and no one would care. That's deeper than a random moment of rage; I wouldn't go yelling for the lynching of black people if I was enraged that a black woman cut in front of me in liine...

Why Not?

Because the way I listened to him he seemed sincere. I don't know that he was but I felt he was. I hope he was and I hope he makes good on seeking help from African American leaders like Al Sharpton who he has supposedly talked to about this incident.

Well duh, he was broken up about it because he was caught. Not all racist people are explicit and public with their racism, but it does come out. I believe that what he said were his true feelings because he did not even need a minute to start calling him the N word. And not only did he say the N word, but he started talking about lynching and how not long ago he could force a shovel in him, and no one would care. That's deeper than a random moment of rage; I wouldn't go yelling for the lynching of black people if I was enraged that a black woman cut in front of me in liine...
Exactly. I don't go using words referencing the color of someone's skin or yell abt what happened to their families or ancestors years ago. As if long ago it was "ok"...it was not ok then and it's not ok now.

Because the way I listened to him he seemed sincere. I don't know that he was but I felt he was. I hope he was and I hope he makes good on seeking help from African American leaders like Al Sharpton who he has supposedly talked to about this incident.
He seemed sincerely sorry he was caught is what I felt from the incident. I don't think talking to Al Sharpton will help him in the black community lol, many black people don't think Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson do anything anyway.

He seemed sincerely sorry he was caught is what I felt from the incident. I don't think talking to Al Sharpton will help him in the black community lol, many black people don't think Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson do anything anyway.

When you say he got caught what do you mean? Even if it wasn't on film that night , what happened still would have gotten out. You and I don't know how he truly feels. I don't care for Al Sharpton myself, but that is who Richards called, so I hope he is truly sorry and can try and atone for what he has done.

It was without a doubt the most awkward interview i have ever seen on Letterman's program.

When you say he got caught what do you mean? Even if it wasn't on film that night , what happened still would have gotten out. You and I don't know how he truly feels. I don't care for Al Sharpton myself, but that is who Richards called, so I hope he is truly sorry and can try and atone for what he has done.
I mean that he's embarrassed that his true racist feelings are now on camera and public for the world to see and hear, and now has to act as apologetic as possible as he can act in order to save his name (he IS an actor). Don't you understand that there is no option other than seeming apologetic and sorry? Even if he isn't and those were his true feelings (like I believe they were; you have to have a good amount of hatred toward black people to say the things he said imo) he has to make himself look like he's the most apologetic person EVER. Like I said, when someone of another race does something to me, I don't start shouting about lynching and killing their race like "back in the good ol days," even if I were outraged; apparently when black people heckled him, the first thing that came in his mind was to call them "******s" and talk about going back to the day where if a black person talked back to a white person, they would would be hung or have a pitchfork stuck in their ass, as if he longed for those times to come again.

I mean that he's embarrassed that his true racist feelings are now on camera and public for the world to see and hear, and now has to act as apologetic as possible as he can act in order to save his name (he IS an actor). Don't you understand that there is no option other than seeming apologetic and sorry? Even if he isn't and those were his true feelings (like I believe they were; you have to have a good amount of hatred toward black people to say the things he said imo) he has to make himself look like he's the most apologetic person EVER. Like I said, when someone of another race does something to me, I don't start shouting about lynching and killing their race like "back in the good ol days," even if I were outraged; apparently when black people heckled him, the first thing that came in his mind was to call them "******s" and talk about going back to the day where if a black person talked back to a white person, they would would be hung or have a pitchfork stuck in their ass, as if he longed for those times to come again.

Ok now I understand what you mean about being caught. Don't get me wrong what he did was wrong and I don't know if he is a racist or just lost it or what, but I still hope that he is sorry and will try and get past this obvious anger he has.

I just have to add that some of your arguments here don't make any sense.

"If I was ---------- by a black person I wouldn't call him/her anything racist" Well I guess your name is not Michael Richards then? You can't expect every person to react the same way. The fact that you wouldn't have done that doesn't mean he's racist for doing so and is a weak argument.

They pissed him off, he was annoyed and my guess is he wanted to insult them in a way that hurt the most, and he did. It was stupid and uncalled for but that doesn't make him a racist IMO.

What he said was racist/he wanted to insult them in a way that hurt the most like someone said I still like his character on the show. It doesn't make me hate the character, I can seperate Kramer from Michael or the other way around.

I just have to add that some of your arguments here don't make any sense.

"If I was ---------- by a black person I wouldn't call him/her anything racist" Well I guess your name is not Michael Richards then? You can't expect every person to react the same way. The fact that you wouldn't have done that doesn't mean he's racist for doing so and is a weak argument.

They pissed him off, he was annoyed and my guess is he wanted to insult them in a way that hurt the most, and he did. It was stupid and uncalled for but that doesn't make him a racist IMO.

:rolleyes:

And what you are saying is a weak arguement, wrong is wrong. If you are going to call someone a name based on their race, chances are..you are a racist. I don't care how mad someone gets, to call someone the n word, a "f*g", a d**e", or a "s**c", is just PLAIN WRONG.

I'm pretty sure if he was caught messing with animals, you will call him every name in the book.

This is there opinion, even if it makes sense or not...but then again, your arguement doesn't make sense either and you are making every excuse in the book for this loon.

I couldn't believe people were laughing either when I saw the clip of Michael apologizing. What he did by yelling all those words and names was horrible, and he really should have known better. But from what I read, Jerry had been scheduled to make an appearance on "Letterman" and I'm sure he knew that the Michael Richards situation was going to come up. Therefore he coaxed Michael into making a public apology on national TV. I think people did think it was some sort of comedy act, because seriously, Kramer hardly ever said anything serious on Seinfeld. Some people just can't separate TV characters from actors.
To me, Michael looked really nervous and Jerry knew that, which is probably why he was angry that people started laughing. I can bet you anything that it will never happen again though. I'm afraid that Michael Richard's career won't ever be the same after this.

Andrea