How come the Michael Richards racial slur comments aren't making as much press as the Mel Gibson incident?

Question

It doesn't seem like the media is making a big deal out of the Michael Richards incident and they made a huge deal out of the Mel Gibson racial remark thing. It seems to me that both incidents deserve the same amount of press. What is up with that?

Answer 1

because its okay to degrade African Americans, but don't you dare disrespect a Jew!!! Its the same deal with Indians and Jews getting reparations and what happen to African Americans wasn't major, just a big misunderstanding, like Richards Outburst. My whole point is this, if it was apart of his act or it was like a joke, then its comedy that is what happens in comedy, but this guy was straght up angry, and his true colors were shown. another person asked that same question, and its a shame he is only being slapped on the wrist while Mel Gibson was taunted and degraded. And guess what, the comedy club allowed him to perform the following night...

Answer 2

I believe mike richard's racist slur was worse than Mel Gibson's. Even though I was never a fan of michael richards or the seinfield show, but I think what he did was way out of line. If he was racist when he said what he said 8 years ago he was a racist from the beginning. He should never be seen on tv again after what he done!

Answer 3

Mel Gibson is an A-B list actor while Micheal Richards is on the D list or something like that Everyone only knows Micheal Richards as Kramer. Most ppl (myself included) didn't know his name until this incident.

Answer 4

Michael Richards was already seen as a idiot by most people (they tend to mistake him for his TV character), so a dumb statement from him is expected.

Mel Gibson, by making Passion of the Christ, put himself up as some kind of a "saint" or something. So if he does the same thing he is going to get a lot more reaction because he is preceived as having further to fall.

Plus Gibson is a lot more popular at the time that Richards.

Answer 5

Wow, this is the first I've heard of Michael Richards making racial slurs. I guess he's just not considered as big of a star as Mel Gibson.?.?

Answer 6

What this situation is REALLY about most people are missing. It is not about Michael Richard's racism -- is about the double standard that blacks expect in America. If a black comedian uses the word "honky" or "cracker" nobody bats an eye because whites choose to not be offended by those terms. I could not care less if some black comic calls a white person a cracker or a honky. But blacks have chosen to create this taboo aura around the use of the word n i gg e r so that no one EXCEPT BLACKS CAN USE IT. Blacks call one another n i gg e r all day every day and no one is supposed to bat an eye. It is all right if blacks use it. But whites can't. Mexicans can't. Asians can't. Only blacks get to use that word. What if we as whites suddenly said that only WE can use words like, "graduate", "not guilty", "educated" and we said that blacks cannot use those words--only WE can. Blacks would be screaming within five minutes that we were racist. Yet when blacks choose to only get to use the word n i gg e r it is the EXACT same thing. That proves that blacks don't really mean it when they claim they want to be treated equally--they don't. They want SPECIAL treatment. In effect, they are saying, "WE can use this term but no one else can." Translated that means, "We want to have special privileges that others don't enjoy." Therefore in an ironic twist that only O.Henry would truly appreciate, it is the BLACK community that really demonstrates the most racism over this whole Michael Richards episode much more than Michael Richards does. Ironic huh?

Answer 7

Michael was provoked Mel wasn't I think it shows that everyone has a breaking point I think Michael was under a lot of stress and he was doing his job and this bully wanted to provoke Michael into doing something and he did it was a reaction how long did this guy provoke him and what did he say we heard what Michael said but not the bully remember there is always 2 sides to every story

Answer 8

Richards is no where near as famous as Mel Gibson. Also, Mel was rumored to feel that way, and nobody really had a clue about Kramer. Theya re both racist jerks who have lost my admiration.

Answer 9

Mel Gibson was (and is) a bigger star. Also, because he has a conservative Catholic point of view, many liberals in the media (who have some prejudices of their own) thought he was prejudiced for making a movie about his faith.

Answer 10

We had always felt Mel held these anti-Jew feelings.

Michael is a provoked outburst (but still a bad call)