Should those men who called michael richards (seinfeld) a CRACKER, be called racists?

Question

THese men apparently were heckling mr. richards (kramer) and calling him cracker and he got upset by this and in anger called them N----r. which is just as bad as cracker, he tried to hurt them with language. But, Mr. richards is being called a racist and these men aren't. I think this is very wrong! Do you agree ? Please let people know cracker is just as bad as N---er and I don't understand why this is all Kramer's fault do you ? SPEAK UP AMERICA!!!

this has nothing to do with being a celebrity or being professional. say, this happen on an everday street corner. IS it ok for a black man to call you a cracker , and you call him n----r . everyone calls you a racist, but the black man is not a racist for calling you a cracker> is this right? and yes! calling a white a cracker is the same as calling a black a n---r. it hurts just the same . african american calll each other n---r all the time so it must not hurt them,as much as they say. what do you think?

no one has seen the very beginning of this tape to see what cause it so please don't comment on things we just don't know.

Answer 1

people can call me cracker anytime they want
who cares?
he wanted to stand up and talk and get paid for it
he should be thick skinned by now

he dug his own grave re: his career

Answer 2

Just because it doesn't carry the weight in our society doesn't mean that it's NOT racist. It's racist to call white people crackers or rednecks as much as it is to call a black person a darkie or n*gr. If it was said out of anger or not it doesn't matter because what Michael Richards said was out of anger at being heckled. So, that reasoning is ridiculous because then he would be INNOCENT as well. You should be held accountable for what you say whether or not it's said out of anger.

I believe they are racist if they're going to call white people something racially offensive BUT they were drawn into the argument which was started by Michael Richards when he said they should be hung upside down with a fork stuck where the sun doesn't shine. You can't expect someone not to react to something like that. The audience members did not start it by heckling Mr. Richards calling him a cracker. They were JUST heckling him and Mr. Richards got upset and started with the racist remarks.

Answer 3

I guess they are not good little school boys like you. After the millionth time calling them the N' word and the lynch comment they responded.
Look up how the term cracker originated. It was the white's that used to whip the black slaves.
I am going to assume you haven't been living under a rock all your life so I am going to assume where the N word originated from.

And who came up with the idea all "black people" call each other the N word. Seriously do you think Condoleeza rice or Oprah are going to greet someone like Mandela or any other black person with that term. Not every white person is a racist and not every black person uses that word.

Why anyone justifies that idiot's ranting and ravings is beyond me. It called self-control and sparing others from the idiot one is really.

Answer 4

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 5

1) They called him a cracker AFTER he called them N****r about a dozen times, threatened to have them ejected from the club because they were Black and threatened to have them lynched.

2) the N word has a lot more historical baggage than cracker. Notice how, in your email, you can write out cracker, but not N****r - which proves my point!

3) He condemned a whole race of people just because of the obnoxious actions of two men. There are 37 million Black people in America - why did Michael Richards condemn all of us, just because two guys were jerks!

He's the racist, not the two guys

Answer 6

He was called a CRACKER after he dropped the N* bomb several times and after he stated what would have happened 50 years ago. Comedians get heckled all the time and they keep on keeping on. The exchange between the audience and the comedian is what makes the comedy more funny. But when you resort to racial epithets like those used by Mr. Richards, then that changes the environment/mood of the crowd. A CRACKER was a name used in the days of slavery to identify the person CRACKING the whip. Sometimes the slave master would use one of his own slaves to oversee the slaves in the field and he would have been called a CRACKER too.

Answer 7

Yes. and fyi for everyone the N word was orginally used for the Irish who are white before it was applied to the slaves.


Me and BK disagree here because BK seems to imply that only Michael was at fault and that any name calling done before the rant was ok and acceptable. I disagree and think that Michael was wrong and so were the 2 dopes that started the whole thing. If you want someone to act rational and responsible you have to require it of EVERYONE or you are just being a discriminator.

Also I have not seen anyone applaud Michael's actions. Just that he is not the only one in the wrong here and if going to blame him, as we should, then we need to blame the 2 dooshbags that started the trouble

Answer 8

First off, like my name says you apparently didn't educate yourself, Your biggest incorrect piece of information is when the word "Cracker" was even used, what you're saying is he retaliated with racial slurs because the black audience members used them first, well, just for the record it was after he called them "N----rs" a bunch of times without any true cause, but i don't believe you could be that oblivious to the truth so you must be trying to find reason as to why he would say such things.
---First address--- [the outburst] I'm tired of reading how some say he should be forgiven because what he said was wrong but it was out of anger, and we all get angry so it's okay. When was the last time any of you got upset and referred to a time of slavery or a word that is pertaining to and confined to slavery. Bottom line, Mr. Richards showed his true feelings and the way he feels about black people, and he happen to get caught.

(This should answer your question)
---Second Address---[Your "Cracker" inquiry] How informed are you about the connotation of the word, it refers to when whites would crack the whips on black slaves, now when the black people in the audience used the word, it was after Mr. Richards verbally assaulted them, or as i would say cracked the whip on them with words. So I don't feel that the reaction from the blacks was a correct one, but if we are going to play the whose a racist game I feel they used it in the right context. I don't think you're asking who is right or wrong because in that case i feel both were wrong, to subside to racial implications, but I feel that you are upset about a situation that doesn't support your question. Simply because some blacks might have been talking or "might" have said whatever Mr. Richards was doing wasn't that funny (before the outburst), he had no right to call them "N----rs", it was out of place and as the black guy said, "It was uncalled for", when they used the word "Cracker" I don't feel they were being racist, but i do feel they were calling him a name based on his actions, again, not saying it was right, but I felt that's what they were doing. If you know what the black audience members did to be referred to by a name that refers to blacks in slave chains, or being hung please let me know those facts. Flat out he acted as a racist man and therefore he is being seen as one, (is it wrong to call a duck a duck because it quacks, or a dog a dog because it barks, well i heard a racist spew out racial slurs without warrant which leads me to the last point.

---Last Address---[What caused the outburst] People want to say that the blacks called him names, and he was provoked because it's too hard to believe "Kramer" Michael Richards would do such a thing, but something most don't think about is the fact we are to believe that they heckled him supposedly so bad and no one from management asked them to leave. And to the people who say why don't they show more than the little 2:47, so that we can see what led up to it, I think it's fairly safe to say there isn't anything substantial to prove this, or even why hasn't anybody came forth with anything, it's because flat out he just acted out and no one can really speak up for him........Educate yourselves

Answer 9

What I can't figure out is why blacks can refer to themselves in racist terms, but white people can't. If they didn't call themselves ****** all the time, then maybe it would be not be misunderstood to be accepted. When you have black comedians, and rappers glorifying the word. it certainly loses it's meaning. I agree with you, that cracker is a racist word, but since white people don't go around calling each other cracker, the word just doesn't carry the effect it could have. Really the whole name calling thing is childish, it's like being in the 3rd grade, and saying sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Answer 10

What this example is really about maximum human beings are lacking. that's not about Michael Richard's racism -- is about the double widely used that blacks assume in u . s . a . of america. If a black comic makes use of the be conscious "honky" or "cracker" no human being bats a watch because whites choose to no longer be indignant through those words. i ought to no longer care a lot less if some black comic calls a white human being a cracker or a honky. yet blacks have chosen to create this taboo air of secrecy round using the be conscious n i gg e r so as that no human being except BLACKS CAN USE IT. Blacks call one yet another n i gg e r all day daily and no human being is meant to bat a watch. that's all properly if blacks use it. yet whites can't. Mexicans can't. Asians can't. purely blacks get to apply that be conscious. What if we as whites all of unexpected suggested that purely we may be able to apply words like, "graduate", "no longer responsible", "knowledgeable" and we suggested that blacks can't use those words--purely we may be able to. Blacks should be screaming interior 5 minutes that we were racist. yet at the same time as blacks choose to purely get to apply the be conscious n i gg e r that's the very similar element. That proves that blacks do not really advise it at the same time as they declare they want to be treated both--they don't. they want particular remedy. In outcome, they say, "we may be able to apply this time period yet no human being else can." Translated which skill, "we want to have particular privileges that others do not savor." hence in an ironic twist that purely O.Henry ought to quite have a good time with, that's the BLACK community that truly demonstrates the most racism over this finished Michael Richards episode a lot more beneficial than Michael Richards does. Ironic huh?

Answer 11

its obvious you didn't watch the tape, please do before asking questions about something you obvious you don't know. this is how it was started: the hecklers stated "my friend don't think you are funny,", and then Richards went off with the lynching and the n word. Therefore because they were called N first they called him a c in retaliation which doesn't make it okay. I don't use either word and I get furious when others do, but you really need to watch the clip because you have no clue what you are talking about... you have to learn to stop going off of hear say and know your facts. His outburst was triggered because the hecklers stated he wasn't funny not because of the C word. The C word came into play after the fact, after the lynching and threats to "kick them out because they are N**" and "that is what happens when you insult a white man", I hope when you watch the clip or read the articles you have a better understanding because you are obviously misleading the yahoo community.. if you want to further discuss I gladly accept IM's.