Is there any possibility that Michael Richards tirade was a publicity stunt?

Question

With comedians like Sacha Baron cohen's character borat pushing the envelope of racial comedy is it at all possible that his tirade was similar? Like is there anyway his outburst was planned? I just can't believe kramer is a racist?

Answer 1

He must have been on drugs. I still can't believe what I heard in that tape. Good luck to him in recovering from THAT display!!!

Answer 2

I have been thinking about this quite a bit. I believe Michael Richards is performing a stunt to pay homage to Andy Kaufman and also revive his career. The coincidences are just too many.

First of all, there is the obvious connection of Richards and Kaufman with the "Fridays" skit. I read an interview that Richards did in Aspen, Co in 2002. In that piece, he mentions that he was in on the tirade. He even says that he and Andy came up with the skit idea together.

Now it gets real crazy. 27 years ago on November 27, Kaufman was performing at Kutsher's Resort in upstate New York. The routine was not well received. Andy was very unhappy and left the next day. Andy shouted "You're the type of people who give Jews a bad name!!” Sounds alot like what Kramer did...

Let's not forget it was Andy who was on Letterman apologizing about his comments about women in 1982 long before this week's appearance by Richards.

Also, didn't Richard’s apology seem very comical? The audience was laughing. He even slipped into some Kramerisms during the speech. Jerry even said, why are you laughing on Letterman...Sounds like Kaufman.

Did anyone find it odd that he continued to walk the stage like he was doing his act while he was yelling the racist comments, pausing between lines for the audience to react as well as to hear the responses from the "hecklers"?

Answer 3

I completely think so. Coincidentally the monday after the tirade Jerry was on Letterman. Coincidentally they just released another Seinfeld box set this week.

The other thing I was thinking was that maybe Richards is not getting any cash from the syndication and DVD sales of Seinfeld and this is his way of showing how much influence he can have.

Answer 4

I think his comments were absolutely disgusting. The n-word has very negative connotations. If everyone knew the historical meaning behind the word, I think it would offend everyone. I don't think his comments were bound by free speech. There are exceptions to every rule. No one should be put down by another - period. It's no different than children being teased by other kids. Words DO hurt. I think Michael Richards, in the heat of the moment, revealed what his thoughts REALLY are. No one could possibly convince me that the came up with those comments off the top of his head because he was angry. He's supposed to to be a professional comedian and should, after years in the business, be able to effectively handle hecklers in the audience. In no way am I defending the hecklers either. If they were not satisfied with his stand up routine, they could have simply left without saying a word. I think both sides were wrong in the way they handled the entire situation. And for some audience members to sit there and chuckle at Michael's comments was even more upsetting. Michael's comments, in my opinion, were NOT acceptable. And those who are okay with what he said are even more disgusting than he is.

Uchaboo - your comments are sad. You are cultivating the stereotypes that many people have about blacks. You say that ngrs rob, rape, kill, do not work, stay out late at night, and are thugs. That's your definition of a ngr?

So this means that whites, Asians, Hispanics, Indians, whoever - who kill, rape, do not work, and stay out late - are ngrs, too?

Read your history. A ngr, in the simplest term, is an ignorant person. I'd hate to say that you fit the bill.

Answer 5

My understanding was this: He was at the Laugh-In in Los Angelas and he was bombing on stage. There were two hecklers in the front row of the audience who was making fun of him-saying that he was "unfunny". Michael was not doing a great job and then, all of a sudden, just released the "N" bomb on them. He said to them that they...."thought they were big shots. That 50 years ago, they would have been lynched with a pitchfork stuck up their a'ss." then he said to them "you are a "N" and you are a "N". That now, I am going to get in trouble for calling them that. It is said and it is buried." The guys said that he did not have to go that far when it came to the word being said. He could have said that it did not matter if he bombed or not, he was still rich because of all that "Seinfeld" money he's got. So, he would get the last laugh.
Richards went to Jerry Seinfeld for help, and, knowing Jerry was going to be on "Laste Night with David Letterman", he knew that was the talk of the town. So, he had a satelite in L.A. to talk to him and Dave and explain that he is not a rasict. But, when you think about it, why would you even go so far as telling those two black guys in the audience on what would have happened to them if they were back in the 40's or 50's or something? Why go that far? As if this is the way he felt about-not all-African Americans. I mean, man, I am African American and I know the difference between an African American and a black person acting like an "N". An African American is a person who is black-light or dark-that works for a living, take care of their business, get their live's straight and is a decent, tax-paying human being. If they want something, they go out and buy it. They do not go and steal anything that they know they can afford. They do not hit their spouses or their children, They keep their homes clean and mind their business. They are good people next door-surviving-like anyone else. An "N" is a black person who tries to destroy anyone and everything for their own needs. They rape, rob and kill to get what they want and to make whatever point they are trying to make. These people do not work, hang out at all times of night, thugs, beat their woman-they are the people that make hard working black people look bad. And, I know for a fact, that real hard working African Americans do not want to be associated with anyone who is acting like or is an "N".
Just because those two black guys were heckling him for his unfunny performance at the Laugh-In (he was not good at all), does not make them that word, nor, was there a cause for him to go any further then what he did. It was real sad of him to do that. Him and Mel need to sit and talk about how they can get their careers back from this.
I do not think this was planned at all.

Answer 6

I couldn't believe either at first. He was my favorite Seinfeld character by far. Now he gets no love and never will. I flipped thorough the channels last night and saw him carrying a chain and all I could think of was him saying malicious things about black people being lynched. I don't even know if the show can still be funny to me anymore....Not a publicity stunt, I highly doubt it.

Answer 7

I don't think it was planned, he was really aggravated and angry because the show wasn't funny at all, and the heckler let it be known he wasn't funny--so the first thing that came to Kramer mind was the N word because that is what he thinks of the black guys. He really was angry and wanted to attack them and hurt them and what way to do it by addressing slavery days with the lynching and the N word. Everyone knows African Americans are very sensitive about that subject, but I felt like he showed his true colors...

Answer 8

I don't think so. Cohen has established these kinds of characters through his show, Da Ali G Show.

Richards was doing a stand-up act, which no one was likely to see outside the present audience.

Its pretty clear from the video that Richards was not playing a character.

Answer 9

I haven't thought about it that way. I liked him on Seinfeld.
But, personally, I don't think that's a publicity stunt.. he seemed like he really lost his temper and let his true feelings show. I think he would have known that it would/could cause a backlash.. so it had to have been anger.

As far as I see, he could have asked security to ask them to be quiet or leave. And, yes, I know some black people do use that word as if it's affectionate.. but I still don't care for it whether used by them or any other person.

Answer 10

Maybe..when is the last time we heard of Kramer in the news....seems like forever! Just a little publicity to bring him back in the limelight.
By the way, do you guys see how ironic this incident is...there is a show on seinfeld that Jerry his heckled while doing stand-up and Kramer encourages him to heckle back...apparently he followed his own advice!

Answer 11

If the audience members were not heckling the comedian none of this would have happened.

Its like blaming the home owner for shooting a burglar.

Dont wanna get shot? Dont break in!