After his racist remarks at the Laugh Factory, do you think Michael "Kramer" Richards is mentally ill?

Question

Michael Richards was heckled at the Laugh Factory this past weekend, and went into a racist rampage, calling the hecklers the "n" wordand also saying that "50 years ago you would have hung from a tree with a fork up your ***"; repeatedly calling them the "n" word, with more racist remarks. Michael then walked off stage and didn't do his show.

Comedians get heckled all the time; and some do very well with comebacks for the hecklers. Do you feel that Michael's hate-filled was necessary to ward off the hecklers? Should all comedians retort heckling with racist/sexist/religious hatred?

Answer 1

I've read all the comments by many of the readers, and it’s obvious the majority of those that responded are not black. Michael Richards is not mentally ill, nor did he "JUST lose his temper", and for someone to think that he did or was having a bad day, is very shallow indeed. It always seems so easy for other races to attempt to contradict what is the evident truth; no, the media would not have responded the same way if Chris Rock had said something similar. Yet no other race has endured the same mistreatment as the African American race. History holds the key to that question, NO other race in history has had to overcome like the African American race, the struggles which other races have faced cannot compare to the torture, humiliation, and continuous bashing the African American race has to go through day after day. People act as if we are supposed to be forgiving AND forget. We may be a forgiving group, but to forget the generations of murders, rapes, molestations, poverty, humiliation, jokes, and the continued struggle to redeem our pride and dignity, even facing continued taunting, such as this horrific example in today’s time. People often act like “oh that was so long ago” no my dears, it was not so long ago that blacks were faced with mistreatment. Most non-black people would ask what the difference is; the difference is "HISTORY". You don't just wake up one morning and say, okay now I forgive and I forget, especially when we still today are fighting small battles such as the ignorance of this man.
Was it stupid for them to heckle him? Yes, but was his response truly appropriate for the situation??? Could he not have requested them to be escorted out instead of stooping to a level in which he KNEW would cause emersion of painful thoughts, feelings, and memories? We as a black race know these works all to well; it's not new to us. No, instead he did the "normal response" thing and showed everyone his true nature.

Answer 2

They get heckled all the time but do not react the way he did..For me?...The N word was not the worst of it - the pitchfork and hanging from trees comment was...horrific. I'm sure there were people sitting with white hoods over their heads that gasped at that. Come on now...give me a break.

Besides, I sure thought he was a big ugly racist yesterday...but today it's coming out that it's all a big Lampoon. That he and the two guys that heckled him, the club, Seinfeld, Letterman...and the tv judge they are going in front of now...are allllll in on it. It's a Lampoon Andy Kaufmann style...(which IS the kind of comedy Michael Richards comedy roots are from & he was close friends with Andy Kaufmann)

Don't know what to think now. Those were racist remarks...clearly. If this is all some elaborate lampoon on the American public?...not funny either.

Answer 3

Some of the time, comedians circumvent real hecklers by sending one of their buddies into the audience to be a preemptive heckler. The buddy is given a script about what to say, and the comedian, who knows that to expect, has a series of comebacks and rejoinders ready to go. That's why some comedians seem adroit at handling hecklers: they're not real hecklers, trying to prevent the comedian from doing his job; they are, rather, a part of the comedian's routine.

Apparently, Michael Richards was being harrassed by real hecklers. If you interfere with someone's work, don't expect him to be happy about it.

Richards might not have understood the importance of providing your own heckler as a preemptive measure. Or perhaps he did have such a heckler, a Black one, who betrayed him by going off the script. Or maybe his heckler was threatened by the other Blacks and became too afraid to do his script for Richards to respond to.

Answer 4

No, he's just an aging man who lost it on stage. And for JustLynn, I accepted his apology, but I wouldn't call it sincere. And those two hecklers WERE wrong for using a racial slur as well, but it was only AFTER he called them the N-word, not once, but several times. If they had said it first, then you have an argument.

Answer 5

No, just mentally ignorant. No, the hate-filled heckling was definitely not necessary. It seems comedians should resort to humor and not hatred.

Answer 6

His frustration at the hecklers was understandable but he did cross a line with a raw nerve.
I think he was long past due a vacation to get his head together rather than running on empty and allowing himself to lose it.

Answer 7

Nope just got caught slipping! Those comments he made are more than likely based on feelings he suppresses. Regardless of the situation a true entertainer knows the proper form of conduct. His excuse is just that-an excuse-what he needs to do know is accept responsibility for his own words, apologize and do a whole lot of praying for his soul!

Answer 8

I don't think he is mentally ill. He is just a racist jerk who should never work in a profession with people ever again. I am just beside myself that someone could snap and talk like that and not get sued somehow. I also can't believe they allowed him to work his bit the next day! He should have been banned.

Answer 9

Mikey done ruined himself.His career is OVER!
It's a shame though.....any number of Black and Hispanic comedians have made a name for themselves by making racist jokes.
Our society wants to teach tolerence,but we hold people to different standards.A White man that makes racist jokes is villified,but a comedian of any other race is allowed to "speak his mind" when it comes to his observations of other races.
How can we all consider ourselves equal if we all don't feel free to speak our minds?

Answer 10

I dont agree with how he tried to do his comedy show...I found it kind of disgusting..

It wasnt even funny....more like OMFG i cant believe he is saying that..

I dont think he was in his right state of mind but I am not making excuses for him. I dont think that any comedian when joking about things like that should take it that far. It was a little uncalled for if you ask me.