Kramer vs. Kramer

Since I know a lot of you out there were looking for this video (and some even found it on AOL's stupid video site that resizes your browser window – no, thanks), I found it on YouTube.

Dang, dude. "I'm not a racist." OK. If you say so.

I've been known to snap every now and then, but I've never let racial epithets fly, and even if I did, it certainly wouldn't be for like minutes at a time. Kind of a sustained burst of racist vitriol to be like, "Oops. Just slipped out. Sorry."

I think it's time to hang up the mike, dude. We liked you on Seinfeld, but jeezus. You've got some pretty heavy racist anger pent up there, buddy. Getting all shinied up and coming on Letterman with that apology – at the request of Jerry – doesn't really seem too sincere if you've actually seen the video.

UPDATE: He's says he tried to "juijitsu" the mistake back, but really? Here's the whole Letterman "apology."

Come on. Even that "apology" sounded like it was made through grit teeth. You're washed up. You're an angry firecracker ready to pop, not a man who makes people laugh.

Apology not accepted.

Comments

[Matt]

I do not know what is going inside a mans head so I am not going to comment on sincerity or whatever, but it is obvious that he is haunted by some kind of demon. Drugs, perhaps?

[Cathi]

Yeah, and I know this sounds insensitive, but I am wondering when he's going to claim he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or something. Sorry, even if those substances were in play, they don't put things into your head...they just make it more likely you'll decide to air what's in your head out loud.

He's one sad, sorry human being.

[B]

Kramer is a freakin' idiot.

I never liked Seinfeld or the other nauseating shows, i.e., Friends, Sex in the City, either.

Hollywood needs to wake up, NY is far more diverse than these lame shows...

[JK]

Yeah, now you know why I can't take seriously people at certain anti-Korean sites, that shall go unnamed, when they deny they are racist and that they are just legitimately critiquing Koreans.

[kushibo]

It appears to me the 'nigger' joke didn't go down to well and the gag man kept digging a hole for himself afterwards. Either it was an unamusing 'nigger' joke or the audience member didn't have the same sense of humor. The Gag man obviously could do with some people working skills. as for racism, sticks and stones may break my bones...

[kushibo]

I just watched the stand up video again and I realized that every single member of the audience is black.And I mean pitch dark black. I didn't know people could get so black. So black it makes me laugh.
Don't believe me? watch again
Look closely at the audience members, and not just the ones walking out.
As black as fucking night.

[Hugh]

Stunning what the internet can bring us now....a 20 year career exploding to a halt in front of our eyes. Like watching trainwrecks or an airplane crash.

[Matt]

Metro, I don't think that is really Kushibo. For all his faults he wouldn't use words like "As black as fucking night".

[Richard]

Is the 'n" word ever permissable?
I ask because it is used frequently with some performers. like Chris Rock, and I have heard it on the street with young black men.

[Mark]

Richard, you answered your own question.

[Fantasy]

Michael / Metro,

I agree with Matt that Kushibo, whether we like him or not, would not have used the wording above, at least not when writing as "Kushibo".

You should introduce some kind of system to prevent commenters from passing themselves off as others with the intention to destroy the latters' reputation.

Over at Occidentalism, the use of the commenters' name tags seems to be password restricted. While this system does, of course, not help against the kind of fraud that Kushibo himself committed, we should nevertheless protect him (as well as ourselves) from identity theft.

[Nora]

I'm just afraid it may already be too late to save Kushibo's reputation.
While I too have had my disagreements with Kushibo in the past, and believe he has the right not to be molested by some wonton troll, identity passwords are just another brick in the wall cutting us off from the freedom the Internet once offered.
I'd like to hear what Kushibo has to say about this.
Fantasy-Is Fantasy your real name? That's so neat. My parents were such nerds.

[Fantasy]

Sure it is !!! How come you dare to doubt it ???

[JK]

I just saw the two videos.

The first one is truly appalling and....bizarre.

The second.....well, the apology seemed sincere. He didn't have to do it. And it did take a lot of courage to come out and apologize in public.

I still don't know what to think, but he does seem contrite.

[The Metropolitician]

Really? That's funny – I got the complete opposite impression.

I guess I saw Seinfeld – who has his own interests and franchise to protect – hearing about this and saying, "You really fucked up dude. I'm associated with you. My syndicated show in XXX markets is associated with you. I just called up Letterman. I don't care what you're doing – you get your ass down here and do damage control. Man – you really fucked up."

The way I see it, "Kramer" doesn't have much choice, because it's not just his ship that would be sinking – he's marring other's ships as well, plus I think he probably wants to work in a comedy club sometime in his lifetime, so an apology's a no-brainer, the way I look at it.

So for me, the question isn't IF he makes an apology, it's whether he can actually convince people that this outburst was really not "him" – because his career and future prospects depend on it. And he seemed actually still angry as he made the apology – that's the feeling I got – somehow...I don't know...it didn't seem sincere.

But the fact that he did apologize – given the atmosphere, I don't think he had any choice if he ever wanted to work in a comedy club again – doesn't impress me. Even David Duke doesn't walk around yelling "Niggers! Niggers!" and he's a grand wizard in the Klan. It's just beyond the pale these days, so "at least he apologized" isn't that meaningful to me.

[JK]

Michael, as a guy who made his share of mistakes, I have been in positions where I have been contrite, and let me tell you, for Michael Richards to come out in front of the whole world as he did and be obviously nervous and embarrassed as he was.....I don't think it was an act.

Is there NO forgiveness at all for a guy asking for it?

Never mind the side benefits that an apology could possibly bring Jerry Seinfeld, but if someone does something very bad (and weird) SHOULDN'T he apologize?

He still has hell to pay for it. But until then, he is asking for forgiveness while he begins to try to make amends.

What I am saying is that I don't know what his true motivations for coming out and apologizing in public were, but that took some major balls on his part, even if it was for purely business reasons. Not saying his act of contrition deserves a Nobel Peace Prize either. Just that.....maybe he did it because he felt it was the right thing to do.

Of course now, people are questioning Jerry Seinfeld himself for asking Michael Richards to come out in public, which is a shame since Jerry didn't do anything wrong, that I am aware of.

[JKFC]

JK You forgot to link hitler and the holocost to Occidentalism. I think Kramer read Occidentalism right before he made those racist comments. JK, lets face it buddy. You are the biggest racist of the lot. Espcially against Blacks Japanese and women. You are disgusting JK.

[Fantasy]

JKFC,

it is well-known that I am a strong supporter of, and frequent commenter on, Occidentalism, which is my favourite blog. I also understand that JK profoundly dislikes Occidentalism and, in particular, Matt and Gerry Bevers.

Nevertheless, although I do not agree with JK on this issue in any way, I can understand where he is coming from, and I do not want to see him villified by vicious ad hominem attacks.