'Kramer' Apologizes, Says He's Not Racist

Actor Michael Richards Says His Rage Went 'All Over The Room'

(CBS/AP)  Michael Richards, who played Jerry Seinfeld's eccentric neighbor Kramer on the sitcom "Seinfeld," publicly apologized for racist comments he made in a tirade aimed at some hecklers at a nightclub where he was working as a a stand-up comic.

Appearing on the "Late Show With David Letterman" Monday, the actor spoke live via satellite from Television City, Calif., and fielded questions from Letterman, while in-studio guest Jerry Seinfeld looked on.

"For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap…" said Richards. "I'm deeply, deeply sorry."

Earlier in the day, as news of Richards' comments hit the web, Seinfeld issued a statement saying he is "sick over this horrible, horrible mistake" and calling Richards' remarks offensive.

A video on TMZ.com shows the actor, 57, repeatedly yelling racial remarks at a man who sat in the audience at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. It apparently happened after someone in the crowd said he wasn't funny.

"Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f------ fork up your ass," he says while on stage.

"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf------. Throw his ass out. He's a n-----! He's a n-----! He's a n-----! A n-----, look, there's a n-----!"

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Click here to see photos of Michael Richards

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Some chuckling was heard coming from the audience throughout the outburst, along with gasps of "Oh my God!" and other exclamations as Richards veered into unprintable invective.

Eventually someone calls out: "It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. `Seinfeld,' that's it."

Monday night, Letterman asked Richards if he would have responded to the heckler in a similar vein if he had been of a different race.

"It may have happened," said Richards. "I'm a performer. I push the envelope. I work in a very uncontrolled manner on stage. I do a lot of free association — it's spontaneous, I go into character. I don't know. In view of the situation and the act going the way it was going, I don't know. The rage did go all over the place - it went to everybody in the room."

Richards seemed baffled by his own reaction on stage.

"I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this," he said.

The actor said that he went back to the club later that night and went on stage to "get back on the horse, as they say." He said he apologized to as many people as he could after the incident, but some of the people he targeted had already left.

He added that he supports the people who complained to the press about his comments.

[sabians]

Why is there a video of Julia Louis Dreyfus associated with this story. It has nothing to do with the incident. But besides that, it's too bad it happened because Richards seemed like a nice guy who didn't have a career after Seinfeld.

[christiansin]

Way out behavior! You obviously have to wonder where that kind of thing comes from. Maybe behavior he saw when he was a kid... Maybe a way that he used to act once upon a time.

I'm glad he has been so forthcoming with the appologies and hope he can get beyond it because this guy is otherwise very funny.

[vancouverboo]

Society works better if we are all polite to one another in public. When we're alone with our friends we can discuss things as we really see them. Hypocracy is the glue that holds our society together.

[hungry4more3]

what a croc! How is appearing on Letterman showing remorse? Black people don't watch Letterman. He should take his dumb *** to Tavis.

[shortmama2]

I'm still numb with shock from reading what this
guy said. Forget making excuses for him, Jerry;
there aren't any legitimate ones.

[canadu-2009]

Well, if anybody was thinking of signing this guy to a new TV deal, he just killed any chance of that. He imploded on stage, in front of an audience. How very bizarre and pathetic. And he can't blame the booze like Mel Gibson can.

Richards has the class and dignity of pond scum. Seinfeld is an enabler trying to protect his buddy's image. Letterman went for ratings, but no apology can erase the facts.

[hungry4more3]

I agree Lettermen is going for ratings gold. They are all protecting their racist friend.

It's hard for me to believe that with the ease his racist rants were flying off his tongue, Lettermen, Seinfield, et al didn't know Kramer's dirty little secret before this.

[kaliveotin]

Michael Richards definately wigged out. How unaware and self-distructive must an individual be to have strongly and repeatedly spewed such
disgracefull and abhorant remarks.The "Seinfeld curse" is no different than what happens to any Amayzingly successfull personality. Richards IS Cosmo Kramer, he will always be Cosmo Kramer. His bumbling comedic character was extraordinary,
a reprise of the UHF character that led tro his stardom. He unrealisticly expects audiences to accept him in a different manner. That wont happen for 30 years, if ever. If he's not ready to retire he must expect nothing but audience dissappointment, unless his new act or projects reflect that general character. Blaming the audience for his inability to understand this, is arrogant and self-defeating. In public Richards will always be expected to act like Kramer. It's like a musician who refuses to play his three monterous hits and instead plays a completely different style of music, to an audience who paid $40 a ticket, while choosing to completely ignore the "favorites" because he's trying to leave behind his past though his fans and expecting the favorites to which they're emotionally attached. Come on Michael, you're failing to appreciate your fans.

[jipsiedivine]

It's fine to apologize, however, simply put in regards to his tyraid, "From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks," meaning, what is truly in your heart will be known by what you say and in my opinion, he meant what he said.

[jlaur27]

There is no way to defend what he said at the Laugh Factory, but there is a way to defend him as a person. He has a difficult job and he lost control. I do not think he's racist.

[jlaur27]

There is no way to defend what he said at the Laugh Factory, but there is a way to defend him as a person. He has a difficult job and he lost control. I do not think he's racist.

[jlaur27]

There is no way to defend what he said at the Laugh Factory, but there is a way to defend him as a person. He has a difficult job and he lost control. I do not think he's racist.

[elixirii]

WELL ANOTHER CELEB PUTS HIS FOOT IN HIS MOUTH.A TRIP TO REHAB IS IN THE CARDS I'AM SURE.I'AM A BLACK AMERICAN AND SEINFELD IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SITCOM I WATCH IT EVERYDAY STILL.I DON'T KNOW IF MR. RICHARDS IS A BIGOT OR NOT,BUT I CAN SEPARATE HIM FROM KRAMER THE CHARACTER WHIOM I ENJOY AND WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY.P.S. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN LOVE WITH ELAINE(JULIA LEWIS-DREYFUS)KISSES FROM A LONG TIME ADMIRER.

[dewil1-2009]

apologize, for what, O he is sorry that someone was tapping it. He showed his true colors. Apologizing is not going to take away what he said. He said it with passion, and there it is then. He should just come out the closet. And say "yes i do not like black people".......I will never as long as there is breath in my body look at anything he does

[gpherder]

Give me a break. How often do we hear minority "comics" spewing hate about white people? If it's okay for them to do this, how is it wrong for a white comic to do the same?

Either tolerate them all or tolerate none of them, but make up your minds.

Personally, I'm a firm believer in freedom of speech. If someone wants to spew hate, that's their right, just as it's my right to turn off the TV, or walk out of the comedy club.

[einsteinian2]

His comments were too pointed and too precise for this to be just a slip. You can get angry at someone and call him an ****** or this or that, but saying what he shouted out shows a lack of basic principles and a complete disrespect of the other person's dignity.

[frankly6]

This guy should just retire. He had a good run on Seinfeld. That's far more success than most. He'd do well to exit the stage now.

White people make racial slurs black people are all up arms over it but don't seem to mind to make a long line racial slurs about white people. Black people just well acknowledge thier behavior and stop the charade. If black person acknowledges another black person as "brother" or "sister" that be racial. The fact of the matter is we all brothers and sisters all over this world. Let make this relationship work.

[dewil1-2009]

HumanCitizen
1.
First off your wrong because, black people never call each other ******* in such away like, Mr. Richards did, what you sound like to me is your happy that he said what you think and say when your with your fellow racist friends. Stick to the issue one problem at a time. MR. Ricahrds if he was in a all black spot, he would not had made it out alive.

Remember who started this *** sir. %u201CWhite people created the word, you act like we should be over slavery or over the civil rights movement,%u201D You never have a right to tell anyone to get over there pain. My grandfather was hung and killed by a white man, No one ever went to jail. Remember this culture will have a mantle effect for years to come. If my mother can tell me how she couldn%u2019t eat where she want to because she was black. Michael Richards can go on like he did a three nights ago. We got a long way to go. We just acting like things are better, but it%u2019s just politically in correct to say something......You talk about what black people say? Remember stick to how wrong he is. He called the man a ***.over and over again. He sounds like he just came from a KKK meeting

[mr_wiley]

oh please! give it a rest already and stop with the comparisons to black comics using the 'n' word or making fun of whites. i've been to comedy clubs where white comics made fun of blacks and the culture and black people in the audience laughed because everyone understood that the person was joking. THIS WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. u could feel the venom coming from 'krammer' on stage and the entire ordeal was completely unacceptable.

someone commented that an audience member said 'cracker,' but i submit to you that if you were struck in the face and hit back, would you purpose to condemn the person who struck back in the same way as you would the attacker? i for one will never look at 'krammer' in the same light ever again.

[billyboyhere]

No way Seinfeld, Larry David, and the rest of the "inner circle" did not know this side of Michael Richards. I dont buy the Seinfeld Scam any longer---acting squeaky clean but at the expense of others misfortunes. Jerry looked the "other way" too long and now this will taint his future as well.
What Richards did was simply a baring of his soul at its most root level--we all have been there before, only what comes out isnt always filled with racist tirades...most civil people stick to the facts of the situation and not attack the senders heritage. Shameful on him and the enabling pack he has been associated with.

[dewil1-2009]

Odds on what Michael Richards will do next:
He will confess to being a KKK member- 50/1
He will write a book titled the Kramer Mein Kampf- 150/1
He will marry an African American man- 20/1
He will donate a million dollars to the NAACP- 10/1
He will attempt to start Kramer Arian youth groups- 150/1
He will be arrested for a hate crime- 2/1
He will admit to an African American heritage- 150/1
He will tour Africa- 6/4
He will Marry Michael Jackson- 2/1
He will move to South Africa and advocate apartheid- 150/1
Mike Tyson will physically assault him- 5/1
Michael Richards (Kramer) Will Disappear- 10/1
Michael Richards (Kramer) will move to the south- 150/1
Kramer will begin a celebrity KKK group- 5/1

Who will be the next group Michael Richards (Kramer) will insult
Women- 2/1

[ketch65]

There's a female comedian that constantly uses the same routine for all her acts.

She gets away with using racial slurs because it's okay for a large female to act goofy making racial slurs, but when a male does it, it's the other way around.

I don't really understand, other ethnic groups make racial slurs and endless stereotypical racial allegories and no one cares.

What gives, if it's wrong in one sense, it should always be wrong.

Why does it seem so one sided all the time for **white** people to do what everyone else does and get away with?

[trueprogress]

It is not a good thing to say.


There is too much shock and swearing, that is supposed to be funny. Shocking maybe, but that ain't funny.

Now George Burns, he was funny.

[dexbyte]

A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Luke 6:45 NLT

[ketch65]

***%u201CWhite people created the word, you act like we should be over slavery or over the civil rights movement,%u201D You never have a right to tell anyone to get over there pain. My grandfather was hung and killed by a white man,***

Actually -white- people didn't **create** the word Niger. The republic of Nigeria has many people who call themselves *nigers*, pronounced the way most people say the word *****.

A Nigerian is also called a **niger**. Niger means black, "nigerian" blackness.

At least that's what I was told by a Nigerian missionary who told me, -hello, I'm a niger, from Nigeria!-.

We discussed the word and it's meaning for quite some time. He said the word was carried out of Niger//Nigeria by the Europeans, British and this is something, that they have never considered derogatory because it's a name they themselve enunciated perhaps over 9000 years ago according to Nigerian scholars as is taught in their schools.

Imagine that!

[tommygipson]

As a Blackman,I found what Michael Richards said to be highly offensing.
I also find it in my heart to forgive him.
We must stop all the racism in this country.
That's why our children are fighting In Iraq,and other places in the world.
If we don't stop we will destroy ourselves.
Is it worth it?

[blahblahbla5]

The wrong is not only one-sided. These people were apparently heckling him for a long time before the clip we all saw. It's like somebody behind you flicking your ears or 'gleeking' on you and they won't stop, then you turn around on sock 'em one. Neither is justified and Richards was way off base, but in a fair world these kids in the audience would also appologize to him for the heckling. It's just not acceptable... if he's not funny don't laugh or get up and leave. It's disrespectful to the comedian and to the audience.

[ketch65]

Racism, Part 1.

I hear people saying things like,

%u201Cracism is out of control among both the black and white community%u201D,

or

%u201Cwell I think we should stick to our own races when getting married or having children%u201D%u2026.

I find it odd that, by the natural progression of maturation, people don%u2019t come to the conclusion by themselves that %u201Crace%u201D is not actually relative to %u201Chumankind%u201D when considering the varied genotypes that predispose someone to appear different based upon adaptive traits within our single species.

Humans are made up of one singular race. There aren%u2019t as far as science can discern, any more than one human race living upon planet earth.

Now there are obvious traits that are acquired through longevity when living in a certain geographical locale for long spans of time.

Someone who is of %u201CAfrican%u201D descent means they are from that part of this round planet.

They aren%u2019t any different than me innately though. Physically they are only different because of adaptation to their surroundings. Put me there and in time my offspring would develop and become or %u201Cappear%u201D the same as they do.

We are both born exactly into the same set of circumstances relative to our surroundings.

That is the only thing that differentiates our learned behaviors as far as %u201Cpersonality traits%u201D are concerned.

[ketch65]

Racism, Part 2






We develop into different cultures because we live separate lives defined by our own specific communities.

They may have different physical features than me, but that%u2019s not a result of any %u201Cracial%u201D differences, but a physical mutation//adaptation based upon the physics of our organic bodies and the physics of our surroundings.

Like I said, if I moved to Africa, my family would eventually adapt and show the signs we mistakenly call %u201Cthe African race%u201D.

Now some person from Africa who is %u201Cblack//brown%u201D might act differently than me, or see things from a whole other perspective but as I said; that%u2019s also not relative to the false belief in %u201Crace%u201D.

They were merely cultured differently than I, just like the Amish are reared under differing %u201Cnorms and customs%u201D than I.

If I needed an organ transplant, it wouldn%u2019t matter where on earth a man or woman came from when deciding if it was a %u201Cmatch%u201D but other factors are considered.

The same is concerned with %u201Cblood transfusions%u201D.

The Human Race is not divided into sub-divisions based upon race in any circumstance other than social ones.

Racism is an illusion.

It%u2019s a fact though some people are foolish enough to believe in it, and make judgments based upon that faulty logic, but there%u2019s only one human race.

Racism, in the end, is a lie.

[ketch65]

I'm sorry it didn't paste all of my *racism* essay into the blog. But you get the general picture I was trying to paint.......!!!!!!

Please forgive any and all grammatical errors whilst reading my stuff, thanx....

[ms38654ob]

It's funny how people react to the 'N' word. Black people can spew it at anyone they like (or dislike) and nobody feels offended, but if a white person does it, then it's like killing their mother in front of them.

This is hypocracy. A word is just a word. Get over it.

If one race can use the word, then it is racist to deny others to do it. If black people are offended by the 'N' word, then they should stop using it themselves.

Personally, I think that there are plenty of other things in the world to worry about then some stupid comic using a silly word.

[lola12314a]

Because of what Michael Richards did, I will never watch Sienfield again. I'm caucasion, and I think what he did is revoltiong and discusting. There is just no excuse for this kind of abuse. This was cruel, it hurt people, and it was not funny. It also gives the message to others, that this is ok. I will not be in the company of anyone who even tells racist jokes, and now others know better. People can make a difference. I've known too many kind people who were dark skinned to treat anyone like this. I think he should be removed from the Seinfield show. People are just speaking up, and not tolerating this kind of things, that others tried to pressure us to. Perhaps Reason is finally taking hold of us.

[toddmcmechen]

I think it's ok for comics to use humor as an expressive means for society to explore the sensitive issue of race, however comics have the responsibility to do so with thought, and care or else they become part of the problem. Dave Chappelle is a a genius at this kind of humor. Michael Richardson, on the other hand, was foolish to set out down that road without some sort of punchline or observation. I would like to believe that Kramer isn't a flaming bigot and he just mistakenly dug himself a hole with a botched joke, but where there is smoke, there is fire.

[rudy654-2009]

This reminds me of the movie "White Chics." In the movie saying the "n" word was okay if 1) someone is already African-American or 2) if no one else is around to take offense. Comedians and music artists of all kinds regularly break the "rules" on political correctness, and rarely, if at all, is anything ever said or done about it. Using words that are demeaning to anybody or any race is wrong at all times, no matter who it is said by, I don't care who the person is, or if they're from the same race that is being referred to. So yes, great! "Kramer" apologized. Now it's time for the rest to do it too. Otherwise, why complain about what you tolerate?

[ketch65]

By they way, I'm a Polish Messianic Jew and I truly am horrified by the jokes coming my way!Have you ever heard a Polish Jew joke???
Ohhhhhhhhhh the shame.

I'm a Polish Jewish American, and I demand my rights.

By the way, I'm white in appearence but my family never owned nor participated in the Southern United States slave trade!

I demand my words be treated as jewels! I make it a point to hate most Americans with German names as it was their forefathers, and relatives who forced my family into gas chambers, slave labor camps, and experimental wards for Nazi doctors.

Sure sure, many a white man will stand up and say, BUT BUT BUT my forefathers fought for your liberation on the beaches of Europe!! Transversing further and further inland until tattered and torn, worn from stem to stern, **WE** freed you from your doom!

Wait a minute, what color was Lincoln? Who exactly was the Yankee army anyways?

What is this contradiction of realities I am seeing?

Let's see, the whites saved the Jews, and they in turn saved the Africans.

Then enslaved a race, butchered a race, but yet are eternally hated none the less.

I beg your pardon white man, please forgive me.

I really though think you owe it to native south Americans you butchered though to have the right to cross back over the border you chased them across, that imaginary toe line in the sand and allow them full citizenship!!!!!!!!

Namaste,,, my blacks, browns, yellows, greens, and blues....!!!!!!!!

[lola12314a]

I never get how anyone knows they are white. And dark skinned people can come from many different place, and people can be both. I'm sick of the whole black/white issue. As long as we keep referring to it this way, I feel we are contributing to the bias. My own opinion. I wrote Oprah about this. We are all one human race. But I wish we could see more humanity? I just don't understand, and I don't care, I look at the inside, and how a person treats others.

[angryliberal-2009]

good he apologized, now im still waiting for Chris Rock, Dave Chapel, BET, martain lawrence, O.J. Simpson, and Jessie jackson to apologize for their numerous racial slurs and rampant racism.....

Obviously the pure meaning of free speech means some people are gonna be ticked otherwise we would be a communist country where everyone is ticked off because no one can say what they want to say. In America we have safe gaurds for stuff like this....dont hire him to do stand up anymore if you dont like what he says....period end of story. And that is probably what blacks and whites alike will do in response to this whole fiasco, however it still looks like Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle are raking in the bucks with acts full of blatent racism....so blacks seem to think it is ok to use racial slurs against whites (and blacks) in fact they (and whites) will pay big bucks to hear comedians like Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle so it seems blacks like ripping on whites and whites dont seem to take themselves as seriously as some black people do.....just a few thoughts.

[angryliberal-2009]

The thing I want to know is why are there always a few jokers who think its funny to interupt the comedian??? If they are so "funny" why dont they get on stage? They ruin the show for everyone, and now they got really embarrased and ruined the career of a comedian.........

[angryliberal-2009]

If any one listens to talk radio, every now and then black people call in and throw racial slurs left and right, they even call other black people on the show horrible names....And the hosts just seem to except it, I think we are gonna have a massive backlash if this anti-white and anti-any black that thinks different than the norm keeps up....I think this Krammer thing (disclaimer: as bad as it was) is evidence of that. We have seen affirmative action banned in numerous states over the last few elections (even Blue states: i.e. Michigan this election).

[ceekuei]

When angry or under the influence of alcohol, a person's true self and inner thoughts are revealed. Yep! He is a racist alright. Does it matter? We are all racist in our own way. The "trick" is to suppress it for the common good.

[angryliberal-2009]

One black guy called in today on the Michael Medved show and said something to the effect that "whites and blacks will always be enemies" Or that "the white man is the natural enemy of the black man"...I was stunned that people actually think like that. I have never thought that a black man was my enemy or vise versa, I think of us as Americans not in terms of race, I dont know where that man got that idea but that attitude will not get anyone very far in life. If you spend all your time picking your enemies based on race you will never get to know people for who they are.

[jkk43]

I%u2019m disappointed. It%u2019s always disheartening when you find out that someone you revere, has little, or no respect for you.

[rondok1]

Michael

Check yourself into rehab.....It's worked great for all the folks in Washington......why not you?????

[angryliberal-2009]

ceekuei?

I think that is a stretch...lol. When angry people ussually say things that they dont mean or regret saying.

Sometimes when children are angry they will say they hate their parents, but we know that they dont really hate their parents, they say it out of "not getting their way" or out of frustration at the events....

[ketch65]

**Does it matter? We are all racist in our own way. The "trick" is to suppress it for the common good.**

Yes it matters because anyone who believes in **races** is not very wise.

And if someone is not wise, they will be in error in some either great way or minute way, either way causing a butterfly effect that brings destruction the land and cursing to the universe!

Being a human is no excuse to live in folly and error!

[angryliberal-2009]

ceekuei,

as far as the alcohol...lol, that is ridiculous, ost people cant make out a complete sentence when they are intoxicated....lol. Lets just say the more some talks in their normal state the more you can find out about their true self, facial expressions, gestures, voice variences etc....you cloud your real self when you are angry or intoxicated. For example you judge someone by track record i.e. John Kerry's distain for the military, he has a pattern of dissing the troops, Nanci PElosi's Hate for president Bush...track record, If there is a pattern that occurs that is the best way to tell what someone is really like.

I just thought a great comedy routine would be Richards and Kerry, they are both hilarious.

[ketch65]

Imagine if we all were born blind and didn't realize what the color of our skin was?

Imagine what even further distinctions would be noted, if we did even see now?!?!

Imagine that no one is exactly alike, everyone hating the other, for endless cycles and seasons.

Everyone is a murderer, everyone plots the death of the other in their slumber!

Even my own wife and children plot my doom, they consider my end, and it comes.

They sit and watch me go, all the while thinking, **at least it's not my turn, YET!!!**

But for the one whose engulfed in the pain of knowing, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel!

[txgs33]

-ANGRYliberal- Dude how about -ANGRYneocon-? Ya see, that weak a** punk can't hack it as a real comedian, thus the KKKizms come spewing out of his puke hole. He could have just simply did what Barbara Streisand did and told the guy to.....shut tha f*** up! Now that's funny! And if ya ain't funny then get your sorry a** off tha stage. Expeditiously!


Oh. Almost forgot. "stinkfeld" has been dead and burried a few years now! Therefore there is no career to ruin.

[richhong]

I don't know what to make of it. As an Asian I've been on the receiving end of racist comments, but oddly I didn't always believe the person uttering the comment was inherently racist.

How can that be? SOMETIMES, in my opinion, it's easy to choose to attack someone by picking on an obvious physical characteristic. I'm overweight, but if someone decides to insult my weight, does that mean they dislike all overweight people?

I'm willing to consider the possibility that this person pushed him to lash out, and unfortunately he chose to use the first physical characteristic he noticed: the heckler's race.

Explanations are not excuses. His behavior was inexcusable, and there will be deserved consequences to him for his actions. But I'm not willing to jump to the conclusion that he consciously harbors ill-will toward African-Americans or other persons of color.