I was quick to jump on him in both threads, but after watching his apology, I think I have a better understanding of him.
I don't think he's a racist. I think he's just got an out of control temper and bad taste. When a person gets really angry at someone and loses control, they're going to try to bring them down however they can. If the person is overweight, they'll call them fat. If the person is bald, they'll call them bald. If they're tall, they'll call them Lurch, if they've got glasses, four eyes. And if the person is black, they might latch onto that. Whatever is availible for them to try to exploit.
Now, personally, I would not do that. And many, many other people would not do that. But I think a lot of people who you wouldn't call racist might also do the same thing in a moment of passion. What he did was wrong, and it's a sign of a problem. But I think it was more out of the rage he was speaking of than of any actual prejudice against black people.
just to add again to this.. i was reading "the week" and the thing that Baron Cohen said about making Borat an anti-semite was that he was not sure that all the people who went along with his singing of "throw the jew down the well" were anti-semitic too.. it was the fact that they were indifferent to the whole issue.. and that was the same thing that happened before nazi germany, too many people were to indifferent, and hilter's few got their way..
i don't care if you are for or against "borat" or michael richards. i care if you state your opinion and then stick by your own thoughts..
so, i say, michael richards will never again be paid with my money, or sienfeld or anyone else who gets paid from that stupid show (i never watched it to begin with). but now, i will be pointing out to the idiots who still have the poster up, they have hitler on the wall..
If Richards had said afterwards that he'd let his comedy go in the rant and it had gone too far, not been funny and appologised to the audience for subjecting them to it then I'd have thought fair enough but to appologise for his outburst as if it was the creation of some other being which had temporarily possessed him just makes it bullshit. When Borat refers to a man being a real 'chocolate' man and then cuts to a black politician is that anyless racist? It gets a laugh because of the "shock" value it illicits as much as anything.
If Richards had said it was his comedy gone flat then I'd excuse it but it was clearly just a racist tirade with no excuse. Had I been in the audience I would have been offended that he thought, as a part of his audience, that I'd be complicit with the nature of his rant but the content itself doesn't offend me personally.
obee_one said:
just to add again to this.. i was reading "the week" and the thing that Baron Cohen said about making Borat an anti-semite was that he was not sure that all the people who went along with his singing of "throw the jew down the well" were anti-semitic too.. it was the fact that they were indifferent to the whole issue.. and that was the same thing that happened before nazi germany, too many people were to indifferent, and hilter's few got their way..
i don't care if you are for or against "borat" or michael richards. i care if you state your opinion and then stick by your own thoughts..
so, i say, michael richards will never again be paid with my money, or sienfeld or anyone else who gets paid from that stupid show (i never watched it to begin with). but now, i will be pointing out to the idiots who still have the poster up, they have hitler on the wall..
Wow. I wanna say maybe you're overreacting a little bit.
dingoes8 said:
I was quick to jump on him in both threads, but after watching his apology, I think I have a better understanding of him.
I don't think he's a racist. I think he's just got an out of control temper and bad taste. When a person gets really angry at someone and loses control, they're going to try to bring them down however they can. If the person is overweight, they'll call them fat. If the person is bald, they'll call them bald. If they're tall, they'll call them Lurch, if they've got glasses, four eyes. And if the person is black, they might latch onto that. Whatever is availible for them to try to exploit.
Now, personally, I would not do that. And many, many other people would not do that. But I think a lot of people who you wouldn't call racist might also do the same thing in a moment of passion. What he did was wrong, and it's a sign of a problem. But I think it was more out of the rage he was speaking of than of any actual prejudice against black people.
I respectfully disagree. I believe that when someone is enraged or "out of control" as Richards was, your subconscious comes out...much like what happens when someone drinks too much. It's easy for someone to say, "Oh, I'm not really like that" when they drink too much or lose control in anger. Uh, yeah, you are. Maybe I'm just too cynical from having bar tended and seen too many first-hand experience of both situations - but when the "asshole filter" is off, people reveal their true selves.
Of course he has to apologize publicly. He's a public figure. Just like I don't believe for one second that Mel Gibson didn't mean everything he said back on his "glory day." Your subconscious tells a lot about you....including things you don't want other to see.
It's shitty that we still make excuses for those who judge/protect people by their color and not their character.
obee_one said:
just to add again to this.. i was reading "the week" and the thing that Baron Cohen said about making Borat an anti-semite was that he was not sure that all the people who went along with his singing of "throw the jew down the well" were anti-semitic too.. it was the fact that they were indifferent to the whole issue.. and that was the same thing that happened before nazi germany, too many people were to indifferent, and hilter's few got their way..
i don't care if you are for or against "borat" or michael richards. i care if you state your opinion and then stick by your own thoughts..
so, i say, michael richards will never again be paid with my money, or sienfeld or anyone else who gets paid from that stupid show (i never watched it to begin with). but now, i will be pointing out to the idiots who still have the poster up, they have hitler on the wall..
Wow. I wanna say maybe you're overreacting a little bit.
What, you don't think a few racist remarks is as bad as the slaughter of millions and an attempt to take over the world by force?
tatertot
Fort Erie, ON
February 2006
NOV 23, 2006 11:56 AM