kramdenfan

Did anyone catch Michael "Kramer" Richards on Letterman last night? Seinfeld was on as a guest. The news broke yesterday of Richards' rant in which he called out racial slurs which performing stand up. Dave asked Jerry on his feelings on the situation Jerry mentioned that he was upset about it, talked with Richards, who was also broken up, and thought it would be a good idea to have Richards on with him. They had Richards on via satellite.

IMO, it was an uncomfortable situation. Richards was very appologetic and seemed like he was more than nervous. I hope this doesn't ruin his career....

Anyone else catch it?

kramdenfan

Here's a link to the video footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiuFwmC4qdw&eurl=

Tracer Bullet

I think you have to have a career for it to be ruined.

When I'm angry, I don't start spouting racial slurs.

rfduncan

Speaking of ruined careers, that's exactly what the heckler was shouting at him. Easy to be big and bold from the audience. He should step up and be apologizing too. Two assholes don't make a right, but the heckler started it. From the clips I saw, his behaviour was completely out of line. Why he wasn't bounced from the club sooner is anyone's guess. If you don't like the act, then leave. Do you shout at the screen when you hate a movie or just walk out?

I think Richards started to try to make something funny out of it, but he got so flustered that he got verbal diarreah - digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole from which he couldn't pull out a laugh.

One question - what legal recourse can he take regarding the tape that was made? Granted it is too late to unring the bell so to speak, but isn't it illegal to record and broadcast those types of performances? It is essentially a bootleg. Just because it isn't being sold doesn't mean it was legal to record it in the first place does it?

BravesMG

I TIVOed Letterman last night so I'm very interested in seeing it. Regarding Richards' career, I'm somewhat torn. It was SOOOO offensive that it almost was hard to take seriously. I read an article that summed it up really well, that they were basically waiting for a punchline that never came. I don't know what the punchline could have been, but he really seemed to set himself up for some self-depricating humor and explanation but then just walked off.

I still don't know... it's hard to say he didn't mean it, he wasn't high or drunk AFAIK. And it's true that the asshole hecklers did initiate it, but in the end I think it will be a quick little story then fade. Much like Richards career after Seinfeld anyway.

DVD Josh

I'm not defending what Richards did, but your comment is ludicrous. Richards was on one of the top 5 shows of all time and before that was a well known comedian. Maybe he hasn't done much lately, but neither has Bob Newhart, and he certainly has a "career".

LasVegasMichael

Whoa. I watched the video footage of Richards' meltdown and then watched my DVR'd Letterman (I had only DVR'ed it because Shaffer was on Celebrity Jeopardy and wanted to see if Letterman ripped on him for it).

That was painful to watch. Richards was so distraught, borderline suicidal. Seemed like he was going to walk from the set to the nearest bridge. Definately one of the most awkward and uncomfortable interviews I have ever seen.

Scott27

Made even more so because of people in Letterman's audience laughing during the apology. Why would they do that?

bboisvert

Seemed like nervous laughter to me... mostly because of the completely awkward nature of the apology.

movieking

People often laugh when they are uncomfortable. That is one of the reasons that Jerry Seinfeld doesn't use vulgarity in his routine. He says that when people hear vulgarity, it tends to make them uncomfortable, and you start to get people snickering for no good reason. He'd rather people laugh at his comedy rather than his use of profanity.

JuryDuty

Well, honestly, it probably wasn't the best venue for an apology. I mean, the whole show is laughs-laughs-laughs. And then Jerry Seinfeld shows up, more laughs. Then Michael Richards shows up and has a lot of pregnant pauses. For those who know him from Seinfeld, you were just waiting for a punchline, as though it was a set-up.

But having seen the tape on YouTube...wow...that is hard to watch. Talk about some EXTREMELY racist comments. The heckler should have been booted, but Richards should have been booted sooner, too. I can't believe they let him stay on the stage. He may have been trying to make a joke, all juiced-up from his improv act, but it was WAY out of line.

Quite honestly, it'll be hard to watch him on Seinfeld now without having this image run through my mind.

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

They probably had no idea what had happened or what he was talking about. Most of Letterman's audience are tourists who wouldn't have seen the clip or read about it.

Septemberbaby

Wow.
I haven't seen the footage of the outburst... don't think I want to...
But, I have to give him credit for apologizing right away. Has Mel Gibson publicly apologized? Other than issuing a statement that was probably written for him?
Anyway.. my only question is... Is this the first time he's done something like this or is this the first time it's been caught on tape?

Quatermass

I think he is finished careerwise. No amount of apologies can save him now. What was up with his invoking Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq during his apology? Was it a feeble attempt at diversion? He should have just checked himself into rehab like everybody else.

I found it odd that Leno didn't say anything at all about it last night.

Shannon Nutt

Yes, he did an interview with Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America.

Richards biggest fault is that he has no real stand-up experience, so he doesn't know how to deal with hecklers...he's none improv in the past, but never solo stand-up work until recently.

I think what happened is Richards lost his cool, said some phrases he regretted THEN made the horrible mistake of trying to make a "bit" out of it, by shouting even more racist slurs...when he saw the audience wasn't going for it, he walked off stage.

I have to admit, I'm genuinely concerned about the guy...he's showing signs of serious depression and he really needs to see someone before something bad happens. I'm worried about his mental well-being after seeing him on Letterman.

Tracer Bullet

Oh please. Seinfeld ended nearly ten years ago and he's had, what, three failed series since then?

LasVegasMichael

Funny that Seinfeld asked the audience to not laugh "Stop laughing. It's not funny" was said to the audience in a very serious tone from Jerry Seinfeld.

I agree that the audience was not properly prepared for this. Some may have been expecting a joke to come out of it, especially with the couple of jokes that Letterman threw out about it earlier in the show (including #1 in the Top Ten list).

d2cheer

With all the money he made off of his "career", he will never have to work again. Not bad for someone you deem as having no "career". I wish I was that lucky...

PacMan2006

Heckling happens at a lot of venues, though. Doesn't make it right, but this is no different than fans booing at an NFL game, and a few select ones shouting at players in pre-game/post-game. Or at public practices.

So what is Richards going to do? Personally attack someone's race if the heckler is non-white? He's not the first comedian to have audience members shout things at him by any stretch. Turn on some old Richard Pryor albums and see how he handled it.

Richard's apology on Letterman seemed somewhat sincere...and he said he wasn't a racist in his apology...but I don't know. Talking about lynching black people 50 years ago? Spewing the N-word? If you're a comedian, the whole point is to be witty and funny--even when you get heckled. Feel free to make it personal, but know where to draw the line. Even if you bring race into it, you have to keep it light hearted. Richards was mean spirited without a doubt.

What he did was ridiculous.

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

All he has done is one TV series ("The Michael Richards Show") and one TV movie ("David Copperfield") since Seinfeld ended. Too bad he pulled out of "Monk".

kramdenfan

what was he supposed to be in "Monk?"

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

Title character, before the role went to Tony Shalhoub

Tracer Bullet

Yeah, that was kind of my point.

kramdenfan

Wow- I can't picture him in that role at all!
Thanks

porieux

Because the guy was a laughable idiot who deserved to be mocked.

Nobody would say the things he said unless they were truly racist.
No matter how angry, it wouldn't be on your mind to say that.