but how racist is Kramer (Michael Richards) really?

I mean if you haven't seen the video yet or seen him apologize then where've you been?

Discuss, I expect a flood of great discussion from this one.

What? Ive been at work for the last 12 hours. Did I miss something? lol.

Edit:

Ok I watched http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjE0E5lgm9Q

Wow. Thats pretty over the top. I mean its one thing to put a racial joke in your set and make fun of racism to get a laugh. However its totally different when a comedian does that. He used a racial slur towards someone in the audience who wouldnt stop talking.

Im pretty shocked.

However, in the comments posted below that video on youtube, someone mentions Chris Rock and how no one walks out when he starts spouting off cracker and kike. I personally hate the style of humor Chris rock does. Its just as offensive as someone making racist jokes about black people.

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Im not really sure what his point was in that speech, but I have absolutely no sympathy toward the "ghetto" (( only word I can think of to describe)) african americans who are offended by a white person using that word, because its honestly their own fault for using the word so casually amungst themselves. You can't just devide a word like that and expect to get away with it, What I mean is, the word nigger is the same wether a white person or black person uses it. So why the fuck do they call themselves "nigga" all the time. Do they like being called a derogatory word used for african slaves? I don't understand it at all.

My point is, i don't condone the use of that word at all. Not from blacks or whites. And if the "ghetto" african americans (( again using that word because alot of black people are just the same personality wise as most white people )) dont like white people saying it, they need to stop making it a casually used word amungst themselves. Its just ridiculous lol

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I'm racist...

Not, but seriously... People who get offended by these things are just looking for 2 things, attention or lawsuit money.

Problem is, from what i've seen around here and where i lived (Mass), people who get ethnic slurs thrown at them are the ones that kinda ask for it. I'm pretty sure if i went to a chris rock show and i started to make noise and talk laud and be disruptive, i would get my share of "jokes" and i'm sure there would be plenty of racial involved.

If you want equal treatment, act normal and don't be an idiot.

btw this is just my opinion, i personally do make fun of some colored friends and they think nothing of it. Shit i get made fun of by my friends too. I wouldn't do what Kramer did though, but that's just because i'd probably get killed or sued.

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Well said. I feel the exact same way.

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its a double edge blade really. It really sucks how things are noadays.

Its his own fault though, but in a way its also really stupid how if he was black it would have been a totally different story. If he was black, i bet you any money those black people who did leave wouldn't have gotten up or said YOU RE NOT FUNNy. African american don't seem to understand that racism isn't always something they put up with, its someone alot of other groups including whites themselves put up with too.

As a hispanic I always hear stupid comments brought on by stereotypes. Like hispanics don't celebrate fathers day because haha they don't have fathers , well that may be true motherfucker but 50 years ago a( you see where i'm going with this lol? ) I think he did take it to far. He could have apolgized and left the stage and spoken to them directly instead he chose to continue to bash them. He's lucky though he's 52 and he can retire, he makes an insane amount of money out of syndication from seinfeld and he can live off that for the rest of his days.

This is probably the last the public will hear from him till he dies.

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Dunno Buddy Hackett was pretty damn racist and he still did standup well after people found out he was a racist lol. I really think when someone is on stage as a comedian things should be looked at differently depending on how the joke is told. Some comedians make a living off of offending people lol. Most of those comedians are not funny when they do material other than shock/offensive material. Making fun of the mentally challenged, dwarves, etc is just as bad as race related jokes if you look at jokes that way. I expect most comedians to offend people in some way, so really even if I find it offensive I understand why it was done. I don't like it however when some comedians have to use that type of humor as a crutch.

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somewhere on the web is an apology he did on Letterman with Jerry Seinfeld there.

After viewing a bit this is what I think happened:

He got onstage, people weren't paying attention to him, a few others later started heckling him

He then went off on a rampant and in order to silence the audience (by shock) and gain attention at the same time he (this is where he fucked up) improv-ed and called a table of black people out.

(It gets worse) Those people at the table instead of being shocked into silence, instead got pissed and turned on him as well as probably 80-95% of the rest of the audience.

From here he wouldn't let it go and the hate-mongering on both sides blew up, and now his career, as well as (this is the stupid part) the DVD sales and on-air syndication of Seinfeld episodes to all races but especially black people (since this was the race he primarily offended) that actually "used to like Seinfeld" or those that "will never look at him in the same light as before this" may suffer. So now those on the show may get screwed and brought into this debacle as well and good 'ol Kramer may have ruined future sales for them. Ouch >.<

ohh yea of course thats what i was thinking. Seinfeld was more worried about dvd sales for this upcoming season more so than what that guy actually did. I'm betting he told he to do the apology

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I remember getting in this same argument with Xiona a long time ago. I would agree with your statement completely if ALL blacks were "ghetto" and used the N word in everyday talk. What you fail to understand is that not every blackperson uses that word all the time. Just like every white person isnt a redneck who has sex with their sister.

If you think most black people say 'nigga' in everyday talk then you either have no black friends, watch too much t.v., or all of the above. This isnt the 80's or 90's anymore people, believe it or not there are more than just 'ghetto' black people. shutup with the whole "if they can say it than we can say it too." This isnt the 3rd grade, and personally i dont want to hear whites (or anyone) feel like they can say the N word again because a couple black people say it in the city.

But thaaaaaaaaaat's just my opinion anyways.



And as far as Kramer goes, if he said Nigger in a joke or a way that was...funny? then i'd understand. But you clearly see that he just says Nigger just to say it. Which is *gasp* going to offend people omg!

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Let me quote myself for you there Deej, I specifically said I recognize that all african americans do not use that word, I said that alot of african americans are just like "normal" people.

And just because it may be somewhat childish does not make the argument any less valid. Don't say the word if you don't want other people saying it. Simple as that. Creating slurs that only one specific race can use only causes racial tension and promotes racism itself, the "ghetto" population of african-americans need to get that in their heads, or just deal with white people saying the word lol. (( Again I want to make it very clear i do not like or condone at all the use of the N word by ANY race. I personally think its the most vulgar word in the english vocabulary lol ))

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Negro means "black" in the Spanish, Portuguese and ancient Italian languages, being derived from the Latin word niger of the same meaning.

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I think you're missing the point. No one REALLY gives a shit that he was saying "nigger;" people were angry that he said alot of really hatefilled things, such as "if it were fifty years ago we'd be lynching you." The actually word isn't the true problem here. Also, you've got to be pretty stupid to think it's okay for other people to use "nigger" just because black people use it casually.

I use nigger all the time. Specially @ a wendy's drive through at 1am, they seem to treat you better if you appear to be kinda like them, if you put on some rap they even give you free food hassle free.

Its funny how if you say "nigger" like a white western old man it's automatically a racial slur, but if you say it like the pimps and gangsters (or music artists, actors and 'hip hop people') say it "nigga", its quite alright and acceptable.

You see i was at a club once and a friend of mine introduced me to his fellow dj friend, he gave me that wierd hand shake/hug type deal and said "what up nigga", i replied with a simple "hi". That same friend of mine introduced this dj to another friend of mine (he's white btw) and the dj said "what up whitie". I was thinking to myself, "wtf was that?" Should that be classified as a racial comment?

Its just another damn word, get over it.

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I'm slowly beginning to think the "N" word is just about the strongest cuss word in the English language.

I mean you can tell people to kiss your ass, go "f" themselves, shut the "f" up, eat sh*t, but as soon as the "N" word flies out of your mouth the talking may cease and the violence may begin. Thats just how strong this word is. I also hate the double standard of it, yes white people can use it, even around black people they know (as long as it is used in that playful manner i.e. nigga not the "er" version) but around strangers it's like the one word (no matter what ending letters it has) an individual would be seriously cautious not to say.

That's because nigger is a racial slur and fucker is a curse word. There's a difference.

Calling someone nigger is the only thing worse than telling someone they remind you of dmitry.

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YOU PIECE OF SHIT I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU EVER SAY THAT AGAIN

You are the kramer to hale's seinfeld, everything went downhill once he left you in saruta baruta, am I right?

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I think he is just trying to be remembered for something other than Seinfeld.

a few years from now would you wanna be "The retarded guy from Seinfeld" or "That comedian who called his audience members niggars."

lol, thought this was funny too:

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I agree with Madi on this. I grew up in a ghetto black area, and went to a ghetto black school. I am also a member of Phi Beta Sigma which is a mainly black frat.

I am spanish and all my friends know better than to use that word "ga" or "er" around me. I always said If its not ok for everyone to call you that, then dont use it yourself.

I laughed, because I love Kramer, but by the end of the video it got a little uncomfortable.

here's Michael Richards on Letterman apologizing: http://youtube.com/watch?v=UonEdXBl1xw

You could tell he hadn't really prepared for this Letterman appearence. He seemed sincere, but his apology rambled and I don't think people took him too seriously. People in the audience were laughing.

He talks about race relations w/Katrina and insinuates that the Iraq conflict has brought a "rage" out in himself and a lot of people, he talks about getting throught the "force-field" of his problem. He's crazy lol.

his letterman thing was a joke.

Ok I didn't watch this video till just now.

I remember seeing Artie Lange (I'm a Howard Stern show fan) at the Improv here in Tempe. That dude dropped "N bombs" like whoa. He even had a bit in his routine, where he discussed the first time he said "nigger" in front of a black person. Everybody was laughing. Nobody gave him shit for it.

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