Seinfeld's Kramer: Racist Piece of Shit or...

[Indiana_Jones]

....comedy gone bad.

 

The tirade on tape...

 

http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-on-tape

 

 

Apology on Letterman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5dkHMHVJjU

 

 

 

Either way, as big a whack job in real life as his Kramer character on TV.

 

Anybody, that uses dated shit like "afro-american" in his apology needs to pull his head out of his ass anyway.

[Dechristo]

"blessed with an abundance of melanin" is a much better phrase to kiss ass by.

[tvashtarkatena]

I'd say the real story here is Jerry Seinfeld's unflagging loyalty to a friend in trouble.

[archenemy]

I haven't heard this tape yet, but I just gotta say:

I'm a little tired of folks coming out with what they believe and then later going, "Oh sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings." If you are a racist, you are a racist. If you are misogynist, you are a misogynist. If you are a homophobe, you are probably gay. But you can't just go, "Sorry" because that doens't change what you feel or what you believe. Why are people pacified by these empty apologies made immediately after a little slip. And why do folks feel so compeled to make these ridiculous statements? Criminey, even the Pope apologized to muslims for "speaking out of turn". Come on.

[kevbone]

I haven't heard this tape yet, but I just gotta say:

I'm a little tired of folks coming out with what they believe and then later going, "Oh sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings." If you are a racist, you are a racist. If you are misogynist, you are a misogynist. If you are a homophobe, you are probably gay. But you can't just go, "Sorry" because that doens't change what you feel or what you believe. Why are people pacified by these empty apologies made immediately after a little slip. And why do folks feel so compeled to make these ridiculous statements? Criminey, even the Pope apologized to muslims for "speaking out of turn". Come on.

 

You are an idiot; we are human, which means we make mistakes! Kramer screwed up. So fucking what.

[archenemy]

Thank you for that powerful rebuttal and impressive insight into my intellectual ability; you are truly an asset to this site. And outstanding analysis of what I posted. Excellent.

[tvashtarkatena]

There's still enough Catholic left in me to lean the other way on this. What we say in anger is often not a true representation of what we believe. If it were, many of the folks on this website would be in dire need of some serious psychiatric help. And I'd have a steak knife protruding from my chest, courtesy of my wife.

Edited November 22, 2006 by tvashtarkatena

[Couloir]

Why are people pacified by these empty apologies made immediately after a little slip.

What's more, this happened Friday night. It wasn't until Monday and the video appeared that he felt compelled to apologize. We're all repentant when we're caught red-handed.

[strumpett]

We're all repentant when we're caught red-handed

 

No shit?

[Couloir]

As for punishment, his career (what there is of it) will suffer. Do the two guys that were screamed at, which have retained attorney Gloria Allred to represent them deserve any money, absolutely not.

[tvashtarkatena]

More accurately, he apologized at his first public opportunity, the Letterman show, which happened to air on Monday. Letterman wasn't even going to allow it, but Seinfeld pursued it and won out.

 

The incriminating video had been circulating all weekend on the net, by the way.

[archenemy]

There's still enough Catholic left in me to lean the other way on this. What we say in anger is often not a true representation of what we believe. If it were, many of the folks on this website would be in dire need of some serious psychiatric help. And I'd have a steak knife protruding from my chest, courtesy of my wife.

Was he angry? I gotta watch the video before I open my big gob...

 

I like the Catholic angle though, especially since the Church steadfastly refuses to apologize for much of anything. And when they do, it is usually pretty wimpy. That is part of why I was a bit disappointed when the new Pope hurried and apologized to the one group of people who haven't really suffered under their actions.

Ok, back to Kramer; I'll watch and see. (Geez I am a slacker today)

[tvashtarkatena]

I don't give a damn about the Catholic church and what it does or doesn't do. I'm not religious. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is something we could all use a bit more of.

[strumpett]

If you are a homophobe, you are probably gay

 

If you openly hate crack climbing. You probably really love it!

[archenemy]

The Kramer bit requires an ActiveX download that I won't put on my computer, but I did see the apology. He sure does look sincere, and his buddy is right to say that he deserves a chance to apologize. I thought it was wierd that the audience laughed, but maybe they were just uncomfortable at first.

 

I look forward to the day people take misogynistic comments and rants this seriously. Some day it will be as unacceptable to say the horrible degrading shit about women as it is to say unacceptable horrible shit about minorities.

 

And people really are forgiving, it just takes a little time.

[tvashtarkatena]

Some day it will be as unacceptable to say the horrible degrading shit about women

 

...and husbands...

[archenemy]

Husbands are wonderful. Every woman should have a few of them.

[high_on_rock]

It would be my impression that what we saw was anger not racism. I think we saw a guy verbally punching at the members of the audience with the hardest verbal fist he knew. If you go nuts and punch some guy who deserves it, that doesn't make you a violent person. We all have our braking point, and he obviously hit his. To my knowledge there is no pattern of this behavior, it was just that he snapped.

 

I am not a racist, but I also know the right names to inflict the worst pain on minorities. If I knew of words that would be that powerful when used against white people, I might someday use those in anger.

 

Unless there is a pattern of the behavior, I think one needs to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my thought.

[archenemy]

Obviously the most powerful word to use against white people is "racist"

[fear_and_greed]

Obviously the most powerful word to use against white people is "racist"

 

How about "Tax audit", "Flat tire in Compton at midnight" or "President Condeleeza Rice"

[G-spotter]

"Melanin-reduced"

"Afro-Neandertal"

[tivoli_mike]

It would be my impression that what we saw was anger not racism. I think we saw a guy verbally punching at the members of the audience with the hardest verbal fist he knew. If you go nuts and punch some guy who deserves it, that doesn't make you a violent person. We all have our braking point, and he obviously hit his. To my knowledge there is no pattern of this behavior, it was just that he snapped.

 

Well, when you "snap" your first immediate reaction is not one going to be based on cold calculation is what you really feel.

 

I am not a racist, but I also know the right names to inflict the worst pain on minorities. If I knew of words that would be that powerful when used against white people, I might someday use those in anger.

 

Unless there is a pattern of the behavior, I think one needs to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my thought.

 

He lost it on a stage being heckled ( common for stand-up in a small club) and went right for the n-word. That wasn't cold calculation it was plain , deep-seated racist reaction that surfaced when he felt confronted, cornered and angry. As for a pattern we really don't know much because after Seinfeld, his career has been pretty lackluster.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

It would be my impression that what we saw was anger not racism. I think we saw a guy verbally punching at the members of the audience with the hardest verbal fist he knew. If you go nuts and punch some guy who deserves it, that doesn't make you a violent person. We all have our braking point, and he obviously hit his. To my knowledge there is no pattern of this behavior, it was just that he snapped.

 

Well, when you "snap" your first immediate reaction is not one going to be based on cold calculation is what you really feel.

 

I am not a racist, but I also know the right names to inflict the worst pain on minorities. If I knew of words that would be that powerful when used against white people, I might someday use those in anger.

 

Unless there is a pattern of the behavior, I think one needs to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my thought.

 

He lost it on a stage being heckled ( common for stand-up in a small club) and went right for the n-word. That wasn't cold calculation it was plain , deep-seated racist reaction that surfaced when he felt confronted, cornered and angry. As for a pattern we really don't know much because after Seinfeld, his career has been pretty lackluster.

 

I love how all the arm-chair psychiatrists here just "know" that the guy is a racist.

[tivoli_mike]

It would be my impression that what we saw was anger not racism. I think we saw a guy verbally punching at the members of the audience with the hardest verbal fist he knew. If you go nuts and punch some guy who deserves it, that doesn't make you a violent person. We all have our braking point, and he obviously hit his. To my knowledge there is no pattern of this behavior, it was just that he snapped.

 

Well, when you "snap" your first immediate reaction is not one going to be based on cold calculation is what you really feel.

 

I am not a racist, but I also know the right names to inflict the worst pain on minorities. If I knew of words that would be that powerful when used against white people, I might someday use those in anger.

 

Unless there is a pattern of the behavior, I think one needs to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my thought.

 

He lost it on a stage being heckled ( common for stand-up in a small club) and went right for the n-word. That wasn't cold calculation it was plain , deep-seated racist reaction that surfaced when he felt confronted, cornered and angry. As for a pattern we really don't know much because after Seinfeld, his career has been pretty lackluster.

 

I love how all the arm-chair psychiatrists here just "know" that the guy is a racist.

 

so what is a racist then?

[sexual_chocolate]

i don't know if there is anyone who hasn't had a racist thought at some point in their lives. it seems to be a pretty human characteristic to differentiate and then make judgments based on that differentiation.

 

but who knows whether or not kramer internally endorses racist thought; the tirade could have simply been an outburst of anger, using the most hurtful language he had at his disposal. it doesn't necessarily mean he's "racist" (a belief in the inferiority of one "race" over another (as if "race" really exists!)).