Fenxy Thread: Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Cappuccino — Thu, 10 May 2007 20:33:51

I don't think he is a racist, I think he was feeling the heckler heat and made a gigantic error in judgement in how he lashed back. He crossed the line to vastly inappropriate, why? Only he knows...

I think back to the Seinfeld "Jerk Store" comeback..

After discovering that Riley was let go from the Yankees and now works for Firestone, George flies to Akron, Ohio, sets up a meeting, and brings a tray of shrimp just to try out the Jerk Store line. When he says it, however, Riley shoots back with "What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller." George, unprepared for this ends up using Kramer's line "Oh Yeah? ...Well I slept with your wife!" He is then told that Riley's wife is in a coma.

Just my 2 cents.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

ryanarrowsmith — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 19:40:56

I'm not excsuing what he did because he is obviously wrong. I'm just tired of celebrities getting crucified in the media for mistakes. They are people, they are going to make complete assholes of themselves from time-to-time. We all do it. Maybe not this exact situation, but we have all played the idiot at some point. The difference is our mistakes aren't international news.

I know, I know. This is the life they chose. I just think our culture has become way too obsessed with the lives of our celebrities. Just my personal opinion. :)

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

MillenniumMommy — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:54:49

I'm so far emoved from using that or any word like that. I think people that use those wordsfocus on stupid shit!!! Life is too valuable to be mixed up in all that useless shinanaginz:[

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Oli — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:32:53

Not that I use it but I don't understand why some people have such an issue with the word nigger... It is just a word. What makes it worse are people saying "The 'N' word" or "N*****". They're only helping to maintain the taboo on this word.

What people should be offended by is the lashings of racism the leaked out through what Richards meant. When you can see the person talking: the words you use are 10% of the meaning; 20% is how it sounds; 70% is your body language. Even with the sound off, you can tell Richards is being offensive.

To prove my point even more you could easily be racist without using any "reserved" or "taboo" words. You just need to mean it.

I find myself agreeing with Chris Rock on racism... But I would because he delivers it so well.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:01:38

"All blacks that are offended by the "N" word, but then go and say the "N" word anyway should offer a sincere apology. If something offends you, why would you say it?"

Because it is something they own, in a world where everything was taken from them and where two hundred years of oppression has put a large part of their population in an unenviable position socio-economically
they have the right to own the word and use it, white men do not.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Mike — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:51:57

Amazing.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

destructar — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 07:31:18

also... richards says Afro-Americans like 2 or 3 times... who says that?? African-Americans: YES.
Afro-Americans: just short of a racial slur. Why not just say negro? good god... maybe Kramer's hair was meant to represent a white hood all these years.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

destructar — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 07:29:30

so, richards went on the late show to apologize.
On one hand, I want to believe he's sorry... on the other, he's an actor and I can't help but this he's acting in order to save his butt... especially at the end when David Letterman asks him if there's anything else he needs to do after apologizing... he seems to go in to actor mode and fake an answer.

The best part of the clip is the audience laughing like uneducated morons.

The worst part: seeing white people cover for each other. What a joke. I'm white and I'm ashamed.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

meechp123 — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:41:48

@ feral: No, I was referring to jerry4's comment.

He said:
All blacks that are offended by the "N" word, but then go and say the "N" word anyway should offer a sincere apology. If something offends you, why would you say it?

Sorry for the confusion.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

phantomdata — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 01:15:12

Kainen; Whoa. Like I said, I hadn't seen the video but uh... from your quote I can understand the racism thing then. Using the N-word, insulting someone's race... that's one thing. Talking about lynchings and hangings is a completely different item.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

wesla — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:58:26

I was so hurt to see this, Kramer is by far my favorite character on Seinfeld.

This is the most hateful display of racism I have seen (other than by members of white supremacy groups). It went beyond the N-word, the references to lynching were so rude and grotesque I can't even shrug this off as just being a little insensitive. I understand that sometimes people make inconsiderate statements, but this was way off the deep end.

What a disappointment...

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

kainen — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 04:23:34

i m hardly the most politically correct of ppl...but kramer definitely went of at the deep end...what he was spewing was festering hatred...even if anyone excused his racial slurs how do you explain his rant telling the audience member "50 years he would be hanging from a tree blah, blah...."

face it people, kramer outed himself

can anyone say they will see Seinfeld in the same light again?

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

phantomdata — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 03:42:49

Hehe, also... if Kramer really were crazy... doesn't that give him an excuse for what he did? :) I don't think that I would be too affected if the crazy homeless guy on the corner yelled obscenities about my mother being overweight. If it was a perfectly rational and sane businessman though...

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

phantomdata — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 03:38:27

I was wondering why Kramer was cropping up as a meme on 4chan.

Seriously though, he screwed up and offended some people. I detest that whenever race is involved in our society, we become immediately embroiled in hatred against that person. I really don't understand why it is such a big deal in and of itself.

Can't we simply consider that the comedian who played Kramer went off and made some other people incredibly angry? Why does the fact that they were made angry based on their race factor in? Isn't that racist? I guess, I'm just confused. When you expand everything out you can find lots of stuff based on your heritage that could be used to make you angry, hurt or otherwise not-right that isn't about your skin color. Yet, we only consider skin color to be terrible.

Why is race weighted so heavily /now/? At a time when real racist hatred was being perpetrated (you know; killings, beatings, torture and other such things of /serious/ nature) on a widespread scale it is understandable. A slippery slope was just climbed, and we didn't want to fall back down because someone was reminded that they didn't like black people. But why now?

I'm seriously posing these questions. I want to know if I'm missing something, or if it's our politically correct society stomping it's feet. Why can't we just look at this comedian as a hateful[1] person?

[1] Possibly, I haven't seen the video and I realize that people will immediately call anyone who uses the N-word (is that filtered?) a hateful person. I also don't know if this is an isolated incident or not. To be a hateful person you typically have to display or feel rage most of the time. A single blow-up in a comedy club doesn't cut it.

* This is a post by an American, referring to America. Yes, I realize that real racism exists in much of the world. *ahem* Middle East.

** I don't want to be labeled as a racist for arguing for a reframe of considerations. I couldn't care less what race you were. I'll draw some initial generalizations based on your dress and attitude, but beyond that... who cares?

*** I also realize that the N-word carries far worse connotations for older members of the communities in question. I'm referring to the ones who lived through those times. To me, it would be understandable to factor in the racial issue for them - because it conjurs up terrible memories of a horrid time in our history. But, when confronting "kids" (I assume these were 16 ~ 20 year olds judging by the comments here - like I said, I haven't watched the video) who have never experienced crushing oppression in this fashion, I don't get it.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

feral — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 21:31:37

@ meechp123, are you responding to me? If so that was not my point at all, I agree with you. I just noticed a little here and more so elsewhere, such as youtube that people are trying to bring up that argument, but in this case I don't see it at all, because he just went on a hateful tirade and nothing more.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

meechp123 — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 20:57:45

Oh boy, here we go...bringing up the whole right for black people to say a connotation of the N word and trying to justify it...

Kramer outburst was down right hateful and your argument is moot. This is about what he said, not the "N" word and how it's used.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

feral — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 20:11:25

I don’t really buy the double standard argument in this case, there was no punch line or real social commentary, it was just a tirade.

I do believe firmly in equality, so if black comedians and those of other races can use slurs as part of social comedy all be it often edgy stuff, then so can white comedians. How ever there’s a big difference between jokes and social commentary about race and racism. I’ve never seen Chris Rock or others pick one or two white people in the audience and just bombard them personally with slurs and if he did he would be just as out of line as this guy.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

JPhill — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 08:26:34

I hate talking about racist stuff, and I can understand some of the points being made here. But in all honesty, to be called the "n" word is a feeling thats almost unexplainable and terrible. Yes you can say words don't mean all that much and blah blah blah, but it's a way different story when some ignorant ass angry person says stuff like that.

I don't buy the rage thing. And normally when people mouth off and say stupid stuff to me, it's easy to brush off....except when the "n" word comes out. That's unacceptable to me. Period.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

msaleem — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:55:13

Most comedians are at least a little inebriated before they get on stage. Either that or drugs. I wouldn't blame him completely. Not to take his side, but that, coupled with the kids up there heckling him, the blow up was bound to happen.

It does sadden a lot of Seinfeld fans to see this side of Kramer.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

jerry4 — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:45:44

All blacks that are offended by the "N" word, but then go and say the "N" word anyway should offer a sincere apology. If something offends you, why would you say it?

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

cww — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 05:17:34

What I don't understand is why people were actually walking out of this comedy club! Like, wtf more do you want for entertainment? You pay to go see some washed-up schmuck at a comedy club, hoping that maybe he'll do some funny nostalgic Seinfeld humor or something... and next thing you know, frickin' Kramer is going on a racial tirade?? How is that not the most interesting night you've had in the past 6 months??

Oh and as for my stance on it... i do agree with some of you here that it's definitely possible to make racial remarks and not actually hold them as personal values. Maybe he is racist, sure, but i feel it's just as likely that he was an embarrassed and frightened man with a hot white light shining on him, and in his narrow ability to improvise (can't understand why that would be, seeing as he's an improv actor), he saw the most obvious angle to take- the fact that his "opponent" was black- and he ran with it. Classic fight or flight response.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

RightOn — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:36:10

Words only have power when you GIVE them power.

When someone says the N-word or calls someone a honkey they're just using words. It's the people and the press that give those words power.

I've been called TONS of names... and as long as you kill the power behind those words and dismiss the act, the situation goes away.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Ozone42 — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:13:04

Race means nothing, and yet everyone's a racist.

What I don't get are why people are offended by racial slurs. If someone is so desperate to get at you that they insult your heritage--which you obviously have no control over--what do you care about their opinion? Doesn't something just register "Ohhhhh... they're an idiot! Well, nevermind then!"

I think racism and bigotry would all but disappear if instead of giving outbursts like this tons of publicity we just ignored the individuals that cause them.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

stefani — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:09:52

He was washed up before this, he made a mistake, i'm sure he's paying for it now.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

RightOn — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:00:08

Mike I don't buy that... I've known some people who had pent up rage boiling in them for a decade only to explode in a rant that took HOURS to come down from. During which things TOTALLY out of character were spewing from their mouth.

Rage is a scary monster and many times, is influenced by your surroundings.

Richards needs help... and I'm not excusing his behavior but a LOT of this is being blown WAY out of proportion and a LOT of this falls into the lap of racial double standard.

In this country two people of two opposite skin tones can stand on a stage and scream racial slurs and only ONE of them will be hounded on for their comments.

I don't like the fact that if I stand up and declare pride for my heritage I'm suddenly labeled a goose stepping Nazi because my family is from Germany. Yet my friend can stand up and declare his pride in being black, and he's lauded for his strength and determination.

We're ALL human, and we make mistakes. Some big and some small.

I'll end with my favorite quote from a college newspaper I read in 1998...

"The young people of America need be taught that the only pride they may properly hold is in the content of their character, and the achievements they make. There is no legitimate pride or moral credit to be gained by virtue of sharing the same race with a great and admirable individual. "

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Mike — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 09:22:42

I just can't take his apology at face value, I can't. I don't care how drunk or high or whatever someone is, you don't say those things unless it's sitting under the surface, waiting to come out. Richards completely went off the deep-end and didn't stop after his initial tirade -- he kept going on with it, didn't try to rationalize or turn it into a joke or anything, he was just crazy. I can't imagine what black Seinfeld fans in the audience must have been feeling, it was probably surreal.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

elliothere — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:18:35

Richards apologizes for racial slurs

For just a couple hecklers to get him to throw all that out, he's gotta have some major issues.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

callaway81 — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:04:14

Well Kramer is supposed to be the most politically incorrect character on the show. He did add a craziness to the show. Maybe he thought he would try to push the limits with that.

However some things just aren't funny. He's probably finding that out right about now.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

RightOn — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:56:23

You can like a show and not like a specific actor.

As for his tirade... I think we need an explanation. He owes the patrons of that club a sincere apology.

His career is pretty much stained for life now.

Seinfeld's Kramer Is A Crazy Racist

Mike — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:31:12

Movie link. Article link.

Makes me regret liking Seinfeld for all those years :(