As Jordyn Flows

[I am sure all of you have heard about Richard’s racial slanders while doing stand up at The Laughing Factory in LA. Down below, is my response to Mr. Franek’s blog who posed some questions for his students to answer about this event]. 

After hearing certain sound bites relating to Michael Richard’s tirade, I was unaware of the depth of his racist remarks. But last Wednesday in Diversity Club, I along with my peers watched the video of “Kramer” maliciously screaming racist remarks (namely the n-word) at a handful of black people. I was appalled by his obscene words. I could not believe that the actor who burst through Jerry’s door in every episode (which makes me laugh hysterically) could anger me as well. Richards claims that the persistent heckling during his performance at the Laugh Factory provoked his outburst. Though it may seem petulant, heckling cannot drive someone to scream racist remarks like, “fifty years ago we’d have you upside down…” Richards drops the f-bomb and the n-word many times throughout his tirade. I found his comments to be racist, stupid and disgusting.
I was extremely interested in other Diversity student’s opinions relating to the video. A black member commented on how he loved to watch Seinfeld but, ever since Richards offended his race, he would never be caught watching an episode again. At first I thought, “How can you not watch Seinfeld, its genius!” But then I put myself in his shoes; immediately and I understood where he was coming from. I applied this student’s reasoning to another Hollywood example—Mel Gibson. Many claim that this actor/director is anti-Semitic. Mel Gibson’s remarks and blockbuster, Passion of the Christ, offended people of the Jewish faith. Both Jews and Black people are offended by both of these professional’s hateful words, which have made actors unpopular in some of the public’s eye. Ultimately, I believe that Richards career will only decline (not that he was a successful stand up comedian to begin with).
On the same day that I watched his tirade, I also watched his apology on Letterman. Personally, his publci apology on Letterman did not seem genuine. It as though Jerry Seinfeld’s appearance and Richards apology are directed to the entertainment industry and Seinfeld fans, rather than acting humbly and asking for forgiveness to the individual African Americans he offended. I cannot pin point exactly why, but Richard’s deposition did not seem sincere. Overall, his public apology lacked credibility. I can no longer watch Seinfeld with the same eagerness. Maybe I will find “Kramer’s” antics amusing, yet at the same time I will be thinking about Richards’s racist remarks and how they are so contrary to his character on the screen. It goes without saying that this outburst was no laughing matter.