Michael Richards

[Auroranorth]

mailily said:

Meanwhile...in response to the report that Richards launched a tirade against Jewish audience members earlier this year, his new publicist, PR powerhouse Howard Rubenstein, confirmed that he did make anti-semitic remarks, but claimed they were part of his act. He then says that Richards is Jewish. Which is what I thought all along! For lack of a better term, he always looked very "ethnic" to me, so I was really surprised when this whole thing came out. Not that he couldn't be self-hating, but still...very odd.

So, which is it? Is he or isn't he??

Rubinstein on Richard's anti-Semitic rant

Actually, he's Catholic.

[Deleted]

According to the article,

... According to sources familiar with Richards, the actor was raised Catholic. A biography of him on the Wikipedia web site lists no religion, but does say Richards is very involved in the Masons.

Count me as another who never liked or watched Seinfeld. I never saw the appeal whenever I caught a bit of it while channel surfing.

Watching the uproar over this incident makes me wonder how many similar incidents went unnotiiced before everyone started carrying recording devices around.

As for the 2 "victims" getting a lawyer - didn't I see that Gloria Allred on TV last night? As well as the 2 healthy looking guys who are casting themselves as "victims" on CNN. Verbal insults are now cause for lawyering up? Wow!

[Deleted]

I try to make it a habit of switching channels when a studio audience goes apeshit-applause at a sitcom character doing nothing more than coming onstage, so I guess you can guess at what point I always de-Seinfelded.

[Neurochick]

I saw the two young men on the Today show on Monday. I think Michael Richards should pay and pay big. They were out celebrating someone's birthday, they walked into the club while Richards was on stage. There were about 15 people in their party, whites, blacks, Asians, Mexicans. Richards saw them and said, "here come some dumb blacks and Mexicans." Then he went on from there. I think Richards should pay up because racists need to be hurt where it counts, in the pocketbook.

People need to know that free speech doesn't give someone the right to stand up on stage and verbally attack someone. Yes these are two healty young men but they did not deserve to be attacked when they're going out to have a good time, they did not deserve to be racially attacked by a fourth rate "comedian" who also told them, "when I get up in the morning I'll be rich and you'll still be n.....s." There is NO REASON for that kind of attack.

[marleigh]

As for the 2 "victims" getting a lawyer - didn't I see that Gloria Allred on TV last night? As well as the 2 healthy looking guys who are casting themselves as "victims" on CNN. Verbal insults are now cause for lawyering up? Wow!

Gloria said that Richards should "put his money where his mouth is." It was truly dispicable what Richards said, but I don't think they should get monetary compensation. An apology, of course. I can't stand Gloria Allred. She such a shameless famewhore/ ambulence chaser.

ETA:

People need to know that free speech doesn't give someone the right to stand up on stage and verbally attack someone. Yes these are two healty young men but they did not deserve to be attacked when they're going out to have a good time, they did not deserve to be racially attacked by a fourth rate "comedian" who also told them, "when I get up in the morning I'll be rich and you'll still be n.....s." There is NO REASON for that kind of attack.

Of course there's not reason for that kind of an attack. But free speech does protect a person's right to say what they want, as long as their words don't put others in danger. Such as yelling "Fire" in a theater. The recipients of his attack were refunded their money. I don't agree that they should be awarded some big settlement for being insulted.

[zacandmax]

As for the 2 "victims" getting a lawyer - didn't I see that Gloria Allred on TV last night? As well as the 2 healthy looking guys who are casting themselves as "victims" on CNN. Verbal insults are now cause for lawyering up? Wow!

Because this thing has exploded in the past week and the media is having a frenzy with it, I don't blame them for getting a lawyer. I wouldn't however, be on every stupid channel, letting every stupid "reporter" interview me about it.

These guys are certainly "victims" because they were the target of a verbal attack.

A similar incident happened here in Philly. A Black man and his wife were in first class on a plane from Los Angeles to Philly. While on the plane, the White man sitting behind them started complaining loudly about how Blacks shouldn't be allowed on first class. He also "accidentally" kick their seats numerous times. When the stewardess told him to settle down, he said he was going to settle down for "niggers" and was generally being an ass. The staff on the flight did nothing. Upon landing, the airport security did nothing. As it turned out, the man was a prominent journalist here in Philly, and was coming from Senator Vincent Hughes and Sheryl Lee Ralph's wedding. You better believe that man and his wife got a lawyer and not only sued the racist asshole, but also the airline for not doing anything about it. I don't blame them one bit for suing. They don't need the money, but they should be allowed to travel anywhere, by any means without being harassed. Just like those two guys should be allowed to walk into a club and have a good time with out being cussed out, kicked out and called a ****.

Since the only talk rich people and companies seem to understand is money talk, then I say sue the shit out of them.

[marleigh]

Just like those two guys should be allowed to walk into a club and have a good time with out being cussed out, kicked out and called a ****.

They were kicked out of the club? I hadn't heard that. I suppose they could make a case for harrassment. I think it's a slippery slope when it comes to censoring speech.

[zacandmax]

I don't know if they were kicked out. I know Michael Richards was calling for them to get kicked out.

[Neurochick]

A similar incident happened here in Philly. A Black man and his wife were in first class on a plane from Los Angeles to Philly. While on the plane, the White man sitting behind them started complaining loudly about how Blacks shouldn't be allowed on first class. He also "accidentally" kick their seats numerous times. When the stewardess told him to settle down, he said he was going to settle down for "niggers" and was generally being an ass. The staff on the flight did nothing. Upon landing, the airport security did nothing. As it turned out, the man was a prominent journalist here in Philly, and was coming from Senator Vincent Hughes and Sheryl Lee Ralph's wedding. You better believe that man and his wife got a lawyer and not only sued the racist asshole, but also the airline for not doing anything about it. I don't blame them one bit for suing. They don't need the money, but they should be allowed to travel anywhere, by any means without being harassed. Just like those two guys should be allowed to walk into a club and have a good time with out being cussed out, kicked out and called a ****.

The only language that people like this understand is $$$$. If I knew that I could get sued for saying dumb shit you'd best believe I'd keep my mouth shut. The airline and the asshole should have been sued, big time. People have to learn that nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.

They were kicked out of the club? I hadn't heard that. I suppose they could make a case for harrassment. I think it's a slippery slope when it comes to censoring speech.

Where is the censorship. I don't think MR should be arrested for what he said, but everything you do carries consequences, Ricahrds was performing in a comedy club, you do not have the right to get up on stage and harrass people because of their race, PERIOD. I do not know why people cannot act like adults and keep their mouths closed.

I used to supervise secretaries in a doctor's office, sometimes the patients who called were very abusive but these secretaries had to be polite over the phone. After they hung up however, they could call the callers everything but a child of God, but not to their faces.

[Ginger]

But free speech does protect a person's right to say what they want, as long as their words don't put others in danger. Such as yelling "Fire" in a theater.

Repeatedly yelling "N*****" in a theater has great potential for harm. It was lucky that everybody remained relatively calm, but there could have been violence.