Michael Richards’ cardinal sin isn’t the racial slur he used against a black heckler during a comedy show. It’s the fact that he hasn’t been funny since his memorable role in “Seinfeld.”
No one can prove if Richards is racist or not. I’ve heard many people essentially say, “He was definitely being racist. You could tell from the harshness of his language and tone.”
No, you can’t. Only Richards knows whether he is racist.
To say he was definitely racist is unscientific and can be doubted with ease. Richards was being heckled. The person(s) who did this obviously made Richards angry, and Richards said something that he knew would enrage the heckler(s).
Other comedians have handled hecklers with more hatred than Richards: Bill Hicks and George Carlin.
Hicks exploded into a misogynistic rant after a heckler continuously yelled “Freebird!” Hicks, in a tone that at least matched Richards, exclaimed: “Hitler had the right idea! He was an underachiever! Kill ’em all, Adolf!”
Carlin’s incident involved a string of profane comments about a heckler’s sexual orientation and mother. At the end of the roast, Carlin added: “I hope your f—ing kid dies in a car fire!”
The main difference between these examples and the incident with Richards is that Carlin and Hicks were hilarious.
Of course, one could say Richards’ rant was more offensive or uncalled for than the other two. So a racial slur is worse than calling for mass murder or hoping someone’s child dies in a burning automobile?
Even if Richards was being racist, the bottom line is that he would have never said what he said if the person(s) hadn’t heckled him. And also note that one heckler shouted racial slurs at Richards as well. But hardly anyone has started a campaign against this.
Instead, many outlets have been covering black leaders like the Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
According to CNN, Sharpton said he refused to accept the apology from Richards. How Christian of Sharpton. (Jackson, however, accepted the apology.)
On Monday Sharpton, Jackson and other black leaders said they wanted to work with TV networks, film companies and musicians to ban the racial slur that Richards used.
This movement to eliminate one racial slur from the vocabulary of America is both fascistic and racist.
First, in order to remain free, people must be able to speak freely. I agree some speech should be punished and not tolerated: threats, libel, slander and revealing military secrets.
However, racial slurs shouldn’t fall into that category. The best reason I can give is context. In other words, a racial slur isn’t always racist.
For examples, look to comedians like Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. They have utilized many racial slurs for satiric effect that didn’t resemble racism in any way.
Another example would be the dialogue of film director/writer Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino, who is white, has included racial slurs for blacks in his films.
Fellow director Spike Lee criticized Tarantino for doing this in “Jackie Brown.” But I think actor Samuel L. Jackson said it best: “I don’t think the word is offensive in the context of this film. Black artists think they are the only ones allowed to use the word. Well, that’s bull.” In the documentary, “The N-Word,” he also said, “[Tarantino] writes in the tone of the world that he’s envisioning.” In other words, Tarantino writes what he thinks his characters would say.
Second, the black leaders are being racist by calling for a ban on just one racial slur. What about the racial slurs against Jews, Italians, Arabs, etc.? Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, among others, seem to imply that other racial slurs aren’t a big deal.
Furthermore, these black leaders-who really don’t compare to excellent revolutionaries like Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X-are emphasizing a relatively small component of racism against blacks.
Right now, a black man is more likely to be jailed or executed than a white man for certain crimes. Right now, whites and blacks are still segregated in many urban areas. Right now, there are white Christian churches that won’t accept black members. Yet what are the black leaders and mainstream media focusing on? A word.
This is mind-boggling. America will continue to suffer because incompetent journalists and leaders look more at language than action.