I'm hoping this will be the last posting here about the Michael Richards matter. It probably won't be but I am hoping. A couple of messages I received seemed to belong here. This first one is from Anita Kilgore…
According to this video, what started it was that the group came in late after Michael Richards' act had started. One of the guys admitted that they were loudly getting to their seats and giving drink orders. This appeared to annoy Michael Richards who said something like "Here come the stupid Blacks and Hispanics." This prompted the response heard on the cell phone video of "You're not funny," at which point Michael Richards had his thorough meltdown.
I, too, think that getting money from Michael Richards for the incident is a bit classless. Not something I would have done. I would have accepted an apology and encouraged the man to stick with therapy. He obviously needs it. I think that Jessie Jackson's initial take on the situation was more appropriate in that he sought to turn this negative incident into something positive that opened dialog about real issues of racial disharmony in the U.S.
However, according to the above video and to other reports I've read online from patrons and comedians that were there, Michael Richards made statements about how rich he was and how he could use his money and position to have the men arrested. This was in addition to the other hateful things he said. Therefore, it could be that the request for money is an attempt to take him down a peg or to hurt him in a place he obviously values enough to flaunt (his wallet).
It's very painful having to endure racial insults. Earlier in life, I was on the receiving end more times than I care to remember — even to the point of being spit on and having dogs sic'd on me. It hurts and is demeaning in ways that I am not sure people who never experienced the same can understand. It can leave you feeling helpless and it is difficult figuring out how to respond. You want to do something about it, but what can you do that will change things or be meaningful or show the person/group the error of their ways?
Like I said, I wouldn't have asked for money. No amount of money can erase the words. A face-to-face apology and a sincere desire to change would be more meaningful. But that rarely happens. I can understand the desire of these men for.something. The "something" they seek may seem inappropriate or an attempt to capitalize on a bad situation. Just as hard as it may be for you to put yourself into the shoes of the men who were verbally assaulted, it is that hard — even harder — to endure it. And to know how to respond.
I agree about trying to turn something negative into something positive. One of the reasons it's dismaying to hear that the "victims" are expecting cash and that Richards might pay it is that it turns their hurt into something else. There'll be a lot of people who'll be saying, "They just feigned outrage to position themselves to extort money from Richards." And there will be members of minority groups who'll be thinking, "Gee, I wish some wealthy star would throw racial slurs at me so I could get that kind of loot."
The positive thing that I would hope would come out of the incident is what seems to be happening: Michael Richards is being humiliated and an awful lot of the public now thinks he's a bigot and/or unstable. He won't be doing that kind of thing again and a lot of other celebrities will be watching their racial language, as well. I'm not sure though that they aren't taking this to a damaging extreme. According to this article in The New York Times, we now have comedy clubs banning the use of the "n" word. I think I side with Dick Gregory who sees something insulting to blacks in such a ban.
I also have this message from Phillip Fried that I wanted to post…
If I started heckling Nathan Lane during a performance of The Producers, I'd get tossed on my can. The same thing would happen if I ragged on a musician or any other performer.
Where does it say that it's okay to heckle stand-up comedians? Unless the comic specifically asks you (or the audience) a question, then your response is to either laugh or not at the routine. The people who started all this are entitled to an apology and nothing else. No money should change hands. Richard's punishment is the loss of respect, work, and income that comes from his actions on stage that night. And he'll never recover from it careerwise. He might as well take up a hobby, because he's going to have a lot of time for it.
Believe it or not, there are comedians who welcome and even encourage hecklers…or at the very least, talk to the audience in a way that makes it okay for them to respond. Depends on the comic and the act. Andy Kaufman had some bits that were intended to provoke hostile audience response. (When Richards began his apology on David Letterman's show and the studio audience laughed, it was probably because they thought it was a bit in the style of some of Kaufman's old stunts.)
Ms. Kilgore above relates how the exchange started. The late arrivers were in the wrong to disrupt the show by talking loudly…but that's a "crime" committed by someone in every comedy club in America most nights. Frankly, I think they owe Richards a small apology for interfering with his act, he owes them a larger one (but no money) for how he responded, and both sides owe the other members of the audience a pretty good-sized apology for ruining the evening. My guess though is that it won't come out like that. Richards will write a large check…and soon, hoping to get this thing off the newspapers and weblogs…and the moral of the story will be that if a public figure throws a racist crack at you, call a lawyer and make some money off the incident.