Now comedian Michael Richards has appeared on Jesse Jackson's radio show, offering yet another apology for his racist comments last week at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Seems like he's trying too hard to persuade people he didn't mean what he said during the tirade. Here's an idea: Offer a sincere apology and then go into seclusion? Give us a chance to digest what he said and determine if we believe his story that the outburst was a mistake.
This series of apologies is getting to be like Cher's farewell tour -- never-ending and a bit tedious.
Richards, who played Kramer on "Seinfeld," told Jackson the remarks were fueled by anger, not bigotry, according to the Associated Press. Here's the AP story on latimes.com.
I sort of feel sorry for Richards. He was totally out of place in that venue. He is a comic actor, not a comedian. He obviously doesn't know how to handle hecklers, which goes with the territory in stand-up comedy.
That said, I was perplexed about where those thoughts come from. The "n-word" may be in common use (although I wouldn't use it myself), but where did that lynching reference come from? Are those kinds of thoughts more prevalent than we would like to think?
As for apologizing, he's probably apologized enough. From this point on its probably more about rehabilitating his image and career. Not many people would want to be known as a racist or bigot for the rest of their lives.
No matter what he does there will be someone saying he should have done it a different way. He made a stupid remark and he apologized for it, why can't we move on?
this is what bi-polar disease looks like.