Michael Richards Meltdown

[Quincy]

I guess I was most reminded of the time when Elvis Costello got into a fight with Stephen Stills and called Ray Charles "a blind, ignorant n-gger." There was an enormous shit storm at the time, yet Costello seems to have been completely forgiven in the public eye. I'm willing to bet that most people have either forgotten about this, or never knew about it in the first place. Can you listen to Elvis Costello the same way now, knowing what he said?

Well, there goes any lingering respect I might have had for Costello (never liked his music anyway).

I enjoy Elvis and never knew about the above......poor judgement and lack of class on his part for sure!

m~

Elvis was on tour and extremely drunk in a bar with Bonnie Bramlett & David Crosby in Columbus Ohio. Hell, that alone could set one off. They had been baiting Elvis with putdowns of British rock and he replied in kind. The comment people forget about (though apparently not the only one) is before the Charles remark he called James Brown a "jive-ass nigger." He obviously went nuclear in a drunken cultural sniping fest.

I think there's enough evidence otherwise that he knows & loves the music by both Brown & Charles, hence probably why the story is mostly forgotten.

[Larry Kart]

You, Larry, and many other people are saying this--"he's not a stand up comedian, he didn't know how to deal..." But I saw him doing standup in LA in 1991, and have a lot of LA friends who have seem him at the Improv and other places in the years since, and when I, and they, saw him, he was completely brilliant. He's been at this game a long time. I don't know why he snapped, and I'm certainly not trying to excuse it, but I think it needs to be said that he was no novice at this game. Doesn't excuse a damn thing of that nasty shit he spewed, but, fwiw....

Perhaps the gist of this -- at least in terms of how and why it happened -- is that AFAIK Michael Richards is not really a standup comic but a sketch comic and thus probably has little or no experience of how to deal with hecklers. That plus the knowledge that his career was already on a steep downslope would do it. Of course, that doesn't explain why he went where he did when he lost it, but that's probably because he's both an ---hole and bat----. In any case, dealing with hecklers -- how to control your own emotions and how to dish out reasonably effective comebacks -- is the FIRST thing any standup learns how to do.

FWIW, in today's Chicago Sun-Times: "Comedian George Lopez told television station KTLA that he thought Richards' lack of stand-up experience may have been a factor. "The question is you have an actor who is trying to be a comedian who doesn't know what to do when an audience is disruptive," he said."

Also in the Sun-Times, though I don't have the paper in front of me and that part of the story is not on-line as far as I can tell, Tom Dreesen, who was present at Richards' performance, said it was the worst such melt-down he's ever seen and attributed it in part to Richards' lack of standup experience and his resulting inability to deal with hecklers.

[Chalupa]

I guess I was most reminded of the time when Elvis Costello got into a fight with Stephen Stills and called Ray Charles "a blind, ignorant n-gger." There was an enormous shit storm at the time, yet Costello seems to have been completely forgiven in the public eye. I'm willing to bet that most people have either forgotten about this, or never knew about it in the first place. Can you listen to Elvis Costello the same way now, knowing what he said?

Well, there goes any lingering respect I might have had for Costello (never liked his music anyway).

I enjoy Elvis and never knew about the above......poor judgement and lack of class on his part for sure!

m~

Actually, he got into a fight w/ Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie fame, not Stills. She punched him and knocked out a couple of teeth, IIRC. He had to cancel the rest of his tour. He did apologize. Not to defend him but he was, by all accounts, blind drunk at the time of the incident and apparently she had been saying disparaging things about his music. How many people have said something stupid in their early 20's while drunk that they later regretted??? I don't forgive him but after 27 years I think the statue of limitations has run out and I've moved past it.

Edit: oops I didn't see Quincy's reply.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Chalupa

[Soul Stream]

I've seen Sinbad and Paul Rondriquez all over the news bashing what Michaels did. I'm not sure why they're doing it. They may have been totally disgusted with what happened and have every right not to talk to Michaels ever again. However, to go on every news show and bash him repeatedly seems like pouring salt in the wound.

I don't dig when a sports star or actor does something screwed up and then all their peers come out for a bashing session.

[Joe G]

Elvis wasn't totally off the mark;

James Brown has been known to pull some pretty jive-ass stunts from time to time.

And Ray Charles was blind, iirc.

[Joe G]

I've seen Sinbad and Paul Rondriquez all over the news bashing what Michaels did. I'm not sure why they're doing it. They may have been totally disgusted with what happened and have every right not to talk to Michaels ever again. However, to go on every news show and bash him repeatedly seems like pouring salt in the wound.

I don't dig when a sports star or actor does something screwed up and then all their peers come out for a bashing session.

They're glad it ain't them.

[Guy Berger]

Anybody else thinking this could be the basis for a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode?

Guy

[Aggie87]

I've seen Sinbad and Paul Rondriquez all over the news bashing what Michaels did. I'm not sure why they're doing it. They may have been totally disgusted with what happened and have every right not to talk to Michaels ever again. However, to go on every news show and bash him repeatedly seems like pouring salt in the wound.

I don't dig when a sports star or actor does something screwed up and then all their peers come out for a bashing session.

They're glad it ain't them.

Plus, neither are exactly "A" list comedians. Probably taking advantage of some free publicity for themselves.

[Jazzmoose]

I've seen Sinbad and Paul Rondriquez all over the news bashing what Michaels did. I'm not sure why they're doing it. They may have been totally disgusted with what happened and have every right not to talk to Michaels ever again. However, to go on every news show and bash him repeatedly seems like pouring salt in the wound.

I don't dig when a sports star or actor does something screwed up and then all their peers come out for a bashing session.

They're glad it ain't them.

Plus, neither are exactly "A" list comedians. Probably taking advantage of some free publicity for themselves.

No shit. Sinbad should be thankful anyone remembers him...

[Rooster_Ties]

Here's one account of the Kaufman appearance on "Fridays"........

Youtube "Andy Kaufman Fidays" search...

And it appears they had him back on the show another time!! (???!!!)

[Alexander]

I guess I was most reminded of the time when Elvis Costello got into a fight with Stephen Stills and called Ray Charles "a blind, ignorant n-gger." There was an enormous shit storm at the time, yet Costello seems to have been completely forgiven in the public eye. I'm willing to bet that most people have either forgotten about this, or never knew about it in the first place. Can you listen to Elvis Costello the same way now, knowing what he said?

Well, there goes any lingering respect I might have had for Costello (never liked his music anyway).

I enjoy Elvis and never knew about the above......poor judgement and lack of class on his part for sure!

m~

Elvis was on tour and extremely drunk in a bar with Bonnie Bramlett & David Crosby in Columbus Ohio. Hell, that alone could set one off. They had been baiting Elvis with putdowns of British rock and he replied in kind. The comment people forget about (though apparently not the only one) is before the Charles remark he called James Brown a "jive-ass nigger." He obviously went nuclear in a drunken cultural sniping fest.

I think there's enough evidence otherwise that he knows & loves the music by both Brown & Charles, hence probably why the story is mostly forgotten.

No, it wasn't Crosby. It was Stills. Bonnie Bramlett was there, and it was she who punched Costello, but she was a part of Stills's band at the time. According to Costello's own account, Stills and Bramlett were actually being very nice before he started his rant. They offered to buy him and the other Attractions drinks. Costello and the Attractions were already drunk, however, and were (again by Costello's own admission) very arrogant. They saw Stills and Bramlett as a symptom of everything that was wrong with American music at the time (remember that Costello was a part of the British punk explosion, and everything connected with the sixties was to be scorned). Costello and his band started baiting Stills and his band. Costello claims that he was "trying to think of things that would outrage an American musican." Putting down Ray Charles and James Brown (I did know about his attack on Brown) certainly fit the bill. Stills walked out in a huff and Bramlett started throwing punches. Costello later tried to claim that it was one of Stills's roadies that beat him up (he said later than "Bramlett had already ridden to fame on the back of one British E.C., and I wasn't about to let her do it with another.") but Stills's account of the incident jibed with eyewitnesses.

Not only was Costello arrogant and drunk, but he had a terrible relationship with the press during this period. He had snubbed journalists all over the U.S., and when he did grant interviews he tended to jerk people around. When the story broke about Costello's tirade, the rock press ate it up. Costello's records were banned in some parts of the U.S. Radio stations dropped his songs from their playlists (it didn't help that his single at the time, "Oliver's Army," contains the lyric, "All it takes is one ichy trigger. / One more widow, one less White Nigger..."). When Costello called a press conference to explain his actions, he only made the situation worse by acting belligerant. He crawled back to England with his tail between his legs. His next album, "Get Happy!!" was inspired by Stax and Motown and was (in part) meant to atone for his remarks. Costello has later written about how deeply he regretted his actions that night. Ray Charles, naturally, showed a great deal of class when he was asked to comment on the situation. He said that "drunk talk was never meant to be printed in the paper." Costello, however, knew that he would never be able to apologize to Ray or to James Brown. When Costello appeared at an awards show in the 90s, he saw Ray Charles backstage. Someone offered to introduce Costello but he declined, ashamed. He wrote, "Here was a hand I could never shake."

Also, as someone else noted, this did happen over 27 years ago. Costello has never again behaved in this manner. If anything, Costello has shown himself to be a model of open-mindedness. It's no wonder that he has been largely forgiven, but I do know some people who refuse to let it go and haven't listened to a note Costello has recorded since 1979.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Alexander

[Quincy]

No, it wasn't Crosby. It was Stills. Bonnie Bramlett was there, and it was she who punched Costello, but she was a part of Stills's band at the time.

I knew it was Bonnie that threw the punch, I think I used to know it was Stills instead of Crosby. I love Crosby's work with the Byrds and "If I Could Only Remember My Name," but I bet when he was pickling his liver he must have been annoying beyond belief, hence the switcheroo on my part. The fact it was Stills doing the badgering (or not badgering, depending on the version) makes Costello's outburst even more understandable to me. Stills comes across as a short-tempered pig in most of the interviews I've seen or read. He was lucky Stills just walked away. (There's some concert film from the '60s, perhaps at Big Sur where Stills just wails on a hippie for seemingly no reason. Warning - this may be another inaccurate memory as I'm sure I was stoned when I saw the film.)

Radio stations dropped his songs from their playlists (it didn't help that his single at the time, "Oliver's Army," contains the lyric, "All it takes is one ichy trigger. / One more widow, one less White Nigger...").

You aren't kidding! That part I remember accurately. As far as the story goes I've heard so many different versions over the years that I'm lucky if I get the rock musicians present right. It looks like you typed up Elvis's version so thanks for that.

[ejp626]

I think it is a terrible shame that the guy totally lost control like that. But I can't see any explanation other than he is a racist at core. You just wouldn't say things about sticking forks into people and stringing them up. No way.

My wife has decided that in fact she won't watch Seinfeld anymore. Watching him, even in character, in nearly every scene is too much for her. Guess I'm glad I only ever got her Season 1/2 on DVD, cause we'll have to give it away now. I'm sure I could still enjoy the show, even knowing the guy is a jerk, but it was her show, and not one I really followed. And now it is totally ruined for her.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Richards.

[PHILLYQ]

ejp626 said, "I think it is a terrible shame that the guy totally lost control like that. But I can't see any explanation other than he is a racist at core. You just wouldn't say things about sticking forks into people and stringing them up. No way."

Even if Richards was on crack, dope, alcohol, etc, he has to have that racist BS in him in the first place, like Mel Gibson. I might have been inclined to think that the alcohol, etc may have played a part, but until I see David Duke drunk and saying that racism is wrong, I don't believe it.

Edited November 21, 2006 by PHILLYQ

[Larry Kart]

Here's one account of the Kaufman appearance on "Fridays"........

Youtube "Andy Kaufman Fidays" search...

And it appears they had him back on the show another time!! (???!!!)

Yes, for a deliberately (on Andy's part, for sure) queasy "apology" in which IIRC he gave the impression (again deliberately) that he was on the brink of tears, even an actual nervous breakdown. Without doubt the "Fridays" staff was essentially on board with all this too; after all, by this time who in those circles didn't know what kind of performer Andy was, although they might not have known (any more than Andy himself?) just how far he was willing and able to push things. I interviewed him at some length several times back then and wrote two good-sized pieces about him for the Chicago Tribune. I particularly like the second one, in which I compared Andy to Kafka's "The Hunger Artist" -- a damn close fit in my view, as long as you leave room for Howdy Doody to invade Kafka's landscape.

[Soul Stream]

I think the guy may have a drug or alcohol problem. That would explain this sort of uncharacteristic behaviour.

[Chuck Nessa]

I think the guy may have a drug or alcohol problem. That would explain this sort of uncharacteristic behaviour.

Rehab time? When was it I heard that last? Member of Congress? Actor? BB poster? ???

[Neal Pomea]

The YouTube videos of the rant that I find are only 2:47, and the Letterman appearance with the apology didn't make much sense as far as I could see and only confused it all. What? Is this supposed to be some kind of Rorschach Test or something? See whatever you bring into it?

Is there more to the rant than the 2:47 video?

[chris olivarez]

I remember that brouhaha with Elvis Costello. At the time I didn't care for his music so I really didn't give a shit about what happened to him at the time he did bring it on himself. I liked the duet that he did with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and I'm very curious about his collabaration with Allen Toussaint. I didn't like what Elvis said at the time but I kind of get the impression that he didn't either. We've all said and done things that we have to live with. Hopefully for Richards the baggage won't be too overwhelming but at this point and time I doubt it.

[Jazzmoose]

Even if Richards was on crack, dope, alcohol, etc, he has to have that racist BS in him in the first place, like Mel Gibson. I might have been inclined to think that the alcohol, etc may have played a part, but until I see David Duke drunk and saying that racism is wrong, I don't believe it.

Now that is well put!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

back in the early 80s (pre-seinfield) kramer was in this hillarious danny diVito film: THE RATINGS GAME. it was the 1st 'made for showtime' movie, in 1984. it is the best thing danny divito ever did. it is about a little short fat italian guy (divito) who cheats the neilsen ratings system so his show is #1. to accomplish that, he has all his low-life italian mobster friends break into all the nielsen homes, and sit around watching tv all day. it is a must-see. yeah, well im not sayin it wasnt racist- he was DEFINETLY hatin', but thats what andy kaufman did too- he made fun of fat ugly chicks and pushed them to the ground.

[ghost of miles]

I think the guy may have a drug or alcohol problem. That would explain this sort of uncharacteristic behaviour.

Rehab time? When was it I heard that last? Member of Congress? Actor? BB poster? ???

Yeah, who knows what propels folks to rude outbursts in nightclubs--or on bulletin boards, for that matter???

Soul Stream, I watched that video & FWIW I don't think it had anything to w/substance abuse. More like a guy with a lot of bottled-up rage letting a really ugly side come out. But that's just a guess... I don't know anything about Mr. Richards.

[ghost of miles]

The YouTube videos of the rant that I find are only 2:47, and the Letterman appearance with the apology didn't make much sense as far as I could see and only confused it all.

I couldn't watch the Letterman appearance--something too painful about the whole spectacle for everybody. Richards should lay very low for awhile. I was never a Seinfeld fan, so I don't feel any "investment" in all of this... but what's disturbing to me is the sense that Richards is far, far from being alone in containing that kind of rage and racial animosity.

[RDK]

No surprise, but the offended hecklers have lawyered up. From www.TMZ.com...

Laugh Factory patrons Kyle Doss and Frank McBride appeared on the "Today" show this morning, and gave their account of what you didn't see on the now infamous tape of Michael Richards' racist rant.

According to the two men, they were out for a night on the town to celebrate a friend's birthday. They arrived at the Laugh Factory at the beginning of Richards' act. They ordered drinks and acknowledged they probably disrupted Richards' act with their talking. What they got next was outrageous. Doss says Richards made a racial comment and gave him the finger -- and then launched into the tirade caught on tape by TMZ.

The two are now represented by omnipresent publicity hound Gloria Allred, who says a retired judge should decide what monetary compensation these two should receive.

How very "People's Court" of her!

WTF? What did Richards do that requires them to be compensated? Hurt their feelings?

[Randy Twizzle]

A NY Post article explains a little about Richards' psyche and reports that Al Sharpton is now on the case:

By DAVID K. LI and HASANI GITTENS

November 22, 2006 -- Michael Richards - lovable and goofy as the hipster-doofus Kramer on "Seinfeld" - is actually a ticking time bomb of rage who refuses to let anything stop his "art," friends said yesterday.

"Bombing [onstage] for a guy like this is more of a risk. There's no safety net," said Louise Palanker, a Los Angeles comedienne who has performed with Richards at the Laugh Factory - where he launched a racist tirade Friday night after being heckled by some black audience members.

"It's more of a thrill-seeking act in that if he does well, it's a big high, but if he crashes . . ."

She also said he's jittery about punctuality.

"He gets very upset if he doesn't go up when he's scheduled to go up. He's very tightly wound."

Melanie Chartoff, who worked with Richards on the sketch comedy show "Fridays" in the early '80s and had an appearance on "Seinfeld," said he becomes enraged "when someone disagrees with his point of view."

"My sense of what occurred the other night is that someone was stopping his process," said Chartoff. "I never thought of Michael as racist - but don't get in his way when he's trying to create."

She said some girlfriends who'd seen Richards recently said he looked "angry and lonely."

Richards divorced his wife in 1990, and Chartoff suspects he recently broken up with a girlfriend.

Chartoff said Richards would have flipped out, no matter what color the hecklers were.

"And if it was a woman, he would have gone after her, too," she said.

One woman who allegedly felt Richards' wrath is comedienne Jeremy Beth Michaels.

On MoronLife.com, she wrote that the lanky funnyman once barraged her with a tirade peppered with the dreaded "c-word."

Michaels said that a few weeks ago, she hosted a night at an L.A. comedy club, and Richards did a "racially charged" and unfunny set. When it was over, she accidentally knocked his tape recorder off a table.

"You will never work in this town again. I'll make sure of that, you little c---," Michaels quotes Richards as screaming.

"You're a c- - -, c- - -, c- - -, dirty little c- - -, on and on, and I starting thinking to myself, you know, I only accept those kinds of terms of endearment from my dad or grandma, not from some p- - -k who is using his fame to be a d- -k!!" she wrote.

Richards made an apology on David Letterman's "Late Show" Monday night for his Laugh Factory tirade - an appearance arranged by his old TV pal Jerry Seinfeld, who said he felt "sick" over the racist rant.

But many aren't accepting Richards' peace offering to what he called the "Afro-American" community.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called the Letterman venue "unacceptable."

"[He] should apologize to the people to whom his remarks were directed and most offended," Sharpton said in a statement.

"In all due respect to David Letterman, it seems strange that one would insult African-Americans in a long tirade and then go on a white television show with a mostly white studio and viewing audience to make a statement of apology."

A statement posted on the Laugh Factory Web site said Richards is now persona non grata, and will never perform there again.

But club owner Jamie Masada said yesterday that Richards could be onstage again - but only after personally apologizing to the African-American customers he verbally attacked last week.

"We don't want to keep a grudge against anyone. That's not our intention," he said.

"There's going to be a time for forgiveness, and it's going to have to come from the African-American community first. I'll be the second person in line."