That’s how a lot of news sources on the web are reporting this story: Cosmo Kramer Uses The N Word. Well, let’s put it like this instead: actor and comedian Michael Richards yelled nigger repeatedly… and he did it in public!

I avoided writing about this for a few days, because, the story is so rich, and, just like every other story involving either skin color or gender, the media sources (both mainstream and alternative) are getting things totally wrong … and, you know, I’ve got so many thoughts, I scarcely know where to begin, but, of course, part of what give this story a lot of pop is that the American public largely (I think) conceptualizes Richards as the lovable, bumbling, all around good guy Cosmo Kramer. And, say what? Cosmo was yelling nigger???

And, in America, of course, we have a pretty big hang-up when it comes to words and language. All kinds of stories are being written and have been written about Michael Richards yelling nigger, while, you know, we do have a unconscionable crisis right here in the American Ghettos: the ghettos that are largely populated with these same folks that Richards was berating… you know, there is a situation approaching blasphemy in these impoverished neighborhoods concerning education, no health care, crack, etc. I mean… I don’t want to sound like some pie-in-the-sky liberal turkey, because, I’m not that… as you’ll see in a second, I think the way Richards is getting media-slapped is somewhat unfair…. but, the point I want to get across is that there are real, very real, problems in these communities that nobody seems to give a damn about.

But, use a word: NIGGER!.. and, you know, suddenly a lot of people, at least seem, to give a damn. A hell of a lot to people seem to care a lot. But, the fact that this group which Richard attacked, as a whole, get treated quite poorly by our society… that doesn’t seem to matter… there don’t seem to be any stories about that … but, you know, fuck Michael Richards, I want to see some damn stories about why the racial rates of imprisonment are so disproportionate and why the capital punishment statistics are so lopsided, and, I want to see some stories about how we call ourselves the greatest country on earth, yet, a lot of these same folks are allowed to live in totally fucked-up neighborhoods with no health care and not enough food on the table… you know, I want everyone to be writing stories about these things!

But, of course, no… you see, Michael Richards, Cosmo Kramer, yelled Nigger! And, if we act outraged enough, we can feel pretty good about ourselves, just as we did when Mel Gibson went on his anti-Jew rant, and, that gave us another opportunity to trash the bad celebrity and feel enlightened.

But, of course, I’m not buying it. You know, I’ve been around just a little too long, and, I’ve been in maybe just a few too many fucked-up situations with fucked-up people, and, maybe I’ve had my eyes open just a little too damn wide. And, this is where a story like this becomes the microcosm and leads to the pathologically-tinged bigger picture, because, it’s about fucking time to get just a little bit real friends. Because, the problem with the news is that you never get any context… so, please, let me put down some context that I think in some way (in some cases perhaps strangely tangentially) matters.

You see, the media creates a warped reality… whether intentionally or not, but, I tend to think it’s intentionally. Point in case: a subtext is created as if Michael Richards was the only American on Friday, November 17, 2006 to use the word nigger. Now, I consider the term nigger to be viscous. It has a long and interesting history from a linguistic perspective, but, this isn’t the place to get into that …. But, the word nigger is an incredibly mean-spirited term, and, the popular suggestion beneath the word is that the person being called nigger has a lesser humanity than the person using the term. The person who calls another nigger is obviously seeing the world and universe from a perverse perspective. There is plenty of evidence (to anyone with her eyes open) that intelligence and talent are not determined by skin color or ethnic origin. I mean, just take a look at the brilliant folks in the worlds of music, literature, and academia, and, you’ll see that all ethnic groups are covered… so, I don’t want to spend a lot of time arguing the equality concept… it’s a given, and, if your eyes are open, you’ll see that…

But, the racist individual does not see that! It’s like going through life with a weird film obscuring your line of sight. Now, I don’t think that Richards, at rock-bottom, is a viscous, racist individual…. maybe I’ve just seen too many episodes of Seinfeld, but, Michael Richards just doesn’t strike me like a nasty racist with a bitter heart. I mean, if he were, don’t you think something would have slipped by now… I mean, he is almost 60 years old. And, the media and web now have their little button links next to Richards that have pictures of Gibson and the buttons say things like, “See video of other prejudiced celebrities.” Now, if you know me and my studies, it’s a rare day that I’m defending a celebrity or celebrity culture, but, I just don’t think it’s fair to crucify and characterize an individual based upon some bullshit he said when he was drunk.

I, too, used to abuse alcohol, and, I will tell you that I said many stupid and disgusting things that weren’t truly in my heart. Alcohol is a powerful and disturbing drug, but, let’s not get sidetracked here Katie… we’re talking about Michael Richards still… (but, the tangents are so rich!) (yes, but, you’re trying to make a point!) (“yes, but, what is my point again!”) (I’m not sure… it all gets so historically complicated!”) (“yes, but, this is a blog post… not a book!”) … okay, please forgive my little schizophrenic conversation with myself!

Okay, so Michael Richards, who we associate with the lovable Cosmo Kramer, repeatedly yelled “Nigger” in public… that’s what we’re talking about … that’s what we’re trying to understand and put into context… let’s take a look at what actually happened. Here’s the video of Richards Kramer going off…

Yes, indeed, that is a good dose of reality there… Michael Richards is clearly in a rage. Without wanting to appear glib, the thought that comes to mind is that a few sessions of anger management classes may indeed be in order. Michael Richards is obviously a person with a few problems … just as I am a person with a few problems … and, I’d be willing to be that you are a person with a few problems…

Because we, culturally, are twisted we have created a pathological relationship with the celebrity concept, in which the celebrity is no longer seen as a real human being, with all the flaws that real human beings have. Thus, we are surprised to see real outbursts of human emotion from them. We chastise them for this. We, collectively as the media and public, put them under great pressure via exhaustive photo and analysis, yet, rebuke them for succumbing to any of that pressure. We say, “But, all the money they have!” And, we’re just continually surprised (strangely enough) to see their human dimensions. To learn they actually have nipples… etc.

Michael Richards’ outburst makes me feel sorry for him. Truly, I’m not saying that to appear sophisticated… it really makes me feel a sense of compassion for him… to pop in that manner, in public, does indicate that Michael is a bit troubled….

You know, the thing that knocks me over about life in America… well, one of the things… is that every time you turn your ass around you’re hearing about how this is the greatest country on earth… and every time you turn around you’re hearing about Jesus this and Jesus that and God bless this and God bless that… and then when a guy like Michael Richards does something which makes me think that his relationship with Jesus may need a little work… a little tightening…. that, spiritually, Richards may be suffering a bit and may be in need of some help, compassion, and love… well, that just doesn’t seem to be that forthcoming from the public. I’m reading a lot of stuff about what a bad guy Richards is… and, yes, I consider his utterances to be reprehensible, but, that’s the very reason why he needs us the most right now! I try to avoid preachin’, but, lovin’ Jesus doesn’t just mean, “I love Jesus and I love all my fellow humans that behave.” Fuck no, it does not mean that! It means, “I love Jesus, and, I love everybody, and, in some ways I especially love the most misguided, most disturbed, most troubled, for, they are the ones most in need of my love, understanding, and the love of Christ.”

As I say, I don’t like to preach or come off in a Holy Roller fashion, but, sometimes I just get so fed-up with having this society shove Jesus down my throat at every turn, yet, seem to, collectively, so rarely actually follow the teachings of Christ. But, you know, amidst all of the folks our judicial system is executing… and amidst all the bombs we’re dropping on people in the name of… you know, somewhere in that little book aren’t there a few passages about love and forgiveness? … you tell me…

Yours in Christ,
Katie Witherspoon

Important ideas, concepts, and terms in this post:Cosmo Kramer, Michael Richards, Kramer, Cosmo, nigger, n word, racism, Hollywood, celebrity, Seinfeld, bad words, hypocritical society, Jesus, Christianity, comedy, video, ethnic, ethnicity, media, news, distortion, truth, forgiveness, compassion, Bible, skin color, gender, language, equality, peace

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