Northstarmom

AP

LOS ANGELES - Michael Richards stunned a comedy club audience, shouting racial epithets at people who heckled him during a stand-up routine.

The 57-year-old actor-comedian, best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," was performing at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood Friday night when he launched into the verbal rampage, according to video posted on TMZ.com.

The tirade apparently began after two black audience members started shouting at him that he wasn't funny.

Richards retorted: "Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a [expletive] fork up your [expletive]."

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

"You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now [expletive]. Throw his [expletive] out. He's a n-----!" Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again...."

parent2noles

Another wonderful example from Hollywood. Dropping the N-bomb.

toblin

OMG! Where!? Oh where, are my smelling salts?

You really should give people a warning when posting such terribly upsetting material.

ucsd_ucla_dad

I saw the video and in addition to being blatantly racist, it was bizzare. There's no excuse for this on Richards' part just as there was no excuse for what Mel Gibson stated during his rant.

NJres

I heard it on the radio. It was mostly bleeps! For some reason they bleep out the "N" word, but fortunately there was a translator on the radio show. (It was talk radio, not news). The guy just went nuts. What I find most disturbing about this incident - and I also found it similar to Mel Gibson's tirade - is what comes out when alcohol or rage releases all inhibitions.

curmudgeon

It was watching a man self-destruct right there in front of us. It was truly amazing. His rage was uncontrollable. I agree that , like with Mel, something deeply dark and disturbing was living down there.

citygirlsmom

parent2noles...what like the N word isn't said anywhere else in hate? richards was a jerk, he will pay, but to make the statement implying its a "hollywood" thing is absurd. they just get caught

citygirlsmom

no excuses for saying what he said, but me suspects some drug usage

parent2noles

Unfortunately, stuff from Hollywood via actors has much more influence than errors you or I might make - public or not. That's why 'Hollywood' get's criticised.

rorosen

funny though if he had leapt off the stage and smacked them you wouldnt be talking,..since foul words are reviled as a lighter form of violence, an indication of darkly harbored intentions,..that is, people can think what they want as long as they dont act upon those thoughts. Hate in the heart is hated because it leads to nasty acts. This was a nasty act that people attend to feel a little thrill at the places they are taken by the comediens monologue which traditionally is driven by anger and bitterness. No surprise when such tightrope walks across poorly drawn lines of demarcation collapse into bloody polaroids. Loss of control always has been the first sin. Still, if only he had hurled a pie in the face instead of invectives,..

Tookie

Did anyone see the apology? He claims he's not a racist...

-Allmusic-

I absolutely saw an apology from Richards, today on CNN.

I thought what he did and said was utterly disgraceful. But I am not jumping on the "Let's use this to further disparage those awful Hollywood types". People of all persuasions say and do stupid things.

hereshoping

Interesting. It's okay to make blanket, stereotypical statements about the "religious right"--they exhibit "racism, homophobia and bigotry"--but not about members of the HOLYwood community.

"People of all persuasions say and do stupid things." What tolerance we have witnessed being exhibited this morning! What a difference a day makes!

dstark

I'm shocked! Michael Richards is 57?

parent2noles

Did Babs ever apologize?