<p>Yep, that anti-Hollywood liberal bigotry is insidious, indeed. ;)</p>
<p>Richards may be a vitriolic racist. But I find it more likely that he was looking to devastate the object of his anger, the heckler, and latched onto the most obvious detail, his race. If it were a fat white guy, he’d start going on about how he’s fat. The same may well have happened with Mel Gibson, as the officer involved was Jewish. </p>
<p>As for the Borat bar scene in Arizona, it was a total set-up:
"A very different picture, though, emerged from a conversation with the treasurer of the company that owns the bar, Carol Pierce, who said that she herself is Jewish. Pierce could be seen during the segment on HBO, laughing heartily behind her goateed husband.</p>
<p>In explaining her light-hearted take on Borat, she pointed out that what television viewers saw was only a few minutes of the two-and-a-half-hour performance that Borat gave when he came to Tucson, Ariz., in April. The rest of Borats performance, in which he sang about throwing his wife and family down the well, made it perfectly clear to Pierce that the man performing was a comedian in disguise who was very funny.</p>
<p>You could tell by the way they presented him. They brought him in and said he was an up-and-coming country music star, Pierce recalled. You could tell right away it was a wig he was wearing, and a fake mustache. I would say 99% of the people in here saw that, too. " <a href=“http://www.forward.com/articles/comic-pushes-limits-in-antisemitic-sing-along/[/url]”>http://www.forward.com/articles/comic-pushes-limits-in-antisemitic-sing-along/</a></p>
<p>Yeah, well, you can do all the setting up in the world and there is just no way you are gonna get me to joke about throwing my wife down a well. I mean, I have a pretty good sense of humor and all, but c’mon. That sort of thing seems awfully sick to me. And given the history of antisemitism all across the world, you aren’t gonna be able to set me up to sing about throwing Jews down a well either.</p>
<p>I don’t think this is much of a set up <a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrMyI6ngLg[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrMyI6ngLg</a></p>
<p>That is some serious Jew hatred there.</p>
<p>
I quite agree. I am just saying that I think Richards is probably just this guy who allowed what a lot of us are thinking to slip past his lips. I am not willing to make him out to be some especially evil man when so many of us seem to be so insensitive when it comes to race. Shoot. A lot of us, probably a majority of Americans, are so removed from the issues and history surrounding race in America, we wonder bitterly why blacks dont just get over it. So I am hardly surprised when some guy calls blacks names. This whole thing is just no shocker for me at all. It just means I had better keep watching my own back because this idea about being American is pretty much a bunch of hooey.</p>
<p>What’s funny, is that as much as HH complains about the religious right being stereotyped as racist and homophobic…we aren’t seeing her point to any links where the religious right has done anything significant and meaningful to address the homophobia and bigotry that some of their leaders exhibit. </p>
<p>I’m not seeing any evidence that the religious right is boycotting the likes of Pat Robertson, Bob Jones U, etc. It wasn’t the religious community that made Bob Jones U start admitting black students; it was the loss of federal student aid when they refused. </p>
<p>All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing</p>
<p>"Does this really come as a surprise? Are we really expecting much better from the Hollywood crowd … the good liberals who live in mansions and love to have their pillows fluffed at 1600 Penn Avenue? Aren’t they simple actors who try to please a crowd in a mnost hypocritical manner? " by xiggi</p>
<p>what does this mean, Richards was horrid, and it wasn’t just a slip of the tongue, it was a diatrivbe with very specific words</p>
<p>And xiggi, please tell me what you know that we don’t - what Richards politics are…</p>
<p>And conservatives are pure as the driven snow when it comes to having their pillows fluffed at the white house…nice stretch by the way</p>
<p>"“I am just saying that I think Richards is probably just this guy who allowed what a lot of us are thinking to slip past his lips.”</p>
<p>Huh?? Speak for yourself! I know I am not thinking such thoughts!</p>
<p>Losing his temper might have loosened his tongue, but I agree, racism doesn’t come out unless there is a tendency for that in him. I can understand saying the ‘F’ word - people say that when they get angry - but for racist attacks to come out? It does seem to me that there must have been racism buried in there somewhere.</p>
<p>I found Michael Richards’ actions shocking, but ultimately, not surprising. I agree with some earlier posters who said he allowed his rage grant him permission to voice his true feelings towards blacks. Such vehemently expressed feelings have to have been inside of him to begin with, otherwise, they could not have come out. A person who was merely extremely angry, but who held no such feelings towards blacks, would have called them Efing A-*oles, or ignorant mother-Fers, or some other generic insult.</p>
<p>I agree that he can pretty much kiss his career goodbye. Personally, I don’t have a problem with that.</p>
<p>“Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a [expletive] fork up your [expletive].”</p>
<p>Fifty years ago, he would not have had to apologize. The fact that he had to do so today, does not diminish mean he’s not racist.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Dross, I don’t see how you can say that. I’ve honestly never, ever thought the ideas that Richards expressed that night. I’ve known theoretically that others have believed/acted that way in the past, but it really shocked me to see that video and to hear someone today express such despicable ideas. And I think that most people in America today have never thought those things either. </p>
<p>Yes, everyone is prejudiced in their own way, everyone has intolerance, but I can’t imagine that those ideas (“that’s what happens when you interrupt the white man,” not to mention the n-word slur) are what pop into ordinary American’s minds when they see African-Americans or even when they have conflicts with AA’s. </p>
<p>It shocked me to see an angry “Kramer” when normally he plays a loveable dufus character. Second, it stunned me to watch him basically, as curmudgeon said, self-destruct. When he started copying one of the men in a sing-song voice by saying something like “oh yeah, I’m a wash-up, poor me up on the stage” it was like watching one of my children when they were young at their most irrational, mean and petty moments, when they would mimic a sibling in a snide, nasty tone. </p>
<p>What I also found hard to believe is that he kept on going and going. I guess he was probably in shock over what he’d started.</p>
<p>Yep, you’re right. I concede. Each and every member of the “religious right” (whatever that is–am I one? :eek:) is a homophobe, racist, bigot, based on your examples of the administration at Bob Jones U and Pat Robertson. Just like the members of our Hollywood community are all racist, vulgar, drunks based on the examples of Richards, Streisand and Gibson. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Nah, difference is HH, members of the liberal or “Hollywood community” (are they all liberals? How do you know?!) do not condone racist behavior; have you heard silence regarding Richards or any of the others’ comments? Has anyone given them a pass? Don’t think so.</p>
<p>Difference is, where are the conservatives speaking out against the racist, homophobic or bigoted comments of the Pat Robertsons, Anne Coulters, etc? I hear a lot of silence…LOL! :)</p>
<p>The trouble is in the definitions.</p>
<p>homophobe: dictionary definition: irrational fear of, aversion to or discrimination against homosexuals or homosexuality.</p>
<p>your definition: someone who opposes gay marriage</p>
<p>racism: dictionary definition: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.</p>
<p>your definition: anyone who opposes your preferred policies regarding race.</p>
<p>bigot: dictionary definition: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.</p>
<p>your definition: anyone who doesn’t agree with your opinions and prejudices.</p>
<p>(Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions)</p>
<p>"homophobe: dictionary definition: irrational fear of, aversion to or discrimination against homosexuals or homosexuality.</p>
<p>your definition: someone who opposes gay marriage"</p>
<p>Well then, according to YOUR definition, someone who opposes gay marriage is a homophobe. Because, telling gays they can’t marry the person of their choice is discrimination.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>“your definition: anyone who opposes your preferred policies regarding race.”</p>
<p>What do you mean by 'preferred policies?" And, why should there even BE any policies regarding race? (other than to not have any policies regarding race! Race should be a NON-issue.)</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>"bigot: dictionary definition: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.</p>
<p>your definition: anyone who doesn’t agree with your opinions and prejudices."</p>
<p>Wrong. As CGM, others and I have patiently explained to you <sigh> we really don’t care what other people’s opinions are. We embrace diversity and disagreement! We only care when people do not respect the opinions of others, to the point of rudely imposing their views on others. To be intolerant of intolerance is not intolerance - it’s sticking to one’s convictions. A tolerant person is tolerant of everything except intolerance! A person who embraces the rights of others is tolerant of everything AS LONG AS they do not interfere with anyone else’s rights. (Obviously, violence IN ANY FORM is the ultimate taking away of someone’s rights, so violence is never tolerated.) To criticize prejudice is not prejudice! See, we are only criticizing intolerance, racism, religionism (is that a word?) and prejudice.</sigh></p>
<p>For example, if you are against gay marriage, then don’t be gay (or if you are gay, then don’t get married!) But you have no right to tell OTHER gay people what THEY can or can’t do. It’s really that simple.</p>
<p>Uh-huh. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>HH, no one is saying this but you:
</p>
<p>Nowhere in my post did I make the claim that the views of Bob Jones and Pat Robertson are shared by every member of the religious right. </p>
<p>What I said was that you, personally, have complained about this stereotype, but you haven’t provided any factual evidence to show that members of the religious right have spoken out against the bigots in their midsts (as the folks in Hollywood have done). Can you really not see the difference in these two things? </p>
<p>What do you suppose it means that you can’t even discuss this issue in an adult manner without resorting to wild exaggerations and mudslinging? Perhaps you doth protest a bit too much.</p>
<p>Thank you, Conyat. I have had a similar problems.</p>
<p>To me your statement obviously implied that the stereotype is <em>deserved</em>: <it’s funny,=“” as=“” much=“” hh=“” complains=“” about=“” the=“” religious=“” right=“” being=“” stereotyped=“” racist=“” and=“” homophobic…we=“” aren’t=“” seeing=“” her=“” point=“” to=“” any=“” links=“” where=“” has=“” done=“” anything=“” significant=“” meaningful=“” address=“” homophobia=“” bigotry=“” that=“” some=“” of=“” their=“” leaders=“” exhibit.=“”></it’s></p>
<p>Since my (and the dictionary’s) basic definition of the good ol’ h,r,b differ from yours and most others posting here, there is no basis for discussion on this topic.</p>
<p>“Perhaps you doth protest a bit too much.” I’m fine with your insult-I’ve already been counted in among the h,r and b’s here. I’m quite used to it by now. Slings and arrows, etc. :)</p>
<p>Ha. I meant to say “sticks and stones.” :)</p>
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</p>
<p>You have no idea what my definitions of homophobia, racisim and bigotry are. </p>
<p>All you have are your knee jerk prejudgements you’ve made, based on your knowledge that I am against the government establishment of religion. How ironic.</p>
<p>Whatevah!!!
Happy Thanksgiving :)</p>