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November 21, 2006
Michael Richards apologizes.
I didn't realize that this controversy coincides with the release of Seinfeld's seventh season on DVD. Liz said Jerry Seinfeld would appear on Letterman, so I stayed up to watch. Wasn't hard to stay awake, as I've been bouncing between fever and chills for the last day.
I was laying flat on the bed with a clammy hand over my eyes when she called from the living room to say Richards was on. There's no denying that the man is clearly haunted by what he's done. And he did take a step or two toward taking responsibility.
However, he also claimed that the rage wasn't directed just at the "Afro-Americans" he verbally assaulted, but at everyone in the room. According to Richards, he wasn't speaking from the heart. I was twitching with a core temp of 100.7, so I may not have it right when I remember him saying the bile he vented was of a piece with the same rage and ignorance that permits one nation to invade another.
A rambling mea culpa, but Letterman does a decent job of keeping Richards accountable. It's unfortunate that after screaming "nigger!" enough times to make his teeth white (hat tip: Paul Mooney), he actually praises the people who captured the video and spoke to the press, lauding them for making him accountable. Liz snorted when he responded to Letterman's question about making amends by saying he has some "personal work" to do.
UPDATE:
Props to Jamie Masada for refusing to have Richards back at the Laugh Factory until he apologized banning him from appearing at his club.
Read the transcript of Richards' apology here.
Posted by Your Protagonist at November 21, 2006 08:02 AM