Mel and “Kramer” -Perfect Together
You knew this was going to happen. Mel Gibson says he “likes” Michael Richards and can sympathize with his plight. Mel and the man who played Kramer have a lot in common. Gibson, although he denies it, has been vocally anti-semitic. Kramer got in trouble when he hurled racial slurs at black members of a comedy club audience. Both men have tried hard to apologize, but Mel Gibson has had a tough time convincing people. Michael Richards is still in the “I’m sorry” stage. Considering the passion of his outburst, it may be very difficult for him to make a professional recovery.
Let me make it clear: Gibson did not endorse Richard’s rant. He just sympathized with the fact that he too is under fire for spewing hatred. He knows what it feels like.
The challenge of Gibson and “Kramer” recovering from their outbursts is much less important than the two of them discovering just how damaging their actions were. A real apology means the two of them reconciling with themselves that they need to fix the emotional scars within them.
In the meantime, we all have choices to make.
This is the land of the free, but it is also the home of a lot of bigotry,much of it the unspoken variety. People like Gibson and Richards not only cause pain, but they arouse the passions of many people just like them who could care less about the feelings of others. People who hate spread the hatred around. Once they walk away from their hatred, and after they have done the damage, it is left for all of us to clean up the mess.
As far as the arts of movie making and comedy: I will never find Michael Richards funny again. I will not see a Mel Gibson movie, even a rerun. The fact is that they have ruined it fdr me. I will never see “Kramer” as funny, nor will I view Gibson as the movie hero he once was.
Public people have a responsibility to set examples.
You can argue all you want that both men have a right to exercise their art. They can do whatever they want.
So can I, and so can you.
And I choose to simply not support their work.
Comments(2)
Excellent observation and position! When people are in the public eye, they have a responsibility. I have heard some of the say, ‘Look, I’m only human – I made a mistake.’, but the fact remains that they, for the most part, are held to a higher standard, and rightly so. Whether they care to admit it or not, they become role models and examples for young people to follow. When incidents like Richards’ rant and Gibson’s gaffe happen, I am willing to say that, deny it all they want, it is a true reflection of their heart and what their core belief system really IS! “Many a true thing is said in jest” – and too many people use the idea of, ‘It was only a joke.’ as a cover for having expressed the reality of their bigotry – and every one of us does it to one degree or another. When a public figure does this, however, it exacerbates the situation. Can’t we all just get along?
Larry, I agree with the fact that I will never watch Seinfeld the same way ever again. Michael Richards knowing the kind of world we live in today with digital media, anybody with something as simple as a cellphone can have the video up on You Tube in a matter of minutes, should have exercised better control (I however would be very interested in seeing the part of the video where he was provoked, notice that part has never been shown).
Interestingly, I was offended greatly by Mel Gibson’s comments, having some Jewish background a few generations back. When the Michael Richards let his comments out, I easily related. I got into an argument with a student at school over the issue. All that she said about the Michael Richards incident, “big deal, racisim is gone, get over it”, if front of another girl with African American heritage. I came to the rescue of the poor girl who had to defend her own race by herself, what I said what probably puts it best. Sure we’ve come such a long way, people have fought for so long for their rights. Now that it is the case now, things like the Richards or Gibson incidents are a slap in the face to all those who over came persecution and prevailed, past and present.