Michael Richards, role model
posted by bitchphd
Here is the video, which everyone's already seen, of Richards losing it on stage and yelling appalling racist shit at some black audience members.
Obviously Richards is being a dick. Obviously he's being appallingly racist. I, personally, suspect his intent was to be "edgy" and "outrageous"--which doesn't absolve him of being appallingly racist, but I say this because I find it difficult to believe that any half-educated semi-liberal in this day and age would just pop off with this shit without some rationale operating in their mind for why it's okay.
In any case, whatever. Richards = racist dick, outburst = inexcusable nonsense. End of story. The only remarkable thing about the incident, I think, is that the audience fell into a disapproving silence and, according to the reports I've read, most people got up and walked out. Which is pretty cool.
Here is the video, which ditto, of Richards' apology on David Letterman.
The apology, on the other hand, makes this into a story. I find it impressive. While Richards himself says "I'm not racist"--and I believe him, in the sense he himself means that statement, i.e., he is not accustomed to thinking of himself as a racist, he consciously disapproves of racism--he *also* says, at the end, that he has to do some "personal work." That, and his expression throughout, and the clear sincerity and angst of the whole thing for him, indicate to me that he's one of the very few famous (or not famous, to be honest) people I've ever seen caught in public saying or doing something bigoted to realize that there's a conflict between their inner sense of themselves--not a racist--and the obvious manifestation of ideas, thoughts, or impulses that clearly *are* racist.
Which is why the arguments over "is he a racist" or "isn't he a racist," and whether his outburst demonstrates racist thoughts or "just" his attempt to say the most offensive thing that came to mind are kind of beside the point (and I think Richards himself realizes this, to his credit). Clearly, like most people, he thinks he's not a racist; clearly, like most people, he nonetheless believes and thinks some racist things.
And the way he handles that realization is exemplary.
Obviously Richards is being a dick. Obviously he's being appallingly racist. I, personally, suspect his intent was to be "edgy" and "outrageous"--which doesn't absolve him of being appallingly racist, but I say this because I find it difficult to believe that any half-educated semi-liberal in this day and age would just pop off with this shit without some rationale operating in their mind for why it's okay.
In any case, whatever. Richards = racist dick, outburst = inexcusable nonsense. End of story. The only remarkable thing about the incident, I think, is that the audience fell into a disapproving silence and, according to the reports I've read, most people got up and walked out. Which is pretty cool.
Here is the video, which ditto, of Richards' apology on David Letterman.
The apology, on the other hand, makes this into a story. I find it impressive. While Richards himself says "I'm not racist"--and I believe him, in the sense he himself means that statement, i.e., he is not accustomed to thinking of himself as a racist, he consciously disapproves of racism--he *also* says, at the end, that he has to do some "personal work." That, and his expression throughout, and the clear sincerity and angst of the whole thing for him, indicate to me that he's one of the very few famous (or not famous, to be honest) people I've ever seen caught in public saying or doing something bigoted to realize that there's a conflict between their inner sense of themselves--not a racist--and the obvious manifestation of ideas, thoughts, or impulses that clearly *are* racist.
Which is why the arguments over "is he a racist" or "isn't he a racist," and whether his outburst demonstrates racist thoughts or "just" his attempt to say the most offensive thing that came to mind are kind of beside the point (and I think Richards himself realizes this, to his credit). Clearly, like most people, he thinks he's not a racist; clearly, like most people, he nonetheless believes and thinks some racist things.
And the way he handles that realization is exemplary.
Posted at 4:46 AM
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