HERE WE GO!

Here we go. Another Caucasian (technically, Jewish) man in the entertainment industry shows his ass in Hollywood and reignites the Hollywood guilt machine. Michael Richards' racial epithet meltdown at LA's Laugh Factory on Sunday was a bad thing. We are all agreed that he went too far, let his emotions get the better of him and at best, has a few key issues to work through (understatement noted). His apology on David Letterman shortly afterward, presented in conjunction with an appearance with Jerry Seinfeld, was disastrous on the face of it, reducing much of the live audience to snickers everytime he said "Afro-Americans". It made things worse. Clearly we were seeing a man try to soul search on national television -- that's not even pretty in private therapy sessions, so it's like looking at a painting from Goya's Dark Period on TV. You've heard all of this, because that's all anyone's talked about for the past week.

But let's be honest. If you really watched Richards' tirade, were you really "hurt" by it? (Full disclosure: I am a person of color.) I wasn't there and I can't presume to know if I'd been hurt or brutalized if I was there, but what I saw was a career come to a screeching halt. It'll start up again but it'll take awhile. Listen, I don't give a shit about some has-been TV star trying to find his way back in Stand-up. Frankly, I didn't even know he did stand-up. I'm more worried at the people who were LAUGHING AT HIM DURING HIS TIRADE! Hello. He's up there saying, "He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger!" You can hear people laughing. Now, maybe some of those people were laughing from shock, but I don't know. It took a long time for that snickering to die down. I'm more worried about the children of those people laughing than I am about Michael Richards somehow making things bad for Negroes again.

Because let's face it: nothing he does or says will change the fact that he did it and nothing he said on that fateful night will change anything about race relations in this country. Please. When people get angry, they go for the jugular. It's like an animal law or something. Guys, when's the last time a woman pissed you off and you DIDN'T at least think the word "bitch?" The only interview about this thing I've agreed with on this thing is Sinbad, who was there that night. He talked about how we all go for the most hurtful and vulgar place when we're in a rage. To act like he has some special sickness he needs to deal with (he does need to deal with some things, but we all do. He's clearly not well-adjusted.) is just ridiculous.

What's most laughable about this whole thing is to see CNN's John King interview two of the "victims" of Richards' rant. Along, of course, with their lawyer. Their Caucasian lawyer. King asked them if they "believed" Richards' apology on David Letterman. They explained that they didn't, because people laughed at him when he said Afro-American and he seemed to have a smirk on his face. First of all, who cares if they believed it? Does it matter? What's going to change if they do believe it? Second, how in the hell are they victims? No one knew who the hell they were until their lawyer contacted them. OOPS! I'm sorry, until they went on CNN. I can understand the personal slight, but certainly they've heard the word nigger before. Why are they letting this lawyer try to make money on their backs? Third, I didn't believe them when they were talking about what happened that night, anymore than I believed Michael Richards on David Letterman's show. In other words, I believed both parties. Michael Richards was clearly nervous, as were our two "victims", so sincerity sorta goes out the proverbial window at that point. When King asks them if they will file a civil suit against Richards (I suppose for a hate crime, civil rights violation, name calling?) they told King that's something that the lawyer will decide. In other words, "Ask the white lady, cause we can't think for ourselves."

Folks, where is the intelligence here? Why don't those guys turn this episode into something positive as opposed to trying to get something for nothing? Their lawyer says she wants to get them in a room with Mr. Richards so he can apologize face-to-face. Of course, no money will exchange hands during such a meeting, no out of court settlement so this can just go away. No. That would never happen.

Richards did a stupid, stupid thing. Apologizing was gallant, but alas useless. Let him twist in the wind, like Tiger Woods did with Fuzzy Zoeller after his "chicken and watermelon" remark after a Woods Masters victory. He's a racist, as are we all, since we're learning in this racist society. Let's deal with it, have a conversation like Al Sharpton has proposed. Let's talk about what this comes from, the larger societal implications of this kind of behavior and how it is a manifestation of many other racist and sexist tendencies running through the country these days.

Don't worry about Michael Richards. Worry about your next door neighbor.