Essay 1365

Kramer vs. Kramer in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The real Kramer is speaking out. Kenny Kramer, the man who inspired the Kramer character from the Seinfeld show, has been doing interviews ever since the infamous tirade. “I did at least 15 to 20 interviews,” said the true Kramer. “All hell broke loose. There were lots of e-mails. They were about 9-1 positive. … I know the guy. … He’s not this outgoing ball of fun that people would expect Kramer to be. They think [he’d] be exciting, lovable, laughable. But he’s quiet, introspective, even paranoid. He’s a very wound-up guy. But I don’t think he’s a racist.” Based on the depictions of the character in Seinfeld episodes, it’s probably a good idea to question the credibility and intelligence of the real Kramer.

• No surprise, the audience members on the receiving end of Michael Richards’ racist rant want an apology and cash. “To have him do what he did to me … I can’t even explain it,” said one of the two men. “I was humiliated, even scared at one point.” The dissed duo hired a lawyer, who hopes to bring the matter before a judge. Howard Rubenstein, representing Richards, insists his client wants to express remorse but has been unable to find the club goers. Right, Richards tracked down Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, but he can’t locate two dudes who have already appeared on national entertainment programs to tell their side of the story.

• Comedian Tom Green has come to Richards’ defense. “Anybody in that room … would have had just cause to have gotten up onstage that night and punched Michael Richards right in the [bleep]ing face … [Bleep], dude. Kramer [bleep]ing lost it. But at the end of the day, I don’t think Michael Richards is a racist,” wrote Green in his blog. “Unlike Mel Gibson, who probably does hold racist attitudes, I don’t think Michael Richards doesn’t like black people. I think he was just trying to say the craziest and most vile thing in that room he could possibly muster. And I think he dug deep, into the darkest corners of his mind, to say those evil things to those men. But he did it in a small room, in an exchange, during a performance, and it wasn’t meant for us. It was just meant for that room. So why don’t we just let them settle it? … Let’s leave Michael Richards alone.” Note to Howard Rubenstein: You do not want Tom Green as a character witness.

• A town manager from Golden Beach, Florida, sparked controversy when she referred to her Black assistant as a “mammy.” The White town manager then tried to apologize by saying she “loved Aunt Jemima.” No word yet if Howard Rubenstein has been contacted.