If you've been following the Michael Richards apology tour, you know that the actor made an appearance on the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Keep Hope Alive radio program in which he claimed to be "shattered" by his own remarks. That wasn't good enough for the Rev. The day after Richards' appearance, Jackson called for a boycott of the recent seventh season Seinfeld DVD release to punish the actor where it really hurts - the pocketbook. How boycotting the Seinfeld DVD set would actually hurt Richards is beyond me. Between syndication points and a series-run as Kramer, I think Richards is pretty set financially. As a symbolic act or even one motivated by publicity, I suppose a boycott makes a bit more sense -- but not much seeing as Richards' words were spewed without the consent of the entire cast and crew of Seinfeld. (I've linked to it in the past, but if you want a better reason to hold Seinfeld suspect, check out hip-hop artist Danny Hoch's monologue about his scheduled appearance on the show.)
Jackson also called for an end to the use of the "N-word" by all people - including hip-hop artists and black comedians. Jamie Masada, the owner of the Laugh Factory at which Richards hurled the now infamous string of epithets, announced that the "N-word" would be banned at the club. Wouldn't that effectively shut-out up-and-coming Dave Chappelle-types from ever appearing there? Self-censorship is not what comedians do best. What happened to reclaiming words as an act of empowerment? Or, I don't know, just the notion of "context?"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-28-2006 @ 4:24PM
Jonathan said...
Ah, freaking put a sock in it. I bet Jesse Jackson has a huge erection from all this since he finally gets to get up on his high horse again.
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11-28-2006 @ 4:27PM
Clint said...
Hey Jesse, don't forget about boycotting the movie UHF either!
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11-28-2006 @ 4:33PM
Toby OB said...
Jackson's call for a boycott will also hurt Larry David, Jason Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. What did they do to deserve that?
And the call to ban the N-word from the Fun Factory... Lenny Bruce must find that hilarious, wherever he is.
I'd love to see some rebellious comic go on stage tehre and do a recreation of Lenny's bit about the power of the word in spite!
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11-28-2006 @ 4:36PM
TVblogger said...
This guy totally would do something like this. Especially after the whole incident is now dead and over with.
Jackson is the biggest whiner in the world. And what does it matter boycotting Seinfeld? It wasn't the show's fault Michael Richards is racist.
With that said, I've ordered seasons 5, 6, & 7 for some much needed holiday cheer at my house.
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11-28-2006 @ 4:53PM
mike said...
jj will protest until he receives a percentage of the season 7 sales.
the man is the ultimate shakedown artist. he boycotted annheiser bush until they gave his sons the chicago distribution rights to the budweiser brands.
jesse is indeed a man of color: green.
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11-28-2006 @ 5:12PM
Douglin said...
That Danny Hoch video is pathetic, it's just some guy trying to further his own career by trying to make something out of nothing. Nobody cares that the soup nazi was an American guy doing an accent or that Babu was an English guy doing an accent. He's just sore he let a good opportunity slip through his fingers
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11-28-2006 @ 5:20PM
anonymous said...
Now if this was a black person making the racial remark, they would've just let it slide. But nope we have to have Jesse Jackson exaggerate everything.
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11-28-2006 @ 5:22PM
David4 said...
"Jackson also called for an end to the use of the "N-word" by all people - including hip-hop artists and black comedians."
About fucking time!
And yes let's boycott Sienfeld, I'm sure that will work great! :)
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11-28-2006 @ 5:35PM
Margaret said...
Boycotting the Seinfeld DVD is a stupid idea, I agree. Where does Jesse come up with these brainstorms? He grabs those headlines every time he can; he's such a hopelessly egotistical Showboat, and an embarrassment to white, blacks and nearly everyone else. His motives are always shady. I'm not saying what Richards did is okay, but Jesse is about as off base with this boycott idea as he usually is about everything he sticks his nose into. I agree with David4, the N word is an unnecessary part of the English language. No need for using it by any race, creed or color.
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11-28-2006 @ 6:01PM
MacGuffin said...
Jesse Jackson you are a hypocrite. You have Michael Richards on your show and yet you continue to punish him.
Good thing that a Christian like you forgives so easily.
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11-28-2006 @ 6:43PM
TuckerKatt said...
When JJ calls for these boycotts, does anyone actually do it? Does anyone take him seriously?
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11-28-2006 @ 7:01PM
Design said...
Just order Season 7 from Amazon!
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11-28-2006 @ 7:45PM
gail said...
One of our local DJs was commenting on how those in LA consider JJ something that we in Chicago do not.
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11-28-2006 @ 8:12PM
Hank said...
This reminds me to pick up another copy of Seinfeld Season 7 on the way home tonight.
Funny, Jackson seemed to have no problem after meeting Richards on Sunday. I guess the check must have bounced yesterday. What a _parasite_!
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11-28-2006 @ 8:19PM
David4 said...
Another fun part are the people who were called the n-word by the wacko are sueing. My thought is for what?! He called you a niggar, he didn't threaten your life, he didn't say he was going to shoot you. There is this thing in America called free speech. Should he have said it? No, no way, but there is no right to sue.
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11-28-2006 @ 10:20PM
Sweet said...
Jesse is such an opportunist. I really wish the media would stop paying attention to him.
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11-29-2006 @ 12:03AM
Dave said...
OK, the Michael Richards thing was ridiculous. I don't think you will find many people who will disagree. That being said, Jessie Jackson is just a hypocrite who prospers from the Big Business called Racism. It's his own special brand of Racism that only works one way. People have hated people who are different than them since the beginning of time(or in the future as portrayed on South Park this year).
Does anyone remember Jackson's Hymietown comment? The Washington Post does.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/jackson.htm
America, don't get sucked into this mentality.
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11-29-2006 @ 12:11AM
jake said...
I have long said that NO ONE should use the N word anymore -- if it is derogatory for others to use it, why use it yourself.
It's not fair to punish Seinfeld and the rest of the cast for his mistake -- in fact -- he is not the one most hurt since I'm sure that his profits pale in comparison to Seinfeld himself.
What was with the big press conference anyway with jackson and richards? Was that all just for show and then Jackson goes and stabs him in the back? Why aren't the hecklers being held accountable at all for their actions that prompted Richards outburst? Not to condone his outburst but they are not innocent in this matter.
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11-29-2006 @ 12:46AM
LC said...
I don't know what is funnier. The idea of a boycot of a video where Richards played one character, or the fact that in recent interviews Jackson refers to him as Kramer and not Richards.
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11-29-2006 @ 9:03AM
Mack Swift said...
This guy makes me sick to my stomach. This retard and all his other outraged black friends throw a fit because Michael Richards went on a tirade and said nigger.
Give me a break. Where's the outrage at all black communities awash in drugs and murder? Where's the outrage when a black mother puts her 3-month old in the frakking microwave? Where's the supposed outrage when black people call other black people nigger?
Did anyone watch the whole video on YouTube? Because somebody says to Richards, "That was uncalled for, you fucking cracker-ass mother fucker ... Fucking white boy. We'll see what's up." Which one of the so called 'victims' of Richards tirade said that? Apparently saying that is a-okay.
Jackson, his cronies, and most black people are bunch of hypocrites. When a white person says nigger, they stomp up and down screaming that they're victims of racial prejudice and that they want money as reparation to slavery.
But a black person calls another black person a nigger in any way, shape, or form.....no outrage. A black mother puts her 3-month old black baby in the microwave...no outrage.
Ridiculous.
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