From The Independent:
In the moments before the cell phone picked up the incident, Richards was evidently told by two black hecklers that he wasn’t funny. He turned on them almost immediately, telling them he was rich and could have them arrested and escorted out of the place if he felt like it. That didn’t go down too well, and the hecklers let him know they didn’t appreciate him lording it over them.
“Didn’t appreciate him lording it over them…” makes one thing it was a gentemanly exchange prior to the racial epithets and lynching threats.
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6 Responses to I Love The Brits
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I find it very disingenuous that in all this flap, everyone’s attacking Richards for using the N-word, but these two hecklers were apparently calling him “Cracker” (the equivalent epithet from blacks towards whites) over and over for quite some time during his act.
Using the “N-word” was the lesser of the offense. If he’d left it at that, it wouldn’t have become as career-destroying as it probably will be.
I’d also say that there is a substantive difference between using the N-word and “cracker” or “honkey” from a historical context. Maybe whites should be as offended and hurt when called names, but generally speaking we’re not, so it is by definition less generally offensive.
Ello, eh wot! Do you realise that the Independent recognises that the blokes involved in the row had no connexion to the Virginia senate race. I was sceptical at first, but blimey, they’re right! That people of colour were involved was a mere coincidence. Bob’s your uncle!
I have to agree that Cracker isn’t as bad as the n-word, and I don’t think they used it until Richards went far past the line of common courtesy and decency in the first place. The lame attempt at the apology almost makes it worse than if he’d said nothing at all.
If he would have used nigga insted of the N word it would have been aaaaight! Ok, now seriously… this was not funny at all.
What Kramer did was wrong, not so much using the N word, but what troubles me is the “Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass.” that statement makes me see that he obviously did not see that as a “dark” chapter in this countrie’s history.
Becky,
From what I gather Richards has an extremely ferocious temper and no self-control when he loses it. That doesn’t at all excuse what he did, but I can see him genuinely feeling bad about doing it (apart from career considerations). I think he needs a lot more than sensitivity training, I think he needs psychological help.
Logtar,
I agree. The N-word is the lesser offense… and the N-word is very rarely a lesser offense!