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Exit, Stage Right
When Jerry Seinfeld characterized actor Michael Richards' behavior as "a mistake," he is considerably more generous than I would be. But, then again, he has reason to be. When Michael Richards launched his racist rant against two men in his audience, his was not the only reputation ruined; Cosmo Kramer died in that set, right alongside Richards.
As I have pondered Richards' mean-spirited behavior and seemingly mendacious amends, I have wondered about the social and financial consequences that Richards' actions have wrought. Will viewers turn off to Seinfeld? If viewers flee Seinfeld, royalty checks to the show's creative team cannot help but plummet. No show, no dough. It's amazing that a principal in a franchise like Seinfeld can so thoroughly stink it up long after its creation. Talk about brand damage. Tell me, what advertisers out there might want their brand associated with Michael Richards?
I was surprised how hard Michael Richards' actions hit me. Among all the characters created on Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer was far and away my favorite. His brilliant recipe mixed the goofy, the geeky, elan, and savoir faire. Kramer's affection for the uncool, his enthusiasm for the weird and the wacky made him incredibly funny, uniquely lovable, and a kind of heroic anti-hero.
Kramer's occasional ability to score big with the babes gave dim hope to a many of us otherwise hopeless and clueless men. Richards' physical comedic skills were without peer when he was on-screen. Nobody made an entrance like Cosmo Kramer. It would appear that nobody makes an exit like him, either.
Goodbye, Cosmo. I'll miss you.
Posted on November 26, 2006 10:35 AM | Permalink
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Comments
Neill, i read and enjoyed your Cosmo entry last night and considered sending you a suggestion to change the title to Exit Stage Left, because i am so outraged by the views and actions of the Anointed (see Thomas Sowell's "Vision of the Anointed") i.e. the preachy conservation-minded Prius-driving affluent left who use private jets (ok maybe more a description of Larry David and spouse than Michael Richards, but they merge).....but all this is better stated in today's WJ column "Seeing Race Through A Liberal Lens" by Jason Riley, hope you get a chance to read it - ba
@Bobbie, so when someone runs a foul its the liberals rabble rousing thats the bigger deal right?
Come on, get off your 'everything conservative is right' platform. While i don't agree with every 'hunt' that takes place anytime a white person says something they shouldn't have, at least there are people who who will stand up and say something.
Having said that, if it takes 'kramer' to make people see how vile of a word that is, what a sad state of affairs the black community is in, cause you know, before kramer nobody was out there stating how vile of a word that is and that it should not be used as people do - a term of endearment -
Sigh, I have been called that by more black people than i have ever been called that to my face by a white person, so I think people need to hold up a mirror instead of running after headlines. Thats not to let anyone off the hook, it's just to say there are more important things to worry about than kramer going off his rocker.
sincerely
Black, Moderate & Independant, cause the further you are from the middle the less of both sides of the issue you can see...