Whats The Deal With The N Word

Im not going to defend Michael Richards behavior as its apparent the dude is off his frickin johnrocker and indefensible. But Ive been to many a comedy club and have heard worse. Much worse.

Regarding hot button words like nigger, Ive always thought that the intent is more important than the word. Take my moniker...Donkey for instance, years back it started as an insult the wops on the docks would call me (and all Irish). Personally I prefer my old nickname of Conan (which Yellow the Asian stills calls me to this day) better. It was an insult that warranted fisticuffs back then and some choice i-tie slurs hurled back at em, but now its what my closest friends call me, so Donkey is what Im stuck with.

In this instance Kramer's anger betrayed him. The dude was pretty frickin irate so its hard for me to think otherwise than those were the words of a hateful and mean-spirited individual, and in that case he deserves the full public condemnation that he was quick to receive. It just wasnt funny.

Its not one of my favorite words but I have used it. I have used it as a term of endearment in jokes and in fights. Does that make me a racist? Apparently it does. The only problem is that besides the limeys and canucks I dont have one iota of a problem with any other people walking God's green earth, and Ive even been slowly softening up to the both of them as I grow older and {cough} more mature. Am I going to seek pyschiatric help or enter rehab? No. Well maybe, but for other reasons, not because of gibsonesque of kramerish words that I may have used. I know whats in my heart.

See my hatred for the English stems from the fact they oppressed my people and the stories my mother would tell me about her childhood in Northern Ireland. The problem is that most of that happened a long long time ago. The average bloke or bird I meet in a pub had as much to do with the potato famine or Cromwell's reign of terror as I do with the disgrace of slavery in this country. Sometimes its best to let things go. Im not saying we should forget, but I think it best we forgive.

As far as Canada is concerned, well I would kindly ask all these liberals that complain about Big Oil and cry for the need for a socialized health care system to move to a border town as I once did. My guess would be that even the patchouliest of peaceniks would be ready to strangle a Canadian after constantly finding themselves behind a line of Ontario plates at the gas station or mooselovers at the hospital as I did. But still, how long can I be pissed off about something that happened years ago now that I no longer live upstate. Not to mention all the good they have contributed to American culture...Pam Anderson, John Candy, Mike Myers, Labatts, and hockey to name just a few. Maybe its time I let it go.

Back to Richards....

Im still a little groggy after my trip down tryptophan lane, so Im not going to get into the whole hypocrisy of how every black comedian has at one time mocked white people. Ok we get it, we cant dance and we talk like Byrant Gumbel. Cracka ass crackas.

His actions kind of fucked it up for now, but the entire black/white dynamics need to start being discussed in a more reasonable and rational manner. Its not as clear cut as some would make it out to be. Just as all black folk dont wanna kill whitey...not all whitey are responsible for slavery. It sure doesnt help the situation, but one washed up actor calling a couple of obnoxious black guys niggers is the exception not the rule. Hyphens aside, we are all Americans....Cant we all just get along.

Besides the obvious, the problem I have with the Kramer situation is two-fold.

Number one, what the hell is Jesse Jackson doing getting involved. Any good works he may have done with Dr King back in the day have been negated by his decades of racist anti-semitic criminal behavior. The guy is a fraud. Taking a wild guess Id say Richards had to put some gold in the pot at the end of JJ's rainbow so that Jackson would forgive him on his radio show.

Which brings me to number two. These guys that Richards verbally accosted (after they told him he sucked and wasnt funny) are planning to sue. For what? Emotional damage? Grow the fuck up. Youre entitled to a refund of what you spent at the club and THATS IT. Everybody wants better yet feel they deserve their fifteen minutes and easy money. We are becoming a country of pussies. I can guarantee that I suffered more "emotional damage" at the Borat movie seeing a mans sack on another mans face. It hurts to even type. If they were so hurt they wouldnt have had the strength to do interviews for every frickin morning show. They see an opportunity for some ill gotten fame and easy cash. Richards was wrong to say what he said, not because of the word he used but the anger he had when using it...but they were as wrong for instigating him and now trying to capitalize on it. Doesnt mean Kramer shouldve reacted as he did. He was wrong and obviously a bigot...plain and simple, but as the saying goes...

Dont start nothing. Wont be nothing.

and one last thing...

Fuck the lawyers.

EE-Aw!!!

...hope everyone enjoyed their holiday as much as I did