Current Events > Kramer is a GOAT sitcom character

(+) Yeah! (+)

fucking classic

The physical acting is what really put it over the top.

It's just sad the other part of Richards is always at the back of our minds. Supposedly he had little patience for retakes due to others' mistakes, so I guess there was always some kind of method to the madness. But it does it past fans into separating the art from the artist.

He was an asshole?

Spiderman23J posted...

He was an asshole?

He's racist. Went on an unhinged rant about black people several years back at a show. It's hard not to see Kramer in a negative light now because of it.

projektpete posted...

He's racist. Went on an unhinged rant about black people several years back at a show. It's hard not to see Kramer in a negative light now because of it.

He apologized for this

https://youtu.be/IwBoVZh1ruQ?si=u1wtetay1YzCN7VR

KaZooo posted...

It's just sad the other part of Richards is always at the back of our minds. Supposedly he had little patience for retakes due to others' mistakes, so I guess there was always some kind of method to the madness.

He did. Part of the issue though is unlike the others who would just have to do lines again, he'd have to do the physical stuff again. Hence the little patience.

With how physical he was, it's somewhat understandable why he didn't like people blowing takes. He was dedicated to his craft. In the parking garage episode he carried an actual air conditioner around and even busted his lip when it hit him in the face. I think he had an actual bag of cement in that episode with the laundromat too. He said he regrets how uptight he was though.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HqyTbYEpjQU&pp=ygUYc2VuZmVkIEtyYW1lciByaXNrIHRhYmxl

Just him clearing the table is great physical comedy. Even though he was a bigoted asshole, it's still sort of a shame how he crashed and burned. It seemed partly like a mental meltdown on stage. At least they could get something good out of it in Curb Your Enthusiasm with the Seinfeld reunion season

He must have seen Stooge comedy and been like. Whosh K_ten thinks that could be a 11.

jediknight0056 posted...

He apologized for this

doesn't mean he was sincere.

he literally referenced lynchings.

......watch a wrestling match. Anyhow geez Kramer was likely upset in that moment his career was failing. This was before social media. Ahem.

boxoto posted...

doesn't mean he was sincere.

he literally referenced lynchings.

He might be he might not. Some people go for low hanging fruit when raged. Ya know say something they know will piss them off.

I haven't done it racially but I have gone for some low blows when pissed off.

Has Kramer said such a bad thing since then? Even Micheal Vick changed his ways.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


He settled this in Curb also.

so what was going on when he did the N-word rant?

IIRC he said "he's a N...."
who is "he"?

Kamil posted...

Has Kramer said such a bad thing since then? Even Micheal Vick changed his ways.

No, but he hasn't done much of anything. Back in the day Hollywood cancellation was more like being a pariah than a bullseye for the public shaming/ridicule/apology tour production. See: Mel Gibson, etc.

He simply got very little work and kept his head down.

Other than Elaine. Every main character had major TV show failures. George had bombs too. I guess Jason Alexander had more than just hair and trips and falls. To keep himself relevant.

What made Kramer such a great character was that Seinfeld was a completely new (at the time) kind of comedy - very dry, more grounded than the schmaltzy family sitcoms etc. - and then in the middle of it you just have this wild character straight out of a Marz brothers style slapstick. He's so discordant with the rest of the show, but it works so well: it both highlights how "new" the rest of the characters are, while also letting his more physical style shine more than it would if every other character was like that.

Michael Richards is an utter ballbag, but Kramer was excellent.

Kramer rulz.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Ita been a long time but some people go overboard more than others. Like I'm sure he probably has some racist thoughts. Doesn't necessarily mean he believes black people are lesser.

I struggled with that growing up. I always have believed in equality but for the longest time I despised thr subculture I saw so many being a part of. They mostly acted like they wanted to be gangbangers. It took me associating with some at parties and such for me to see they wherent so bad. They put on the facade of being a "thug" but really it was not much different than any white guy wanting to act tougher than he really was.

I was bullied by mostly black kids in 6th grade so that's where that probably came from.

jediknight0056 posted...

He apologized for this

https://youtu.be/IwBoVZh1ruQ?si=u1wtetay1YzCN7VR

Of course he apologized... there was massive backlash and he's in the public eye.

But he said what he said out of anger... and, as the saying goes: "pay attention to what people say out of anger - they've been dying to tell you that."

So yeah... he's racist.

I have a hard time reducing a person I dont know to a single public event. Especially one that was a long time ago. For all I know the actor has had dozens of private learning moments or changes of character since the moment recorded. I can only hope.

I won't judge Mike Rich, yet...

projektpete posted...

Of course he apologized... there was massive backlash and he's in the public eye.

But he said what he said out of anger... and, as the saying goes: "pay attention to what people say out of anger - they've been dying to tell you that."

So yeah... he's racist.

"He apologized but he didn't mean it!!!! ahh he's racist forever!"
This mentality is so toxic.

https://youtu.be/HqyTbYEpjQU?si=PyrR0ofbDIQ4smnK

Kramer!

I watched so much Seinfeld and Friends on rerun through the late 90s and 00s (being broke as hell with bunny ears in a rural area made these two the only thing worth watching), I cant stand either one anymore

I never got into Friends. But Seinfeld always cheers me up.

Spiderman23J posted...

fucking classic

yeah i agree. easily best seinfeld character but he might be the least popular.

Kamil posted...

I never got into Friends. But Seinfeld always cheers me up.

I will almost always watch MwC or Seinfeld if bored and flipping.

voldothegr8 posted...

I will almost always watch MwC or Seinfeld if bored and flipping.

mwc is still a lot better than friends. mwc i just kinda liked though. though many many are huge fans of that show on this site. Prob way more popular on this board than among avg americans though.

Vyrulisse posted...

"He apologized but he didn't mean it!!!! ahh he's racist forever!"
This mentality is so toxic.

If he didn't mean it he wouldn't have said it... pretty simple concept really.

Vyrulisse posted...

"He apologized but he didn't mean it!!!! ahh he's racist forever!"
This mentality is so toxic.

I remember when the incident first happened, you said it wasn't racist, and how it was "nuanced"

Sufferedphoenix posted...

He might be he might not. Some people go for low hanging fruit when raged. Ya know say something they know will piss them off.

I haven't done it racially but I have gone for some low blows when pissed off.

I wasn't saying he didn't mean it when he apologized, but that just he apologized, it didn't mean that he necessarily felt sorry for what he said.

as a public figure, he had other motivations for doing so.

I'm not going to hold a grudge against Michael Richards for life over something that was said well over a decade and a half ago that he apologized for with sincerity which is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. But I also can't condemn anyone who will as forgiveness isn't guaranteed through an apology.

Kramer is a lame fucking rip off of Christopher Lloyd's Jim Ignatowski from Taxi.

ROBANN_88 posted...

IIRC he said "he's a N...."
who is "he"?

An African American gentleman leaving his show.

DragulaRULEZ posted...

An African American gentleman leaving his show.

iirc the guy sued michael richards for that outburst. I don't believe he won anything though, not certain though.

Nah Frank Barone

Anyone know the Real Kramer? We should talk about that. I forget if Kessler was first b/c of that it was based off a a real guy named Kramer.

It was a real Witcher book/ game situation. The guy who was Kramer wanted to be paid more?