ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > December > 22 > Entry
“Kramer’s” Day … at the office
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Kramer’s” (Michael Richards’) day at the “office” started out like most days. It probably started the way we start many of our work days!
He got to his office (Laugh Factory) focused on getting his job done. Those around him knew his role and took him for granted like they always did when they saw him. For those who were interacting with him when he first began his “work,” they were appreciating him as usual. Since he’s a pretty popular “colleague” with a good long term reputation, who’s good at what he does, they gave him a warm welcome when he first got into the “office.”
After he got through his “arrival” greetings, he began working away in his cube (on stage) as usual. However, what happened before his “first break” was anything but usual! Someone from another cube (audience) started disturbing him. Michael Richards started jawing back at the guy who was messing up his concentration. His work was being disturbed. He was becoming unproductive and unnerved.
He lashed out at what he thought were his provocateurs (the audience) and everyone in the vicinity (Laugh Factory) heard him. Within a few minutes, management heard the commotion, stepped in and stopped the outburst before it incited more people.
Getting back to the actual outcome at the Laugh Factory that night regarding what has been reported about his actions, Michael Richards lashed out with anger and racial epithets and has been labeled a racist. Michael Richards insists that he’s not a racist.
The image that a white person or anyone may have of someone who is a racist can be that of a skin head, a white supremacist or a Ku Klux Klan member. The reality is very few white people fall into these categories.
If we were to have such an image, how might that influence our response to such an accusation?
From what ever you’ve heard, seen or come to know about the incident, what do you think? If you think he’s a racist, why do you think so? If you don’t think he’s a racist, why don’t you think so?
If something remotely close to this incident were to happen in your company, what might the aftermath be in your organization? How might it be handled?
Who has had a career impacting moment? Perhaps, a ‘Kramer’ moment! What was the outcome?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By War Eagle
December 28, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this
The fact is those two idiots did not have the right to heckle him. They violated the terms of their ticket and should have been escorted out. They started it and Kramer finished it. As for the ACLU/SCLC and NAACP causing a riff over this-they should get their heads out of their butts and knock some sense into their people. Kramer’s CIVIL Rights were violated and he had a right to defend himself. If the two black guys were offended-tough cookies! They started it. I am sick and tired of minorities being offended when they are the ones starting the riff. Kramer should sue the Black guys!
By Romulus
December 29, 2006 8:50 AM | Link to this
I’ve witnessed outburst like Michael’s before and as unwarranted as the heckling may have been a code of professionalism is mandatory in titled positions at work. Racism is ignorance and it doesn’t have any respect for skin hue, tone or thickness. Whose has the right to say the audience didn’t target the “poor excuse of a man,” while working because he was white. Simply put, “No one.” However, the words and images Michael chose indicates not determine but, indicates he has a certain level of hatred within himself that can be identified as racism. Sorry he couldn’t handle the pressure at work and experienced burnout. Maybe he should retire or pick up a new line of work. Only a coward would use the defense they started it. With rish comes reward. Certain lines of work people endure unjust commonly so Michael has not been excluded so what! I applaud every organization that feels an unjust in one place is an unjust to us all. White, Black, Brown, Red, Yellow and the wonderful Colors in between.
By Lily Toad
January 3, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this
He made racist comments, so how can he not be racist? Even if, to War Eagle’s point, the hecklers didn’t have a ‘right’ to heckle him, that’s one of the things comedians have to deal with and the way he responded was inappropriate and racist.