Seriously? OMG! WTF?

Just when it seemed Michael Richards was about to leave the most troubling incident of his career behind, his publicist is having to explain how the comic could consider himself to be Jewish. Last week, crisis-management expert Howard Rubenstein acknowledged that Richards had shouted anti-Semitic remarks in an April standup comedy routine — well before his appearance earlier this month in which he harangued hecklers with the n-word. But he defended Richards’ language about Jews, saying that the comic "is Jewish. He’s not anti-Semitic at all. He was role-playing." As Rubenstein’s assertion circulated, Jewish organizations and commentators pointed out that the man who played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld has not converted to Judaism and neither of his parents are Jewish. Which makes him … "Technically, not having been born by blood as Jewish and not formally going into a conversion, it was purely his interpretation of having adopted Judaism as his religion," Rubenstein told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "He told me, ‘I’m Jewish,’" when I asked him. "He said there were two mentors who raised him and who had a big influence on his life, and they were Jewish. He said, ‘I agree with the concepts and the religious beliefs of Judaism and I’ve adopted Judaism as my religion,’" Rubenstein said. "He really thinks of himself as Jewish." What do some Jews think? "You can’t feel Jewish. It’s not a matter of feeling. You can convert to Judaism. You can’t not convert to Judaism and then be Jewish," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Hier defined being Jewish from two perspectives, if someone hasn’t gone through the process of formal conversion. "From the Orthodox point of view, if that person has a Jewish mother, he would be considered Jewish," Hier said. "In the Reform tradition, there’s also a patrilineage. Under those categories, he would not fit." Rabbi Mark S. Diamond of the 280-member Board of Rabbis of Southern California agreed. "There are many people who appreciate Jewish customs, who may embrace aspects of Jewish culture and practice, but that does not make them Jewish," he said. After his tirade came to light, Richards apologized on David Letterman’s Late Show on CBS, saying his remarks were sparked by anger at being heckled, not bigotry. He also apologized to the Rev. Al Sharpton, and apologized Sunday on the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s syndicated radio program. Rubenstein said Richards wasn’t available for an interview Tuesday. "He wants to rest," the publicist said. "He’s been talking to his psychiatrist.

USA Today

If he feels Jewish, but really isn’t a Jew than he should join Kabbalah. Seems to be what Madonna said it is all about!

Comedian Michael Richards said Sunday he did not consider himself a racist, and said he was "shattered" by the comments he made to two young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club. Richards appeared on the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as a part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men. He told Jackson that he had not used the language before. "That’s why I’m shattered by it. The way this came through me was like a freight train. After it was over, when I went to look for them, they had gone. And I’ve tried to meet them, to talk to them, to get some healing," he said. Richards told Jackson the tirade was fueled by anger, not bigotry. "I was in a place of humiliation," he said. Richards’ publicist, Howard Rubenstein, said Saturday that Richards has begun psychiatric counseling in Los Angeles to learn how to manage his anger and understand why he made the racist remarks. "He acknowledged that his statements were harmful and opened a terrible racial wound in our nation," Rubenstein said. "He pledges never ever to say anything like that again. He’s quite remorseful." Jackson, who has called Richards’ words "hateful," "sick," and "deep-seated," said the comedian’s inclusion on the show was a chance for a broader discussion about "cultural isolation" in the entertainment industry. "We might turn this minus into a plus," Jackson said.

CBS News 

Who knew Jesse Jackson was so hard-up for ratings?

OTHER STORIES: Comedians supporting Michael Richards
Tom Green via Hollywood
Leo Flowers via MySpace 

Did Michael Richards attack the Jews? Two Los Angeles residents have come forward and said that’s exactly what happened last Spring at L.A. comedy club, The Improv. Carol Oschin and J.P. Fillet say they were at The Improv on April 22 when Richards took the stage. They say that in the middle of Richards’ skit, a man in the audience said something to the comedian, when Richards allegedly launched into an anti-Semitic rant. According to Oschin, Richards screamed at the audience member, "You f***ing Jew. You people are the cause of Jesus dying." Oschin says the rant continued and Richards stormed off the stage. Oschin and Fillet say that, at first, they thought Richards’ tirade was part of his act, but claim that it quickly became apparent it was not. Richards’ publicist, Howard Rubenstein, confirmed to TMZ that Richards did make derogatory comments about Jews, but says it was part of his act. Rubenstein says Richards told him, "I’m not anti-Semitic. I was playing a role and poking fun at the rednecks."

TMZ 

A few other links on Michael Richards today:

Michael Richards repeatedly called a female comedian a See You Next Tuesday – MoronLife
The hecklers hired Gloria Allred – Access Hollywood
Hollywood is not laughing with Michael Richards – Entertainment Tonight
Richards is trying to kiss Sharpton and Jesse Jackson’s a$$ – TMZ

In an interview to be broadcast tonight, Monday, Nov. 20, on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, comedian Michael Richards offers an explanation and apology for the racial comments he made this weekend during a stand-up routine at a Los Angeles comedy club.

Richards was featured via satellite from Los Angeles during an interview with scheduled guest Jerry Seinfeld, who asked Richards, his former “Seinfeld” co-star, to appear on the CBS late night broadcast. The following is an excerpt from Richards’ interview:

Letterman: “Why don’t you explain exactly what happened for the folks who may not know.”

Richards: “I lost my temper on stage. I was at a comedy club trying to do my act and I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage and said some pretty nasty things to some Afro-Americans, a lot of trash talk, and uh…”

Letterman: “And you were actually being heckled or were they just talking and disturbing the act?”

Richards: “That was going on too.”

*    *     *

Richards: “…You know, I’m really busted up over this and I’m very, very sorry to those people in the audience, the blacks, the Hispanics, whites – everyone that was there that took the brunt of that anger and hate and rage and how it came through, and I’m concerned about more hate and more rage and more anger coming through, not just towards me but towards a black/white conflict. There’s a great deal of disturbance in this country and how black feel about what happened in Katrina, and, you know, many of the comics, many of performers are in Las Vegas and New Orleans trying to raise money for what happened there, and for this to happen, for me to be in a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, you know, I’m deeply, deeply sorry. And I’ll get to the force field of this hostility, why it’s there, why the rage is in any of us, why the trash takes place, whether or not it’s between me and a couple of hecklers in the audience or between this country and another nation, the rage – “

Letterman: “But Michael, let me interrupt here for a second and ask a question about had the people doing the heckling or the people who were not paying attention, had they been white or Caucasian or any other race, what would have been the nature of your response then?”

Richards: “It may have happened. It may have happened. You know, I’m a performer. I push the envelope, I work in a very uncontrolled manner onstage. I do a lot of free association, it’s spontaneous, I go into character.  I don’t know, in view of the situation and the act going where it was going, I don’t know, the rage did go all over the place. It went to everybody in the room. But you can’t – you know it’s, I don’t – I know people could, blacks could feel – I’m not a racist, that’s what so insane about this, and yet it’s said, it comes through, it fires out of me and even now in the passion that’s here as I confront myself.”

The full interview with Seinfeld and Richards will be broadcast on the LATE SHOW tonight ( 11:35 PM-12:37 AM , ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman 

I don’t know about you, but he doesn’t seem to be helping his case with his answers? I think the best way to see how sincere his appology is is to watch Letterman tonight. I would say that this was a career ender, but he really hasn’t had a career since Seinfeld.

When Jerry Seinfeld appeared on the "Late Night With David Letterman" Monday night, he took the opportunity to give some airtime to his old pal Michael Richards. Richards, who played Seinfeld’s eccentric neighbor Kramer on the sitcom "Seinfeld," wanted a chance to publicly apologize for racist comments he made during a stand-up routine recently. The actor appeared live via satellite from Television City, Calif., and fielded questions from Letterman, while Seinfeld looked on. "For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap…" said Richards. "I’m deeply, deeply sorry."

Showbuzz 

Let’s watch and see if it is sincere.

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