Let me see if I’ve got my facts straight…
1. Michael Richards was getting heckled at the Laugh Factory last week.
2. Michael Richards got upset and started yelling at the hecklers.
3. In the process of yelling at the hecklers, Michael Richards called the hecklers (not Jesse Jackson) “n—-rs.”
4. Consequently, Michael Richards is apologizing to anyone and everyone (although, as I understand it, he called the hecklers “n—-rs,” not anyone and everyone. In any event, I’m pretty sure he didn’t call Jesse Jackson a “n—-r.”)
5. For some reason, even though Michael Richards has already apologized an absurd amount, he found it necessary to apologize to Jesse Jackson (again, for something he said to someone else, not Jesse Jackson).
6. Jesse Jackson, for some reason, didn’t respond to Michael Richards’ apology with: “What? Are you nuts? You didn’t call me n—-r; you called the hecklers n—-rs. What the heck does this have to do with me?” Instead, Jesse neither accepted nor rejected the apology, but said this was an opportunity for a discussion about “cultural isolation” in the entertainment industry.
Needless to say, these events have confused me. So here’s my concern…
Tonight I met with two of my friends from school, both of whom are Black, to study for a project we’re doing together. One of my Black friends made what might be considered a mild racial joke to me as he entered the building, and I answered with an equally mild racial joke. He didn’t seem to mind, and our friendship still seems OK.
But just in case – can someone please give me Jesse Jackson’s phone number so I can apologize to him, just in case this involves him in some way I’m not aware of?
