Racist Kramer

Michael Richards at the Laugh Factory inciting the incident.

The **Michael Richards Laugh Factory incident** (commonly known as the **Racist Kramer** incident or just **Kramer Day**) refers to an event on November 17, 2006 at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood where Michael Richards, known for his role as Cosmo Kramer in the sitcom *Seinfeld*, angrily shouted a racially charged response during a stand-up routine at African-American audience members, frequently alluding to the Jim Crow era and shouting "n\*\*\*\*r".

The incident was later parodied on several TV shows and eventually became a reoccurring meme solely on the Flustered Fernando channel.

## History

### *Seinfeld*

In 1989, Richards was cast for the NBC sitcom *Seinfeld*, created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, as Cosmo Kramer, the eccentric but kind-hearted friend and neighbor of main character Jerry. The show has consistently received critical acclaim and is often considered one of the greatest sitcoms in history.

Since then, many people have made remixes of other songs using the instruments from *Seinfeld*'s theme song. This trend seems to have started around late 2010 on YouTube and was popularized by users like SynaMax and Rushnerd.

### The incident

On November 17, 2006, Michael Richards was performing at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Hollywood, California when a group of around fifteen to twenty people celebrating one of the friend's twenty-sixth birthday sat down in some of the upper seats during the middle of Richards' performance and started ordering drinks. Because of how large the group was, they unintentionally ended up being louder than expected. In response to this, Richards said something along the lines of "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." He continued on with this racially-charged bit for a while until Kyle Doss, a member of the group, said "My friend doesn't think you're funny." Richards, hurt by the statement, responded by giving Doss the middle finger and said "Fuck you, n\*\*\*\*r."

After this, another audience member began filming Richards with their cell phone and Richards lost his temper and began making jokes about lynch mobs and repeatedly shouted "He's a n\*\*\*\*r!". This continues for at least two minutes until one of the audience members gets up and leaves, calling Richards "cracker-ass" and tells him that he's unfunny and a reject. Several other audience members leave as well and then Richards walks off the stage. The host of the show gets onstage and says, "I don't know what to say, guys. Uh, sorry about that." This is where the recording ends.

### Transcript

**Richards**: Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside-down with a fucking fork up your ass.

**Richards**: You can talk, you can talk, you can talk! You're brave now, motherfucker! Throw his ass out, he's a n\*\*\*\*r!

**Richards**: He's a n\*\*\*\*r! He's a n\*\*\*\*r!

**Audience member**: Oh, my God.

**Richards**: A n\*\*\*\*r! Look, there's a n\*\*\*\*r!

**Richards**: "Ooh! Ooh!" "All right, you see? This shocks you, it shocks you... to see what's buried beneath you stupid motherfuckers!

**Group member**: That was uncalled for.

**Richards**: What was uncalled for? It's uncalled for you to interrupt my ass, you cheap motherfucker!

**Richards**: You guys have been talking and talking and talking!

**Richards**: I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

**Audience member**: This guy is going nuts.

**Richards**: What's the matter? Is this too much for you to handle?

*[Video cuts.]*

**Richards**: They're gonna arrest me for calling a black man a n\*\*\*\*r?

**Richards**: Wait a minute, where's he going?

**Group member**: That was uncalled for, you fucking cracker-ass motherfucker!

**Richards**: Cracker-ass?! You calling me cracker-ass, nigga?!

**Group member**: That was uncalled for! [inaudible], fucking white boy! [inaudible]

**Richards**: Are you threatening me?!

**Group member**: We'll see what's up. We'll see what's up.

**Richards**: Oh, it's a big threat. That's how you get back at the man.

**Group member**: That was real uncalled for.

**Richards**: Wait a minute, he's not going, is he?

**Group member**: You're just not funny! That's why you're a reject! Never had no shows! Never had no movies! *Seinfeld*, that's it!

**Richards**: Oh, I guess you got me there. You're absolutely right. I'm just a wash up.

**Group member**: It's uncalled for.

**Richards**: Gotta stand on the stage. They're leaving, that's it, we've had it. We've had it. [inaudible]

**Group member**: [inaudible] That's un-fucking-called for!

**Another audience member**: That ain't necessary.

**Group member**: Oh, nah! That ain't necessary!

**Richards**: Well, you interrupted me, pal! That's what happens when you interrupt the white man, don't you know?!

**Group member**: Uncalled for! That was uncalled for!

**Richards**: You see? You see, there's still those words. Those words, those words.

*[Richards leaves the stage. Audience continues to leave.]*

**Audience member**: Everyone's leaving?

**Host**: I don't know what to say, guys. Uh, sorry about that.

The video footage of the event was later sent to TMZ who added some subtitles, censored out most of the profanity used with the exception of "n\*\*\*\*r", and then released the footage three days later.

### Aftermath

Media coverage of the event was widespread with unanimous condemnation of Richards' actions.

On the webseries *Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee*, Richards mentioned the incident when talking with Jerry Seinfeld. "I should've been working selflessly that evening. Most of the time when I'm in that zone, I am selfless. ... I busted up after that event seven years ago. It broke me down. It was a selfish response, I took it too personally and I should've just said, 'Yeah, you're absolutely right, I'm not funny. I think I'll go home and work on my material and I'll see you tomorrow night!' and split or something, anything. ... Inside, it still kicks me around a little bit."

## Rips

Rips referencing the incident were uploaded on November 17, 2016 and November 17, 2017 (ten and eleven years to the day respectively after the incident, leaving many to refer to November 17th as Kramer Day) and were apparently deemed so controversial, that they were uploaded to the Flustered Fernando channel, skipping over the SiIvaGunner channel entirely. The meme is usually incorporated in a few different ways:

* Using audio clips straight from the recording of the incident, usually including Richards' use of the word "n\*\*\*\*r" - this is the most common form of manifestation of the meme
* Using clips or images of Cosmo Kramer from *Seinfeld*
* Using clips from other videos related to the incident (e.g. Richards' apology, Dave Chappelle's Laugh Factory stand-up bit about the incident)
* Using other clips of people saying "n\*\*\*\*r" or "n\*\*\*a"

## References

1. ↑ TMZ Staff (November 20, 2006). "Kramer's" Racist Tirade -- Caught on Tape". *In The Zone*. TMZ.