Michael Richards Sets the Worst and Best Example

Michael Richards appeared tonight on Letterman, and apologized for his recent crazed rant during an appearance at a comedy club. The story goes, if you haven't already heard it, that Richards was performing his stand-up act when a group began heckling him, and he got upset and freaked, spewing some pretty god-awful racist slurs.

Moxie was at first skeptical of this public apology on Letterman, anticipating a formal, straight-from-the-publicist's-notepad apology, blaming alcohol, drugs, or the like. Instead, Richards was visibly shaken and upset, and remorseful of what transpired. His words seemed unplanned and sincere, and he explained that he basically lost control in the face of the hecklers, and at first tried to shock the audience into stopping the heckling, and then was overcome with anger that he lost control of.

Moxie particularly appreciated the way Richards explained how he felt about the people in the crowd contacting the press about the scuffle, and the media attention the event has received. Richards said that people were right contact the press, and it's right that it be in the public forum, because the black community should not stand for what happened. It's right that people come forward against this kind of thing, and not let it go by unnoticed. It is a big deal. His conviction in this belief in the face of such a public embarassment was... well not admirable, but good for him. Well said.

As horrifying and unacceptable as Richard's actions are, Moxie must admit, she feels she can relate on some level. Moxie, like most earthlings, has had her fair share of ill-conceived outbursts in public, including slamming the door of a well-known theatrical venue in the manager's face, while shouting a few obscenities (though not race-related!) for the whole crowd of onlookers to hear. Lots of people have these kinds of experiences, when they aren't too proud of themselves, and maybe don't even believe in the things they've just said. Most of us don't have an entire American public interested in examining these moments, thank goodness.

With this in mind, Moxie thinks it's a damn shame that Dr. McDouchebag, Isaiah Washington, didn't have the good sense and courage to come forward after his own recent display of homophobia, bigotry, and hatred. We're all humans, and we tend to say and do stupid, reprehensible things that we'd like to take back, if we could. It's too bad that Dr. McDouchebag couldn't swallow his ego and apologize from the heart, as Michael Richards has done. It doesn't make up for anything, and it doesn't make it right, but at least to Moxie, it means a lot.