A Blog About Making Culture
Kramer, Please!
November 22, 2006
If you follow pop culture, it's been almost impossible to miss Michael Richards' astounding racist flame-out and subsequent requisite soul-searching televised mea culpa.
If you're a long-time reader of my site, you can probably guess my take: This is another example of the impedance mismatch between white and black culture in regard to social standards in public settings. Put more succinctly, Michael Richards lost his shit for the same reason white people always get mad when black people talk at the movies. It's about control, and who sets the standards, and clearly Richards is someone who gets filled with rage when he's not in control.
Now, to those of us who aren't black or white, this stuff is usually just an academic argument. It's a source of amusement, or maybe even a source of hope that someday while everyone else is arguing over this, we'll get some hispanic and asian people on TV or even into the White House.
But the fundamental issue here is that there's a significant tradition in many African American communities to see entertainment venues as a forum for interaction, as a place for dialogue and conversation inspired by, or even directly in response to the performance. Whether it's call-and-response in church or at a hip hop show, it's not merely acceptable to be talking or reacing, it's expected. Would showtime at the Apollo be as fraught without that expectation?
Conversely, a lot of white culture places an expectation on respect for the performance. There's a standard of reverence for the person on stage, or the film being screened. And there's an underlying sense of value: Hey, we all paid to be here, so be quiet!
Both positions are completely understandable, completely defensible, and valuable in their context. Hell, I usually feel both motivations at once when I go to events. But they're largely incompatible, and are especially hard to reconcile in a context that's weighted by the history and tension of race.
So, when a white comedian is heckled by a black audience member? It's a threat to Richards' values, and he reverts to the worst, most violent response possible: Lynching. I like to think of myself as jaded, but I was still astounded that Richards literally referenced lynching as his very first response to the challenge from the audience. For those arguing (probably correctly) that there are racist tendencies buried in us all, I'd like to offer a correction: This shit was not buried in Richards, it was sitting right there at the top of mind.
The eye of pop culture will move on to something more scandalous, or something more comfortable than confronting racism. But there is still a desperate need for people in America to understand the various cultural norms that inform their expectations of behavior, and to start embracing that variety.
Still curious about this? I wrote about white and black folks at the movies over four years ago:
My experience has been that white people at a movie see black patrons' interaction with the screen as being rude or inappropriate, and that black audiences see the white objectors as mostly frustrated by the fact that a black person has control over their ability to enjoy a movie in the manner to which they're accustomed. They're both right, of course.
Shortly after that, more movie stuff:
America, wake up... not everyone acts the way you do, and not everyone has the same expectations, wants, and desires that you do. If it's an orchestral performance, then shut the fuck up. If it's a funk concert, then get off your ass and jam. Somewhere in between? Then figure it out. But don't expect that everyone around you will arrive at the same conclusion.
Some other relevant links:
- Jay at hip hop music offers The Definitive "Racist Kramer" Post with some great additional links and commentary.
- Dan Charnas asks, Are you really that surprised? with some perspective on Richards' role in Seinfeld:
The construct for “Seinfeld,” like so many other comic teleplays and films, is a monochromatic world where White People are central, and people of color — if they appear at all — are simply used as accessories, as added “color” for a scene.
- I recycled the same snowclone in this post's title in my earlier ruminations on Digg, for no reason at all.
- And I rambled on about monoculture for almost a month, yielding such obvious assertions as "the greatest threat to cultures today comes from not intermingling".
Previously: More Linking, Less Thinking
dbt
I think this goes a lot more to Michael Richards being a pompous asshat and probably a racist than a cultural mishmash. At least one other person who received racial crap from him was Jewish, so it wasn’t a black/white thing.
Sad. I’ll never be able to watch UHF with the same appreciation again. I guess now we know who to blame for the cheesy asian humor!
Robert Sayre
I think the movie theory is bullshit. Plenty of movie-talkers are white and hispanic and asian. Social norms vary depending on the type of movie you’re watching. I once went to the opening night of The Beavis and Butthead Experience, where the almost completely white audience was throwing beer bottles and standing on their seats doing Cornholio impressions. I don’t think you could call that a black thing.
Look, it’s impossible for a white person to publicly call a black person rude and annoying without the subtext being rude, annoying, and /black/. That issue aside, you definition is bogus:
“frustrated by the fact that a black person has control over their ability to enjoy a movie in the manner to which they’re accustomed.”
Instead of “black person”, you could try “rude person”. Maybe “annoying person”. Maybe when this stuff happens, it’s usually the last two and rarely the first reason.
There are lots of situations where this happens without racial hangups obfuscating the issue. For example, loud conversations on the subway. My observation is that New Yorkers that work are universally annoyed by high-school and college students that talk too much on the train. They’re of all races, and they’re all annoying.
anon
I’m a bit surprised by the reaction. If anyone’s ever been to a comedy show, they’d know that it’s a fairly rough endeavour. Obviously no one can take this position in this still very PC correct age.
Rob Drimmie
Something to consider too is that heckling is a pretty common part of the stand-up culture. Audience participation is extremely common in a stand-up act, and audience control is fundamental. Richards lost control of himself and the audience.
I think it goes beyond performance expectations in white and black culture. I think the cultural difference is definitely a useful facet of the discussion, but the comedy club culture needs to be taken into account too.
ps, including the feedburner url in the feed totally breaks Bloglines - the line doesn’t wrap (not sure if this is you added or something feedburner did).
Ram
Anil, I really liked the way you put it, “But there is still a desperate need for people in America to understand the various cultural norms that inform their expectations of behavior, and to start embracing that variety”. I think this would definitely be a major step towards building tolerance and understanding.
Darrin
Not sure about everybody else, but I get pissed at the movies when anybody talks. Black, white, Indian, Asian, young, old, male, female. There is nothing more infuriating than having some nudgenik pull out a cell phone or talk during a movie.
Movies are not Showtime at the Apollo. The grim pre-movie trailers ask that people keep quiet during the movie in respect for everybody. Color, sex, or religion for me at least has nothing to do with it. Being rude to others does.
Anil Dash 
Not sure about everybody else, but I get pissed at the movies when anybody talks.
Yes, but if you follow what I’m saying here, I’m ascribing your reaction to the culture in which you were raised. Similarly, your willingness to state your opinion so baldly would be rude in a lot of other cultures. But I appreciate it, either way. :)
Scott Johnson
I’m the type of person who enjoys silence from the crowd during a movie. And honestly, I had never really thought about the other perspective. I think I understand it now, though, and for some reason, movie talking isn’t as annoying.
Cameron Barrett
I wonder how this theory correlates to the annoying people who put $5000+ sound systems in their cars and then drive down the street with the music (mostly bass) so loud it sets off car alarms. If I can be indoors with the windows and doors shut and hear your music over the sound of my television, then you have your music too loud.
The loudness of your music does NOT make your penis larger, nor does it make you look cooler to your friends. It just annoys your neighbors and one day you’ll find me lobbing bowling balls off my balcony because you’ve pushed it too far. Be warned, you little pricks. Turn down the music or suffer the consequences of my white-boy rage.
Kordan Harvey
I agree that there is always room for increased tolerance and life on a University campus has made that an eye opening expereince and priority. The only thing that I take issue with is that it is always the White American’s job to observe and let slide other cultures norms.
There is no remark about how the “black persons” at the movies perhaps should have realized that they are also co-existing with other cultures and shown some restraint. Pointing this out invariably makes you a racist, which I assure you I am not. It’s just disappointing that a lot of the arguments for reasons why white people should be more tolerant are completely ignored by the very races saying them.
I am not in any way condoning what Micheal Richards did, merely remarking on the article.
Anil Dash
it is always the White American’s job to observe and let slide other cultures norms
Really? Have you ever tried applying for a job? Trying to get a home loan? Running for President? Reaching for your wallet in front of your own apartment building? My experience and observation is that those types of things are easier if you adopt white america’s cultural norms. Which I’m content to do, and have seen some success as a result.
There is no remark about how the “black persons” at the movies perhaps should have realized that they are also co-existing with other cultures and shown some restraint
There is no remark about anybody changing their behavior, but you read this as an admonishment to white people. Perhaps your comment reveals more about you than about what I wrote.
I advocated that people understand why other groups act the way they do. Scott got that, Ram got that, and those who disagreed seemed to believe the concept is credible. The idea that “it is always the White American’s job to observe and let slide other cultures norms” is demonstrably false, and I am wondering if you are ignorant, defensive, or merely willfully ignoring that fact.
Darrin
“I’m ascribing your reaction to the culture in which you were raised”
It’s all a matter of appropriate behavior for a specific activity. You said it yourself, orchestral performances and funk concerts should evoke different behaviors based on the type of event. Given the desire on the part of theater owners for a quiet theater via pre-movie PSAs, at least for me the issue has nothing to do with cultural and/or racial backgrounds.
I’d like to add that I have given up my one movie a week theater habit because of the overall rudeness of others while trying to watch. And if I might be so bold, the rudeness generally has less (if anything) to do with racial or cultural background than other societal archtypes. The doctor on call taking a call and barking medical orders during a movie, the single mother organizing her clutch of children via phone and screaming, and the white 20-something bleached bimbo talking about her next conquest at full volume during a pivotal scene are all situations I have experienced. People seem unwilling to accept any personal responsability for their actions when they affect others. The attitude that “I paid my money, I’ll talk during the movie if I want” is a great example of that.
And regarding me being so bold to express my opinion, you are a blogger that lives in SF. A tolerant medium run by somebody living in one of the most tolerant cities in the U.S. I believe I judged my surroundings properly :)
Abhi
Gee. I tried to say the same thing as Darrin and Robert Sayre. But my comment never made it here. I think it became a long rant with a mention of W Axl Rose.
I fully agree with these guys - bad behavior is bad - and to excuse it as a black or white stereotype just does not seem like a great idea. In fact, the media pimps so many stereotypes that a lot of simpler folks would assume it’s sometimes ok to be stupid just because of the color of your skin.
That said, Michael Richards is a moron.
Anil Dash
I fully agree with these guys - bad behavior is bad - and to excuse it as a black or white stereotype just does not seem like a great idea.
And again, this isn’t about how any group of people behaves — I am not by any means saying “all people in this group act a certain way”. I’m saying that different groups have different standards, and everyone seems unwilling to concede that, maybe, differing standards are just as legitimate as one’s own.
“Bad” in terms of appropriate behavior in a public setting is defined by context and is not something that everyone can reach a consensus on. For example, ignoring the point of something I’ve written in order to insistently repeat one’s cultural preferences is considered bad behavior in the social context of this blog. Since it’s mine, I get to choose how often I let that kind of lunacy appear on the page.
Kordan Harvey
Even if this never makes it to the comments I’ll admit that my first post was off base and didn’t address the article in the slightest. This made me come of as uninformed a Neanderthal and I apologize.
Robert Sayre
Interesting. It seems like undergraduate cultural relativism, though. Perhaps we should run with it, and see if we find that informative. Are black people who don’t talk during movies “acting white”?
http://www.google.com/search?q=acting+white
Anil Dash
Um, no, Robert, they’re not. I didn’t say “all black people talk at movies”. I said (to paraphrase) “different groups have different cultural norms”. It’s not of race, though it often loosely maps to the cultural construct of race. Are you saying it can never be okay to respond to a public performance? Do you believe that’s a universal expectation?
Anil Dash
Even if this never makes it to the comments I’ll admit that my first post was off base and didn’t address the article in the slightest. This made me come of as uninformed a Neanderthal and I apologize.
No problem, and sorry for being overly antagonistic in my response. We all respond off-the-cuff sometimes, it seems. :)
Robert Sayre
No, in my first comment, I pointed out an example where it would be acceptable, to show that I don’t think it has anything to do with race.
I guess I take issue with the way you conflated objecting to seemingly rude behavior with white control. I think it’s a very racially-charged way to view the disagreement, and I doubt that the objectors would always be white.
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