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Stand up comedians must be immune to heckling if they want to succeed in their line of work - it's no different for Michael Richards than it is for any other comedian, just because he was on a popular sitcom. He's not Kramer anymore, he's Michael Richards, stand up comedian, and he has to earn laughs just like every other standup has done.
Therefore, if he chooses to sabotage his career by shouting racial slurs to hecklers instead of overcoming the taunts of these same hecklers, then he will not be successful. This is the mark of a good comedian - the ability to deal with hecklers, and fire off the funny comments that will diffuse a heckler situation. And it doesn't matter how much PR Jerry Seinfeld does or Dave Letterman does, Michael Richards will not recover from this immense blunder.
As for using the "N" word over and over again - we all know that it is only acceptable for black comedians to use this term in comedy, don't we? It is so much a part of our history here in America that those of us who are white and have black friends would NEVER ever call them the "N" word, even if they call themselves or their friends that. There is too much history behind the term for it to be any different.
Michael Richards should not be sued - he has the right of free speech, just as every one of us has. But his career may well indeed suffer for it. And perhaps, that would be the best revenge. The right of free speech has a responsibility attached to it - a person is responsible for the things they say, and must bear the consequences of it.
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(none yet, still thinkin')
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