Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Well, actually, words can destroy your career and your reputation. Just ask Kramer.

We all knew — and loved — Michael Richards as wacky "Seinfeld" character Cosmo Kramer, Jerry's eccentric across-the-hall neighbor — but Richards a racist? Who would've guessed?

By now, everyone has seen or heard about Richards' shocking rant on Nov. 18 at a Los Angeles comedy club. Thanks to an audience member's digital camera and the Internet, the video has been widely circulated and has received numerous comments.

But in case you missed it, it went something like this: After a few black audience members supposedly heckled the comedian during a stand-up routine, Richards delved into a seemingly drunken, n-word-laced tirade. He told one audience member to "shut up" and reminded him that 50 years earlier, he would have been hanging from a tree — only Richards made the lynching reference in a much more obscene manner.

But wait, isn't comedy supposed to be funny?

Drunk or not, there's no excuse for Richards' embarrassing, racist rage — and the audience members made him plenty aware.

At first, viewers seemed shocked, in disbelief at what they just heard. But one man eventually stood up and walked out shouting to the stage, "That was real uncalled for. It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. 'Seinfeld,' that's it." And maybe the audience member is right — Kramer is a has-been, but that doesn't excuse his behavior.

And why, one might wonder, is Jerry Seinfeld so quick to come to the (attempted) rescue of his former co-worker? Is Seinfeld worried about his namesake and the reputation of his beloved sitcom?

When Seinfeld made a Nov. 20 appearance on David Letterman's show, he had to remind the audience "it's not funny," as pal Richards apologized via satellite from Los Angeles. Richards' apology, directed at "Afro-Americans," showed a man severely out of touch with reality and political correctness — visibly uncomfortable and appearing almost shocked by his own remarks.

Although his performance said otherwise, Richards stated, "I'm not a racist," and talked about how, as a comedian, he pushes the envelope and works in a very spontaneous manner.

Richards does make a point. Comedians are supposed to be audacious and make a living by pushing the boundaries of political correctness. But there is a line that needs to be drawn, and on Nov. 18, Richards crossed far beyond that line. But does the line between funny and offensive fall between comedians who are white and comedians who are minorities?

Richards' rant has raised questions about a suspected double standard in the comedy world, where you can only make fun of race or culture issues if you're a minority or member of the targeted group. It's obvious that yes, a double standard does exist, but it's a double standard with good rationale.

One of the oldest tricks in the comedian book is to make fun of yourself. So while racial humor is difficult to pull off, it's a whole lot easier if you're a member of the race or culture at which you're taking a stab.

If you've seen "Borat," you know that Sacha Baron Cohen pokes fun at pretty much every group of people. But Jews bare the brunt of Cohen's jokes, and it's excusable because, well, he's Jewish.

And while comedians like Dave Chappelle can get away with both using the n-word and impersonating white people, white comedians have to be careful where they step.

This debate goes beyond political correctness. Generally speaking, white people still hold the keys to the majority of the power in this country. And historically, with that power has come severe exploitation and oppression of other races. White comedians have to take this into consideration when making jokes that could be severely offensive.

Besides, there's an incredible difference between the way Chappelle addresses race and the way Richards acted. While Chappelle is obviously commenting on deep-rooted racial tension and issues, above all, his skits are funny.

When Richards lit the fire to end his career last weekend, he wasn't trying to be funny. His name-calling was directed at a specific person and involved no humor. And if it was an attempt at humor, he's obviously not good at it. The difference lies in tastefulness and comedy compared to aggression and offensive rage.

All this brings to mind a very specific Seinfeld episode. You know, the one in which Jerry's dentist converts to Judaism and Jerry thinks it's only for the jokes. No, this doesn't offend Jerry as a Jew, but it offends him as a comedian.

Well, Richards' rant wasn't just offensive to comedians — it should be offensive to everyone.

My advice to Kramer: Rent the "Seinfeld" DVDs and take a gander at the pinnacle of your career because after Nov. 18, that's all you've got.

Vanessa Notman, State News opinion writer, can be reached at notmanva@msu.edu.