Lawrence is racist?

I do not know how it was that a bigger deal was not made out of this. It is one thing to say a racist epithet in a comedy routine, like Michael Richards did. It is a whole 'nother level to basically encourage people to assault Indian people and those who, in his racially prejudiced mind, look like bin Laden.

I cannot believe this incident was not a much bigger deal than it was. This was the most evil and meanest thing I have ever heard coming out of the mouth of anyone who has been a star in a major Hollywood movie that I can remember, except maybe for that racist part of the Mel Gibson phone calls that got leaked.

I think it would be difficult to understand just how mean-spirited it is from merely reading a quotation of it out of context, so I encourage you to watch the first 5 minutes of the actual stand-up routine that is included in this film to hear and see for yourself. Even though it is supposed to be comedy, that particular portion was clearly not even 1% said in jest--he was very, very serious--but it's hard to believe me unless you actually watch it and see the expressions and the tone of voice, etc.

Yes that was really sad, and then he started talking to the crowd about Martin Luther King.

To go from outright advocating racist violence to a celebration of anti-racist nonviolence, without any kind of hint of awareness of the conflict, was too much for me.

And I'm not someone who is taking it personally. I'm not Indian, and I'm not someone who looks like bin Laden. It was just astonishingly mean-spirited and evil. He clearly, very clearly, implied that it is appropriate to assault people who look like bin Laden as well as Indian people (at least if said Indian people are not prominently displaying "dots" on their heads).

What a jerk. What a dummy. I used to think he was sometimes funny. I hate him now.