Sharpton: Griffin Dropped for Dropping N-Bomb

Eddie Griffin thought he'd shock the swells at a big Black Enterprise event over the weekend by littering his act with N-words, but the comic was the one who got the real jolt when the mag's owner gonged his routine, and tossed him off the stage!
Al Sharpton, Eddie Griffin
Rev. Al Sharpton tells TMZ that Griffin took the stage as the headliner and did his best Michael Richards impression, blistering the mostly African-American crowd with a barrage of N-bombs, and wailing, "Why are some black leaders telling us to stop using the N word?"


Griffin's mike was promptly cut, and Black Enterprise owner/publisher Earl Graves stomped on stage and proclaimed, "We ... will not allow our culture to go backwards ... We will pay Mr. Griffin all that we owe him but we will not allow him to finish the show if that's the way he's going to talk." Oh, snap!

The crowd gave Graves a standing ovation -- and Rev. Al, speaking the next day at the event, gave Graves props for his axing of Griffin. A rep for Griffin had no comment.


Reader Comments

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16. Black people do not teach their kids to dislike whites and Mexicans. They teach us to beware those who would oppress us simply because we look different from them. Anyone can watch BET. The person who made that comment obviously hasn't been watching it lately. Who is the number one female R&B singer? A white woman named Fergie. Male? Justin Timberlake. Don't open your mouth if you don't know about what the hell you speak.

Posted at 6:22PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Gintrelle

17.
Glad to see that he is being called out for the double standard

Posted at 6:17PM on Sep 4th 2007 by wayne

18. People get offended when it suits them. Plain and simple. Anything to get their 15 minutes...

Posted at 6:18PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Graviti

19. What the hell happened to freedom of speech in this country?! Everyone is a damn verbal cop, it's ridiculous. I'm white and personally find the word disrespectful and vulgar and have never uttered it in my life, but give an entertainer the right to entertain for goodness sake!! You're not his damn mother!

Posted at 6:20PM on Sep 4th 2007 by K

20. #8 your ignorance was clear very early when you used the word "your" instead of "you're" as in "if you're going to...".

BET is white owned.

I think your limited exposure to other races and cultures is clear based upon your blanket statement that everyone is racist and that the entire African American population teaches their children to hate based upon skin color.

Posted at 6:21PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Gin

21. Thank God!
From the headline I thought it was going to be Kathy Griffin!
There'd be real HELL to pay for that!

Posted at 6:22PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Ric

22. Let people say what the hell they want....it's a free country!

Posted at 6:20PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Sammy

23. Didn't anyone see his act before they hired him? It's funny - but in this "social climate", it is not for all people. It is meant to be funny - not offensive. The people who hired him are idiots for not doing research before they put him on stage.

Posted at 6:24PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Rob LaBeau

24. In a way Ratbanger is right! Its sad that people think only white people can be racists.
Black people can be just a racists as the white ones. So please people stop this nonsense!
I AM NOT WHITE AND I AM NOT BLACK OR MEXICAN. IT IS SO PATHETIC.
WE SHOULD SEE EACH OTHER AS AN EQUALS
THAT WE ARE ALL HUMANS AT THE END COLOR DOES NOT MATTER.
WHAT MAKES A WHITE ANY BETTER THAN A BLACK OR VICE VERSA!
WE ARE ALL EQUAL AND THERE IS GOOD AND BAD IN EVERY RACE!

Posted at 6:26PM on Sep 4th 2007 by He is right Ratbanger

25. People need to stop being so sensitive about WORDS. They are WORDS, are we all in grade school?! I know you are but what am I. Black people are doing great. Oprah is the most powerful woman on TV, athletes are making millions, rappers have brought white kids together with black kids and the Oscars are FINALLY going where they should, to amazing black actors. I see black men and women in fancier cars then I will ever have and I'm still white and poor. There is still racism but please know who you are and rise about it and stride on. Stop getting mad and live your life to the fullest.

As for the angry black people here, I'm sick of being chewed out for the ignorance of my ancestors. I didn't do it!! I'm a woman, do I chew out men because males still rape and cheat? No. My man didn't do it. Hold your head high and know who you are. Be proud of your heritage and the GOOD things that it has provided. Being angry only fuels the fire of hate. Some of us love you simply because of the human you are. Not everyone sees color.

Posted at 6:31PM on Sep 4th 2007 by K

26. #17---His right to "entertain" does not supercede my right not to be offended. Would you just sit and listen to something that offends you because someone told you it was entertainment. I hope not.
#23 You are right, you don't have to like Blacks and they don't have to like you. I think when this country gets past being PC all the time and just realize that races and racism will always exist, we can get past always accusing someone of being racist, Black or White or whatever. I'm sick of people wanting race to disappear because I don't want that, I love being Black and love the uniqueness of being so.

Posted at 6:37PM on Sep 4th 2007 by CeCe

27. Those talks and forums that we see all the time unfortunately weren't effective enough. Someone has finally taken action. I commend Mr. Graves for what he did. Hopefully others will now have the courage to do the same. If you're really talented don't hide behind the N word. Use your natural comedic/oratorical (if you're a rapper) ability. Bill Cosby did it. Shame on Eddie Griffin. Where did he think he was at some mom and pop lounge around the way in the hood. Hopefully his embarrassment will not only change his tune but be a fore warning for other entertainers before taking the stage.

Posted at 6:42PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Elise

28. The free speech argument doesn't make sense here since Griffin was performing a paid gig and Graves had every right to boot him because his organization hired him.

That being said, the N word is, and should be, protected by free speech. We do not truly have free speech if we bow to the emotional arguments of one group because a word holds a painful history.

And the approach that guys like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson take is purely driven to give them media exposure and help them retain their status as "leaders" in the African American community. Jackson and Sharpton may have helped get Don Imus fired for his "racist" remarks, but CBS was forced to pay out his contract and now he is back on the air making more money from another station. And let's not forget Jackson's own racist "hymietown" remarks- a perfect illustration of his true feelings.

There will always be ignorant fools who have to resort to vulgar terms in an attempt to hurt others, we can't react to them by trying to curtail freedoms assured under the Constitution.

Posted at 7:27PM on Sep 4th 2007 by mojo risin

29. Some of you are hypocritical. First you complain about blacks being able to say the n word but not whites, but when blacks try to take steps to make sure even black people don't say it, you STILL complain? What will you be happy with, I wonder?

Posted at 6:41PM on Sep 4th 2007 by SS

30. #8's point seems to be why there are networks and companies geared to only the black population. He feels and I agree it can be seen as racist. On the flip side imagine if an organization named White Enterprise started up. These same commentors would be screaming bloody murder.

BTW.. Our society is fairly equal. We have mayors, ceos, company presidents etc. that are of all ethnicity groups. Earl Graves is the owner of "Black Enterprise" if our society was not equal there would be no such company and he would never be a the president. If Obama gets elected we will have further proof. The most common excuse for not getting an education and applying ones self is that our society is not equal. Grow up. Get educated.

Posted at 6:44PM on Sep 4th 2007 by benny

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