This Adult Swim Show Is Introducing A Whole New Generation to Michael Richards’ Laugh Factory Meltdown

Millennial and older comedy fans are just now realizing that there are millions of Zoomer stand-up enthusiasts out there who don’t all have the exact same gut reaction whenever they see the Laugh Factory backdrop.

On November 17, 2006, audience members at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood filed into their seats in eager anticipation of a performance by one of the most popular comics in the world: Michael Richards. Eight years removed from the end of Seinfeld, Richards was still a huge star in the comedy world, and his return to his roots in stand-up could have been a successful career arc that led to HBO specials and job opportunities, had that one fateful night gone very differently. Unfortunately for Richards, not everyone audience member was interested in his new material — and one of them had a camera phone.

Everyone who knows where they were on 9/11 also knows what happened next that night at the Laugh Factory. However, for a few younger fans of the surreal black comedy series Smiling Friends on Adult Swim, a recent episode featuring the backstory of the side character Mr. Frog sent them down a rabbit hole that led them to the discovery of Cosmo Kramer's dark side.

Created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, Smiling Friends tells the story of the workers at a small charity by the same name who are tasked with spreading happiness and joy in a bizarro world full of misshapen creatures. One such recurring client is Mr. Frog, TV star, mass murderer, President of the United States and Supreme Emperor of Earth, who, in the most recent episode of Season Three, “Le Voyage Incroyable de Monsieur Grenouille,” fell into a depression upon realizing that there were no more worlds to conquer.

In the climax of the episode, Mr. Frog eats a cosmic knowledge bug and relives numerous chaotic memories throughout his life, one of which is the now-viral still of him in the midst of an on-stage tirade in the style of Richards’ racist meltdown. Mr. Frog’s other notable memories include watching the Challenger explosion as a child, appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, dating Kim Kardashian and palling around with Jeffrey Epstein while they’re both wearing “I’m With Stupid” T-shirts.

Now, a new generation of black comedy fans can experience the surrealness of watching one of the previously most beloved funnymen in all of television effectively end his time in the A-list by furiously spewing racial slurs. Although, compared to the average Smiling Friends episode, Richards’ meltdown might be too tame for their taste.