Donald Sterling To Take Sign Language Lessons to Avoid Future Scandals

Mel Gibson and Donald Sterling to Take Sign Language Lessons to Avoid Future Scandals

by Andy Marx and Will McArdle

Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson and Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling have announced they have enrolled in sign language lessons together to help prevent them from being caught on audiotape saying any more racist things in the future.  According to Sterling, the idea for taking sign language lessons came when the “Lethal Weapon” star called the 80-year-old billionaire to offer his support after TMZ released recordings of the controversial NBA owner making racist comments.

“Usually when people say they know what you’re going through, they’re exaggerating,” Sterling told Hollywood and Swine. “But with Mel Gibson, he really knows what I’m going through.  He really cheered me up when he said, ‘At least you didn’t get caught on tape dropping the N-word and screaming like a deranged maniac.’ ”

The sign language course is held at the Los Angeles Learning Annex and is taught by former “Seinfeld” star Michael Richards, who like Sterling and Gibson, got caught on tape making extremely racist comments during his infamous 2006 Laugh Factory meltdown.  After his public act of career suicide, Richards felt the need more than ever to say extremely racist things, but didn’t want a repeat incident and that’s when he discovered sign language.

“The first words I taught Sterling and Gibson to sign were ‘Are you taping this conversation, Bitch?’ which really put a smile on their faces,” Richards said.  “Despite what the media may say about them, Mel and Donald are actually great guys.  You should see the looks we got after our first class when we went out to grab something to eat at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles.”