Or is Jimmy Carr just a misogynist arse hole?

[VioletCharlotte]

This week I went to see Jimmy Carr's live show. A friend of mine had tickets and asked my go along at the last minute as their mate dropped out. Now I've never really had an opinion on Jimmy Carr, he's just someone I've never paid much attention too, so didn't really know what to expect.

Most of the 2 hours were filled with cracks about rape, special needs children, blind people and women. I came away feeling quite sad that this is what's considered comedy. Friend (male) says I've obviously had a sense of humour bypass, but AIBU in thinking actually it's just not funny and Jimmy Carr is actually just a massive idiot?

[ProverbialOuthouse]

I like him. But then I'm a huge Ricky Gervais fan so I guess that's just my sense of humour

[toolonglurking]

He's clearly not to your taste, now you know, don't go see him again.
Problem solved.

[QueenLaBeefah]

I just don't find him funny. He's like a 2nd rate Bob Monkhouse but perhaps I'm just showing my age?

[CredulousThickos]

It’s satire, mostly. It’s meant to make you feel uncomfortable when you laugh at it. He’s really not sexist, disablist or a rape apologist, his act is supposed to be subversive. It’s poking fun at people who do think that way, if you see what I mean.

[TheEdgeOfGlory266]

I went to see him on Tuesday. I think he's brilliant but he is very much an acquired taste. He's not the kind of comedian you would want to just turn up to. You defo need to know what you're letting yourself in for as he does push the boundaries.

[Elendon]

Jimmy Carr is a grade A* misogynist and so is your friend.

Ditch the pair of them.

I cannot stand subversive humour.

YANBU

[HerOtherHalf]

Comedy is difficult to judge sometimes and whilst it can seem extreme and contentious it can often, at the same time, raise awareness, change attitudes and encourage discussion. If Carr's jokes about rape, abuse and violence against women were structured to mock the perpertrators I'd be fine with that, but from what I've seen of his material they're not.

[eddiemairswife]

He's not funny. He just says things to shock like a silly 9 year old boy. No wit or humour.

[hazeyjane]

Oh it's postmodern hate speech.......so we can pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves we are better than the racist misogynist comedians of the past like Jim Davidson and Bernard Manning. Aren't we clever.

[ArieltheMermaid1720]

YANBU I saw him a number of years ago and would never go to another one of his shows again.

[Elendon]

It's not satire. Please ignore this apology for a lame excuse for a man.

This is satire:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

As is this:

suwon.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/5/4/13540638/scum_manifesto.pdf

[VioletCharlotte]

His material isn't what I would call satire though? It made me feel really uncomfortable, it felt like watching a bully at school, when they're picking on someone and everyone else laughs as they want to fit in and look cool.

Won't be watching him again. At least I didn't have to pay for my ticket!

[FittonTower]

Similar happened to me, I was given tickets (work thing luckily, not someone who really doesn't know me at all) and I left at the break. Awful. The worst thing was the rape jokes and the jokes about murdering fat women got huge laughs from the audience but he made one joke about kicking a dog and that got the sharp intake of breath shocked noise rather than a laugh. That made me very uncomfortable in that audience.

[LuluJakey1]

I saw him a few years ago with DH and we hated him- both thought he was misogynistic and offensive about lots of vulnerable groups of people - can't see how he is any different to the likes of Jim Davidson in essence, except there is an intellectual pretence that because he/we has/ have an awareness of it we are laughing at the awfulness rather than the 'joke'. I loathe him- wouldn't watch him either.

[missyB1]

What hazeyjane said.

If you call it "satire" then all hate speech is ok apparently.

[GrumpyOldBag]

YANBU.

He was booked as the host of an industry awards dinner I should have gone to last year. I didn't go because of his misogynist views which I have seen expressed often enough on TV.

I thought it was a very inappropriate choice for a formal work event, albeit in an industry with more men than women.

And heard afterwards from people who did go that he lived up to his reputation.

[BertrandRussell]

"I cannot stand subversive humour"

Is this a typo?

[VioletCharlotte]

I'm really glad it's just not me. I was looking round the theatre at everyone else wondering if they really found it funny. I guess a lot of them must have as they bought the tickets, they must have known what to expect. It's quite sad really that people like this sort of thing in.

[Elendon]

And his laugh is the most disgusting sound on the planet, even worse than my ex's snoring.

[Elendon]

I get it Bertrand Meant to expand that I cannot stand it when obvious hate speech is seen as 'subversive humour'.

[HarmlessChap]

is Jimmy Carr just a misogynist arse hole? no he's a tax dodging twunt too.

[MidnightAura]

I like most of his material, not all of it. I've worked with him on several occasions and off stage he is surprisingly nice and well mannered!

I say surprisingly because I've worked with comedians who had sexist, racist, material on stage and were exactly like that off stage with egos the size of Europe to boot.

[peachgreen]

I hear he’s a nice person in real life but his on-stage persona is pretty vile, I agree. I do think his comedy is designed to mock the people who think the way his persona does, but like all humour of that type it feels to me like an excuse to get laughs at the expense of the vulnerable. And I suspect a lot of the audience are taking it at surface value and actually do find jokes about raping fat women etc funny. Definitely not my cup of tea.

[gluteustothemaximus]

Not my humour at all.

I don't find rape funny. Or anything he 'jokes' about.

To think he is rich from it. And a tax dodger. Jolly nice bloke

[TheVanguardSix]

His humour is very dark and he sails close to the wind.
I find him an incredibly bright wit and I love him on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He is undeniably intelligent and sharp as a tack. But his stand-up routines are really uncomfortable to watch. I have a choice. He can do his schtick and I can either watch it or not.
I'm sticking with 8 out of 10 Cats.
He seems like a really nice bloke though.