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?

I saw him on TV a few years ago. I think on Graham Norton's chatshow.

Carr said something so unspeakable to a woman in the audience I think I actually blocked it from my mind.

It was so bad I complained to C4 at the time. Never done that before. They told me to "get over myself" basically - it was adult humour yada yada.

Since then I see Carr's done a whole load of dodgy investment, tax avoidance. But has been seemingly rehabilitated. Someone told me he once did a psychology/counselling course ...

But I'll never forget seeing that on TV.

I immediately switch over/turn off whenever I see his mug anywhere.

So, basically, Violet OP, I agree with you. Did you have to pay for the tickets?

p.s. I am the least PC person you could meet. I don't normally care about jokes. But I remember that evening watching TV. His vicous attack on a real live person in the audience (something along the lines of no-one would want to f* her anyway I kid you not.) I physically recoiled from the screen.

"Those posters who think the Jimmy Carr Variety bus joke, and Frankie Boyle's Harvey Price joke, are funny - I'd love to know exactly which bit is the belly laugh moment for you? Honestly please explain what the funny is?"

I asked this, nobody has given an answer that explains.

Nor has anyone responded to my example of diabetes jokes doing real and measurable damage to kids with diabetes - the jokes become schoolyard bullying, the jokes fuel the fucked up thinking that leads to eating disorders.

The more of this thread I read, the more convinced I am that the people who find these jokes genuinely funny use it to validate themselves by othering someone else.

And by calling it a 'joke', insisting it's actually very sophisticated humour indeed, you can maintain a fantasy that if another person gets offended by shitty behaviour, it's a flaw in their nature - their own fault for not being as cool as you.

This thread is eye opening. No wonder schools still have a problem with bullying, and no wonder there has been no real majority objection to the government cuts to funding for disabled people.

AbsentmindedWoman

[waves]

I answered. I said that the variety bus was a joke about the meaning of 'variety'.

It was mocking the name variety as many would say that people with downs syndrome have similar facial features (to some). Surely the joke isn't especially complex.

I think that the laughter comes from people realising that actually, they may struggle to tell people with downs syndrome apart. In the same way that different races are scientifically proven to see other races' facial features as 'similar' (I'm Asian by the way, and find Asian people easier to tell apart than white people).

"Nor has anyone responded to my example of diabetes jokes doing real and measurable damage to kids with diabetes"

I suspect that a) it doesn't do any damage whatsoever b) if it's "measurable", people are waiting for you to show how it's been measured.

Did Jimmy Carr make jokes about diabetes or did he make jokes about fat people chomping down on a king sized Twix?

I see you didn't pay for your tickets OP.

Anyway despite my disdain, I wouldn't censor him as a comedian.

Just not on TV.

I work with a diabetes charity that specialises in eating disorders.

We have real human beings TELLING us about their experiences in school, and we know that negative portrayals of diabetes in the media have a serious detrimental effect in how people with diabetes are treated.

I don't have access to the right research at this moment, but I can easily do so on Monday, if you are so interested.

Who on earth do you think you are, dismissing out of hand what I'm saying, when I am willing to bet you know fuck all about living with type 1 diabetes yourself?

And no - not Jimmy Carr in this instance, but I can think of other stunts that I will not go into detail about.

Notreally
Luckily I didn't pay for the tickets. I'm annoyed at myself actually for not just walking out (although that would have been a bit dramatic as I wasn't in my home town and wouldn't have been able to get home as my friend was driving!).

He's a cunt. Yanbu.

I haven’t RTFT

I’ve seen him live

He’s a cunt.

Variety bus joke just isn't funny, sorry. Where are the smarts? Do you really find it a clever observation? Genuinely?

" (Nor has anyone responded to my example of diabetes jokes doing real and measurable damage to kids with diabetes)

I suspect that a) it doesn't do any damage whatsoever b) if it's "measurable", people are waiting for you to show how it's been measured. "

This is actually a perfect example of how people justify this sort of 'humour'.

Here, you have me, a woman with disabilities, who works with members of the community who are severely mentally ill, saying that actually yes in my experience these shitty jokes do cause harm.

Yet I'm not 'heard', because that would be inconvenient for those who want to indulge their enjoyment of the jokes - so I'm dismissed out of hand.

No credence is paid to my opinion or experience, despite being in part of the group that is at the butt of the joke.

I find him absolutely hilarious! But I did go to his live show fully expecting much of the content to be edgy/offensive. I just assume that people who don't find him funny won't go and watch him. I also really like Andy Parsons in general, but once when I saw him live there were a lot of suicide jokes and I wasn't keen (especially as I'd just come from the funeral of someone who had committed suicide) - but that was just my preference. I wouldn't say I can't stand him now, just that those particular jokes weren't my cup of tea!

He’s a cunt. I think that sums it up.

Derxa best post ever!!!!

he is a total wanker - wouldn't go and see him even if I was paid to. Frankie Boyle is another...pick on easy targets for cheap laughs from people who think mocking disability is funny.

Here, you have me, a woman with disabilities, who works with members of the community who are severely mentally ill, saying that actually yes in my experience these shitty jokes do cause harm.

And yet, you seem to not understand that humour is subjective, I went to see Jimmy Carr in November last year and the front row had been booked by people with disabilities, the fact that 2 people came in late in wheelchairs at which it made Carr focus on those late as any comedian does, who are you to say that because you do not like the humour you speak for everyone else or to police everyone else's humour?

I not a champion of his as he is a bit old and stale now, but that is comedy in general, I grew up in the 80's when comedy was counter culture and I admit i have a very dark sense of humour, because I understand that a joke is often done on shock value, mainstream comedy is no longer counter culture politically, frankey boyle has somehow become a champion of the guardian whilst still writing jokes for the likes of carr, if you really wanted to get down into the nitty gritty of comedy you would realise that even a lot of mainstream "safe" very left leaning comedians have written very dark jokes that that they pass on to the persona's of Carr and the like not because they do not think they are funny, but because it doesn't suit their brand.

I find Amy Shumer absolutely terrible, now disregarding her blatant joke stealing I am somehow a misogynist, humour is subjective, you are always going to find problems with what someone else laughs at.

The kind of person who uses this type of humour to cause hurt would do so anyway if this kind of humour wasn't available

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Peace and love.

He's like a 2nd rate Bob Monkhouse but perhaps I'm just showing my age? from the first page.

Bob Monkhouse was a comedy icon. Jimmy Carr isn't fit to lick his boots.

I haven't got a strong opinion on JC, but Elendon's attempts to come up with a funny joke was hilarious to read. They were dogshit!

I'm most certainly not speaking for everyone else.

I'm objecting to any bullying or thinly veiled hate speech that gets passed off as 'comedy' being on tv.

Totally agree. Not funny and misoginist too. Watched his stand up on tv and had to switch off .It doesn't come across that he's not really like that and he's laughing at people who have those views. Someone like Louis CK on the other hand can be shocking. but you can see it's to shock and it's much funnier.

I see MNHQ have posted.

I must say calling him - as so many posters have - a C* - really you are sinking to his level big time. I really didn't like his humour, but its cheap and nasty to use that language. Almost as cheap and nasty as his "humour"!.

Anyway, I'm leaving this thread.

Sorry you had a bad evening OP. But sometimes these things are eye-opening. I am sure you weren't the only uncomfortable person in the room. But most of us don't have the guts to leave and make a scene as you said. And some people "go" to be shocked, its their choice I guess.

I'm objecting to any bullying or thinly veiled hate speech that gets passed off as 'comedy' being on tv.

The problem with "thinly veiled hate speech" is that it not only is it a recent catch all buzzword its very fuzzy in definition and logic, it puts the onus on someone taking offence.