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Original poster

Jimmy Carr’s Racist Joke

189 replies

Knutface · 06/02/2022 13:28

www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/feb/04/jimmy-carr-condemned-for-joke-about-gypsies-in-netflix-special

Not something that I find funny but it has highlighted something. Racism against Roma/Sinti people is widely acceptable and not treated in the same away as racism against other minorities. Years ago I worked for a local authority in an area with a fair few traveller sites and noticed that staff that would never dream of using slurs against black or Asian people openly did so against travellers. AIBU to think that this is the ‘joke’? Anti Roma sentiment is unfortunately widespread.

OP posts:
theinvisiblewoman2 · 06/02/2022 13:36

Something I noticed is that the headline is different between the link and the article headline. The way the link is titled uses a word considered by many to be a slur so it looks like it was written and then later edited. Which I think further highlights your point.

AtrociousCircumstance · 06/02/2022 13:38

It’s shocking. I don’t understand how he can justify it. Unless his justification is that comics should be able to make jokes about anything, no matter how hateful. But it reinforces discrimination by making it ‘okay’ to minimise.

CorrBlimeyGG · 06/02/2022 13:40

There has already been a thread on this. The number of posts that tried to justify his 'joke' very much validates your view.

ExtraOnion · 06/02/2022 13:42

Put it along side his “rape jokes” or his “disabled jokes” … it’s punching down comedy at it’s finest, protected and supported by the right wing.
If you think it’s unfunny and offensive, you are then gaslighted into thinking that the issue is with you, because your not getting the “joke”.

To steal from another comic Carr, Gervais etc are “ narcissistic populists, all clever enough to know better, who continue to court the attention of angry impotent people and take no personal responsibilty for the consequences of their words, other mortals merely collateral damage”

ColdShouldersWarmTummy · 06/02/2022 13:42

Fucking appalling.

Marmm · 06/02/2022 13:44

The statement prompted laughter and clapping from the audience.

This is why people like him carry on making jokes like that. There are sickos who will laugh at anything.

It's absolutely vile.

SkiingIsHeaven · 06/02/2022 13:45

Totally out of order.

David Baddiel made a good point. Would a joke about the KKK killing black people be funny or acceptable?

We had the misfortune of being given tickets to see Jimmy Carr. He was just rude and tried to be really shocking and controversial. Not clever, witty or funny.

If anyone needs "cancelling" it is this idiot.

DaffodilDandilion · 06/02/2022 13:45

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TheOnlyMrsMac · 06/02/2022 13:46

There is already a thread about this in Chat.

Timeyime · 06/02/2022 13:49

Yeah I agree that it's having a pop at baseline anti-GRT attitudes, quite cleverly, by getting people to feel affinity with it and then (hopefully) wonder why they do.

It doesn't make sense to read it any other way. Not that that's ever stopped the twitter crowd from condemning anyone.

CorrBlimeyGG · 06/02/2022 13:51

I've just read that he also made an anti GRT 'joke' in 2006. Not going to share it, but there's an article in the Guardian about it from that year.

VladmirsPoutine · 06/02/2022 13:59

@SkiingIsHeaven

Totally out of order.

David Baddiel made a good point. Would a joke about the KKK killing black people be funny or acceptable?

We had the misfortune of being given tickets to see Jimmy Carr. He was just rude and tried to be really shocking and controversial. Not clever, witty or funny.

If anyone needs "cancelling" it is this idiot.

I am forever astonished at how Baddiel managed to rebrand himself as an advocate of anti-racism. Truly astonished.

I agree that racism towards certain groups is seen as more 'acceptable' than towards others but I don't think that line is drawn at Black and Asian minorities.

Timeyime · 06/02/2022 14:00

David "pineapple" Baddiel is useful in showing that people are naturally inconsistent, I guess.

Joinedforthis22 · 06/02/2022 14:01

@CorrBlimeyGG is it in regards to moths? If so I remember it and compared to what he said in the Netflix version tame (though still horrible) which shows how much more he now feels he can get away with now!

I'm so dissapointed in Victoria Coren Mitchell defending him as "a man full of goodness and kindness"

namechangehistory · 06/02/2022 14:03

I come from travellers my grandparents were travellers when children but settled into permanenthousing, and so I care a little bit more about it, but when they show up at local park and nearly hit my kids with their cars on the grass and their mopeds or motor bike things then I think "fuck you!". And then I feel bad because there is literally nowhere you can live in this planet for free and I think they are standing up to that and that's good. But then they leave their rubbish and shit on tissues where my kids play and think "fuck you" again. So it's half and half.

But then plenty of people fly tip and litter and drive motorbikes for fun in the parks anyway so 🤷
So I don't care about travellers and think that they shouldn't be discriminated against but in reality some are arse holes and make a mess, breaking down fences etc. So again I don't know. It's a tough one.

TidyDancer · 06/02/2022 14:03

I don't particularly find Jimmy Carr funny but my take on it was more that he was highlighting how certain groups seem to be easily targeted. I don't necessarily think it should be taken at face value.

Agrudge · 06/02/2022 14:04

Agreed, like racist jokes against white people have always been acceptable

namechangehistory · 06/02/2022 14:05

Oh but the joke was disgusting but he has a pretty disgusting kind of humour and most of his jokes are vile anyway. This one was taking it way too far though and it is racist. or discriminatory.

Joinedforthis22 · 06/02/2022 14:08

But then plenty of people fly tip and litter and drive motorbikes for fun in the parks anyway so 🤷
So I don't care about travellers and think that they shouldn't be discriminated against but in reality some are arse holes and make a mess, breaking down fences etc. So again I don't know. It's a tough one.

What is your point?! That it's a tough to know whether the Nazis were right?? that was the joke!

Agrudge · 06/02/2022 14:13

I think people need to lighten up.

Maybe the laughter wasnt at what he said,just the fact he had the nerve to say .

WhyMeLord · 06/02/2022 14:18

I am forever astonished at how Baddiel managed to rebrand himself as an advocate of anti-racism. Truly astonished

Exactly, Jason Lee must wake up some mornings and wonder if he imagined the 90s.

CorrBlimeyGG · 06/02/2022 14:22

@namechangehistory Are there any other groups you so readily stereotype like that? "They" do this, and "they" do that, like "they" are one homogeneous group all guilty of terrorising your children.

Agrudge · 06/02/2022 14:27

[quote CorrBlimeyGG]@namechangehistory Are there any other groups you so readily stereotype like that? "They" do this, and "they" do that, like "they" are one homogeneous group all guilty of terrorising your children.[/quote]
Sound like she was specifically talking about the ones who camp it her local parks

lesleylol · 06/02/2022 14:32

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ElenaCouch · 06/02/2022 14:38

I'll stick my neck out....

I didn't know that Travellers were a race of people. Never heard the term/name Roma etc.

So when people make jokes about travellers, I would of thought it was a joke about people who choose to live a certain way (and have a reputation for being a nuisance) and wouldn't of known that it was racist.

Could some of the clapping and laughing been because some people were also ignorant like me?

Interested in finding out more about their heritage etc to fill in the blanks for myself.

P.s Don't think that genocide is funny.