Comedians defending Jerry Sadowitz

[FenlandFuckwit]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-62533592

His latest gig has been cancelled after he told racist jokes and got his dick out. Why are other comedians defending his right to do this? This behaviour is not ok, AIBU to think this is indecent and disgusting behaviour and the venue were correct in cancelling him.

The penis is a complete side-bar. I've seen two on-stage penises (penisii?) already this festival, both supplied with content warnings. It is not uncommon. If I had been dick-triggered, that would have been on me.

I think the bairns working at the Pleasance should be more concerned about their ts & cs, particularly their incredibly low pay, than Jerry Sadowitz's dick, but then I'm working class and could never have afforded to do a festival season, even though I would have chewed off my own arm to do so, but their boundaries are their own to draw. It's going to make for some interesting interview questions next year though.

Working there and having a problem with the content is like being a vegan and complaining that the restaurant that you work at serves meat.

which is why i said it lies with the venue. They have to decide a) which shows they want to have and b) recruit around that.

I'm also quite interested in the idea of the stand up being a personality (like the Landlord) that may be an exaggerated version of the comedian or a completely made up character. We see racism, sexism and all sorts on tv and film drama all the time, so why is comedy different?

Tbh what i prefer in comedy is more like Bill Bailey or Tim Vine, but we're all different.

You think he's appalling, then don't pay to see him. Simple. Or does the fact you think he's appalling mean you think he should be cancelled? You haven't said that, so maybe I'm making assumptions. Personally, I have no interest in seeing a penis as part of a comedy act, so I'd give it a swerve, but I certainly wouldn't want to spoil anyone else's fun. The point is, I know in advance and, as an adult, I make that decision.

With regard to racism, sexism, and all the other isms, there's this thing called context ...

I do find that lots of the more edgy comedians are just too savage, brutal and downright nasty for me personally to enjoy.

That's the thing, isn't it? There's definitely an audience, a big audience, for offensive comedy. People like to be shocked when they are laughing. Ricky Gervais is a good example of the mainstream version. Think about the Oscars - a huge international event full of celebs - and the expectation of the host is that they will make rude jokes about them and people will gasp and laugh (or possibly punch Chris Rock).

I went to see Frankie Boyle years ago, back when he was funny on Mock the Week. It was a mistake, tbh. The warm-up act made offensive jokes and warned us, several times, that we hadn't seen anything yet. Frankie came out, was extremely offensive (one joke in particular about Downs Syndrome sticks in the mind), and, imo, was not funny. Interestingly, he lost the audience, got in a bit of a row with an audience member and at the end, essentially stormed off stage. One of Frankie's problems was that he had courted a mainstream audience with his TV appearances and it was the wrong audience for his stage show. I came out thinking 'well, that really wasn't my kind of thing'.

Frankie would have known that show went badly. Sadowitz, on the other hand, thought his show went well, which I think is interesting if it was actually the hotbed of complaints the theatre says it was.

What I also find interesting is that Sadowitz's response sounds hurt. That he doesn't want to upset people and that the suggestion that his show is racist and homophobic is missing the point. I also find it interesting that Jeremy Vine is openly defending him on Twitter, who doesn't seem the sort of person to enjoy going to genuine racist hate shows.

Looking at the Pleasance Fringe brochure, there are several shows on there that make me want to clutch pearls and go all Mary Whitehouse. People being offended by crude, vulgar sex stuff is presumably their issue though, rather than one for the censors.

Clinkey Monkey

CulturePigeon · Today 10:27
ClaudiustheGod
I read that he'd made a crude racist slur in relation to Rishi Sunak, and shown his willy to the audience (yuk...grim). Don't know whether either of these is true but if so, I think he's appalling.
You think he's appalling, then don't pay to see him. Simple. Or does the fact you think he's appalling mean you think he should be cancelled? You haven't said that, so maybe I'm making assumptions. Personally, I have no interest in seeing a penis as part of a comedy act, so I'd give it a swerve, but I certainly wouldn't want to spoil anyone else's fun. The point is, I know in advance and, as an adult, I make that decision.
With regard to racism, sexism, and all the other isms, there's this thing called context ...

I'm not sure I've done that quote thing right...! It's in italics, anyway.

I meant exactly what I said - no more, no less.

In my other post I mentioned that I don't enjoy savage humour. I can't get past the feeling that these people (Frankie Boyle, Sadowitz et al) are likely very unpleasant, sneery, intolerant and sadistic in their personal lives too. You're quite right (though it's not news to me) that the Edinburght Fringe is not for me!

"I wasn't there, but this must be because he said something about trans people"

I've seen this a few times on this thread and it's absolutely pathetic.

You people are absolutely obsessed. Is there nothing else going on in your lives?

When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebra.

Not sure I understand the hooves analogy.

Yes, although I am on JS's side here I'm surprised to read so many on here thinking it's okay for any staff uncomfortable with an act like this to just have to put up with it.

But as you say it is solvable - presumably the venue employs casual staff who you'd hope would be able to say they would rather not work these two evenings and be accommodated if others could cover them. If not, the problem is the T&Cs as you say.

As much as I don't think 'find another job' is an acceptable response either, I'd imagine finding another job in hospitality in Edinburgh in August would not be impossible.

Jerry Sandowitz COMEDIAN<<<. Simple

Thanks for answering! I could understand that argument if Sadowitz was, let's say a street performer or posting videos on You Tube with no content warning, but this is a stage show and isn't the clue right there in the word 'show'? Furthermore it's in a theatre, which you can only watch if you purchase a ticket. I don't see what else an artist can do to indicate it's not real?

I read that Sadowitz made a joke about men in wigs.
Graham Lineham has long been known for defending women’s right to single-sex spaces.
In the UK at present, censorship is most often imposed on feminists or their supporters by transactivists.
Therefore I presume Sadowitz has offended the transactivists.

I see that Glinner post is still up but it still isn't clear how he came to that conclusion (and I know he usually 'has the receipts') so I am a bit puzzled about where that came from Thinking.

The original post from picklebrine accused Glinner of "defending [Sadowitz's] right to expose his penis to women", which seemed like a deliberate twisting to make him sound a creep.

No, I can tell.

Does the hooves analogy explain why people are witlessly and inaccurately talking about trans issues in relation to Sadowitz's show? I can't see how it would.

It is because there are some people on MN who make literally anything a trans issue. Bloody ridiculous.

The hooves analogy works if people are being "cancelled" massively more often for real or alleged transphobia than they are for real or alleged racism, sexism, homophobia, disablism, sexual harassment, indecent exposure, cultural appropriation, whitewashing, dodgy sexual behaviour etc, and that examples of the latter are so rare that you should assume that they're not the explanation.

I beg to differ.

Same!

Not my type of thing at all but a quick Google search shows the type of comedian he is. And some people like it. That is up to them.

I don't want to censor things I don't like.

I doubt he desired this outcome. He's deliberately avoided bigger fame for many years, and I doubt he'll be delighted to have a bunch of new right-wing fans.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11110575/JK-Rowling-wades-Jerry-Sadowitz-row-comedians-Edinburgh-Fringe-cancelled.html

JK Rowling weighs into Jerry Sadowitz row after comedian's Edinburgh Fringe show was cancelled: Author likes tweet branding decision 'beyond shameful' as backlash grows at venue bosses for 'destroying free speech'

It's very tedious.

Ooh I want a go. How about: When you're a hammer, everything's a nail.

Well I think the reason some people heard hooves and thought it was a horse was because the Pleasance (who cancelled Sadowitz) refered to people complaining feeling 'unsafe' and that some of the complaints actually came from their student staff not the ticket buyers (who received multiple warnings before attending). 'Unsafe' is used very frequently in certain debates - and less often about zebras?

Yes, I understand that one. You got your head around the hooves one yet?

How did they feel unsafe. What a totally meaningless term that’s become.

@WolverineBluey no-one really 'works' at the Pleasance or any of the other big producers and promoters as they don't have a presence in Edinburgh outside August. They recruit low-paid 'interns' to do ushering and crowd-control, it's a prized placement and very much aimed at drama, event and PR students. So people come in for four weeks on low-paid contracts that barely cover their accommodation costs, because of this it does tend to be middle-class plummy voiced English students shouting at one to move aside and queue down the left-hand side of the pavement. Obviously there are exceptions and some staff will come up from London.

They learn a lot, earn a little, get reduced entry into shows and meals on shift and just get through it, really. Which is why I'm a bit at the idea that any big producer is suddenly listening to their staff's complaints about safety - they tend not to listen to them about actual safety/money/long hours culture or anything else.