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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Comedians defending Jerry Sadowitz

467 replies

FenlandFuckwit · 13/08/2022 20:37

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.

OP posts:
picklebrine · 14/08/2022 10:10

CounsellorTroi · 13/08/2022 20:57

Which comedians are defending him? The article doesn’t say.

Father Ted/IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan has written an extensive blog post defending his right to expose his penis to women.

BoredofthisCrap7 · 14/08/2022 10:42

If you go to a Jerry Sadowitz show, take it as a given that you are going to see his penis.
Don't complain about it afterwards.

There is a show at the Fringe, and has been for many many years, called "Puppetry of the Penis". It's basically guys forcing their penises into certain shapes, with comedy etc.
I wouldn't go to that show and then complain that I had seen a penis.

NightmareSlashDelightful · 14/08/2022 10:46

The venue cancelled his show, they didn't cancel him. There's a difference.

Saucery · 14/08/2022 10:47

It’s what he does. 🤷‍♀️ I don’t see how anyone can go to one of his shows and not know.
He was effectively cancelled for saying what Savile was while the BBC and everyone else turned a blind eye.

GiveMeNovocain · 14/08/2022 10:48

Rainbowshit · 13/08/2022 21:01

I find the cognitive dissonance quite astonishing (not) that the same people who defended the creep getting his cock out in the wi spa incident are horrified that JS got his out on stage.

If you spend a few seconds googling posters/adverts for his shows it's very clear what you are going to get. If you get a ticket and attend then it's your choice. Completely different to someone being expected to wax balls in a female spa or getting their penis out in a single sex space

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 14/08/2022 10:48

achillestoes · 13/08/2022 21:01

Exposing himself on stage is grim.

That’s why I’m never going to another Daniel O’Donnell concert.

WolverineBluey · 14/08/2022 10:59

No he didn't pickle. Glinner waded in early before that detail was revealed, mentioned something about 'men in wigs' or something iirc. Had a feeling he was jumping the gun a bit before the facts were known. But don't pretend the point of what he wrote was defending JS exposing himself.

Viv Goskropp has defended JS, as has Al Murray, Henning Wehn, Leo Kerse for some examples I've seen.

The venue could do more to explain themselves here. From what we know of modern 'cancel culture', on the surface it does seem extreme and quite a shocking case of censorship.

The context of what JS is supposed to have said and done is also unknown. He himself mentions no walk outs that night. I don't like the sound of his material and will not rush to defend him as at this point it's really still quite unclear what has gone on.

Walkaround · 14/08/2022 11:09

Sounds like his comedy act specialises in saying and doing the socially unacceptable. If it’s comedy, then surely the whole point is, it’s not his view? Seems odd to choose to see a comedian whose specialism is giving offence out of the blue, if you see no humour in that. It’s pretty hypocritical to find it funny if directed at others, but not if directed at you.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 14/08/2022 11:09

I don’t go to comedy shows to see a bit of veg. I don’t expect to hear racist language either.

I suspect though he has been hoofed is for an entirely different reason.

I could be wrong. I wasn’t there.

But such a swift response smacks of only one thing to me.

ResisterRex · 14/08/2022 11:16

It remains unclear what was said. Like a PP, I've also looked hard and can't find evidence. Closest I found is this in reply to Jeremy Vine with evidence the account holder was at the show:

twitter.com/mark_thedrummer/status/1558551890585178113?s=21&t=66cQ7mo9OB-wKECWZfWM0A

(In reply to this: twitter.com/thejeremyvine/status/1558483199495380997?s=21&t=66cQ7mo9OB-wKECWZfWM0A)

Use of P-word remains unsubstantiated so far as I can see. The OP in this thread still lacks evidence from which a discussion can be had on what was said and if we think he should be cancelled for it.

BoredofthisCrap7 · 14/08/2022 11:19

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 14/08/2022 11:09

I don’t go to comedy shows to see a bit of veg. I don’t expect to hear racist language either.

I suspect though he has been hoofed is for an entirely different reason.

I could be wrong. I wasn’t there.

But such a swift response smacks of only one thing to me.

As is entirely your prerogative.
But presumably people just don't book utterly random shows on a whim.
People who book Jerry Sadowitz know (with a 30 second Google search) they will see his penis at some point, hear vulgar language, hear extremely offensive material, be shocked and probably disgusted.
And if they enjoy that, that's THEIR prerogative.

I agree this smacks of one thing only.

No other utterance can get you cancelled so swiftly.

GiveMeNovocain · 14/08/2022 11:20

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 14/08/2022 11:09

I don’t go to comedy shows to see a bit of veg. I don’t expect to hear racist language either.

I suspect though he has been hoofed is for an entirely different reason.

I could be wrong. I wasn’t there.

But such a swift response smacks of only one thing to me.

That's fine but surely you check out the content a bit before you go?

PlanetNormal · 14/08/2022 11:20

It’s Jerry Sadowitz, FFS. Everyone who knows anything about comedy is well aware that he has been offending censorious pearl-clutchers for decades. That’s his act. It always has been. Those of delicate sensibilities can avoid being offended by the simple strategy of not buying a ticket for his show and going to see Michael fucking Macintyre instead.

This country is going backwards on issues of free speech and decades of anti censorship progress are being reversed. This climate ends in books being burned and septuagenarian authors being stabbed on stage at literary festivals by religious nutters.

fluffiphlox · 14/08/2022 11:24

All that’s been described is pretty much this guy’s schtick and has been for thirty years. He’s not on TV for that reason I think. I’m not sure how anyone going to a comedy festival could not know that. He identified JSaville for what he was years ago and people chose not to listen. I was at an Arthur Smith gig at Latitude a few years ago, part of which was a naked man on stage. (It was meant to be Arthur IIRC but he had a paper bag over his head 😀). I did not swoon, I did not complain.

Alicetheowl · 14/08/2022 11:26

I saw JS in my student days and he was terrifying-you never wanted to sit in the front row. He was great though, and very funny. The Provost of Dundee (I don't know either but I think it's some mayor type title) said he was sick. He put it on his advertising!

Maybe the problem is people don't realise it's a persona. Al Murray Pub Landlord gets away with a lot of racist stuff, for example, but people know it's making fun of those attitudes, because the Pub Landlord bit makes it clear it's a character ,played by an Oxbridge graduate who is probably not remotely similar to their onstage persona. As for the willy, meh. If you go to a JS gig and the scariest and most disturbing thing you see is a willy, it was a low key gig.

Skinterior · 14/08/2022 11:27

PlanetNormal · 14/08/2022 11:20

It’s Jerry Sadowitz, FFS. Everyone who knows anything about comedy is well aware that he has been offending censorious pearl-clutchers for decades. That’s his act. It always has been. Those of delicate sensibilities can avoid being offended by the simple strategy of not buying a ticket for his show and going to see Michael fucking Macintyre instead.

This country is going backwards on issues of free speech and decades of anti censorship progress are being reversed. This climate ends in books being burned and septuagenarian authors being stabbed on stage at literary festivals by religious nutters.

Exactly

BoredofthisCrap7 · 14/08/2022 11:28

Alicetheowl · 14/08/2022 11:26

I saw JS in my student days and he was terrifying-you never wanted to sit in the front row. He was great though, and very funny. The Provost of Dundee (I don't know either but I think it's some mayor type title) said he was sick. He put it on his advertising!

Maybe the problem is people don't realise it's a persona. Al Murray Pub Landlord gets away with a lot of racist stuff, for example, but people know it's making fun of those attitudes, because the Pub Landlord bit makes it clear it's a character ,played by an Oxbridge graduate who is probably not remotely similar to their onstage persona. As for the willy, meh. If you go to a JS gig and the scariest and most disturbing thing you see is a willy, it was a low key gig.

Absolutely.
JS said himself that if people don't walk out in the first 5 minutes he must be doing something wrong.

He is a shock comedian.

Don't go if you don't want to be shocked.

ResisterRex · 14/08/2022 11:32

I would add that in this age where nothing seems to pass without being filmed, it's surprising that there's no footage. Not even a surreptitious audio recording.

AllyCatTown · 14/08/2022 11:32

I think we’re becoming like the USA where even using offensive language is deemed unacceptable even if you’re mocking the kind of ignorant people who use it. Context should matter.

SuperPets · 14/08/2022 11:33

picklebrine · 14/08/2022 10:10

Father Ted/IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan has written an extensive blog post defending his right to expose his penis to women.

He's not jumping out of bushes in a trench coat. You can't complain about seeing a penis on stage when you have booked to see a show of someone who has always been known for getting his penis out on stage.

It's like complaining about seeing knobs at puppetry of the penis.

SuperPets · 14/08/2022 11:36

NightmareSlashDelightful · 14/08/2022 10:46

The venue cancelled his show, they didn't cancel him. There's a difference.

How so?

The venue said "We believe in free speech and we don't censor comedy. This performance doe not align with out values and we have cancelled his second show"

Both parts of that statement can't be true at the same time!!

PlanetNormal · 14/08/2022 11:41

SuperPets · 14/08/2022 11:36

How so?

The venue said "We believe in free speech and we don't censor comedy. This performance doe not align with out values and we have cancelled his second show"

Both parts of that statement can't be true at the same time!!

Quite.

The stupidity of that self-contradictory statement indicates that it can only have been written by an imbecile.

Livelovebehappy · 14/08/2022 11:42

He gets his dick out regularly during performances so I’m guessing the adults who go know this and are okay with it. And it doesn’t really matter what other people think as they can’t say they're offended when they’ve only read about it, but not seen it.

BoredofthisCrap7 · 14/08/2022 11:43

ResisterRex · 14/08/2022 11:32

I would add that in this age where nothing seems to pass without being filmed, it's surprising that there's no footage. Not even a surreptitious audio recording.

I think his show in particular would be very hard to film. He is reputedly very protective to the intellectual rights to his work.
That's why there are barely any videos of him on Youtube or other sites, his very limited web page, and no DVDs released of his shows.
Anything that appears online with live footage is very quickly taken down.

Kangaruby · 14/08/2022 11:45

JS at the festival, you expect to be offended and know not to sit in the front row, you don't need to go or could walk out. I was at the festival ( not JS) yesterday and there were plenty of walk outs. Encouragingly yesterday venues seemed to have less gender neutral toilets than the last 2 or 3 years ( still plenty though)