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.

Yes SuperPets I was just thinking the same in relation to the OP's original question, why are other comedians defending him.

Because who's next, when the reasons given are so vague and contradictory? Free speech - except for when it's not. What does it take to completely ruin all the time, expense and effort of a Fringe run - just one complaint out of a room of how many? (Just two dates in JS's case, but it could have been a week, or three) A complaint about what exactly?

JS is one of them. They know him and the nature of his act. If I was a circuit comic I'd definitely be worried. There isn't the same distance they can put between themselves and eg Gervais or Chappelle, people whose stellar careers they will never have. This is probably a bit too close to home.

I think in JS's case there is no such thing as bad publicity. For others, it could kill their careers.

JS has an over 18’s rule for his audience and I was impressed a few years ago when JS refused to start his show until someone clearly underage was required to leave / it was done v nicely and they were kindly offered a refund!

Just as a side not, they are showing "Trainspotting Live" at the same venue.

Should I go along and then complain about the graphic depiction of drug taking, foul language, child neglect and violence?

And I forgot to answer the question. Every other comedian is worried it will be them next.

This makes me just want to go and see him now

What does confuse me - is that the venue chose to cancel. This is not their first rodeo with JS, they would have known what they'd agreed to host. Their 'values' wouldn't have 'aligned' when the dates were confirmed.

Feels like virtue signalling to me

Quite a few comedians seem to think that simply swearing continually and being obscene is the height of edgy hilarity. Personally, I find it embarrassing rather than funny. When Frankie Boyle was on "Mock the Week" he was witty and funny - maybe because he was censored to a degree and had to think about his material? His live show "Tramadol Nights" was a crushing disappointment.

I saw him at Edinburgh. All of his jokes were ones he had already done on the TV. It was a boring show.

The shouldn’t have cancelled. They should put appropriate signage up and offer refunds.

A venue absolutely has the right not to host a comedian that they find offensive and upsetting. The problem is, they booked a highly offensive comedian and cannot have been unaware of this when they made the booking. So that's on them and they should refund/compensate/apologise for their fuck-up.

What they absolutely cannot do, which is what they did, is claim to support free speech and not censor comedians in the same breath as cancelling the show of a comedian because they found him offensive.

Frankie Boyle was a huge disappointment from about 2 tours back from Tramadol Nights. He’s found his little self-congratulatory TWAW niche now, though 🙄

People who book JS (the Pleasance) and people who book to see him - know what they're getting. His stage persona and act are well-developed and well-described.
There were comments on Twitter yesterday that it was all about a trans joke and tbh that seems much more likely than the unattributed 'quotes' in The Sun.
But in the light of Salman Rushdie and the focus on threats and free speech, it seems the TRAs have dialled back and framed it as 'racism and indecency'.
The TRAs are merrily reporting lots of comedians and seeing which venues will jump.

Nippywoowoo you sawJack O Connell’s willy on stage. That is my number one fantasy. You can diehappy.
Thiscomedian should not have been cancelled just because he isnot asgorgeous as Jack OC.

skinterior

I have to agree. It is known exactly how he will be. I may not otherwise choose to see a briefly flapping phallus or hear some of the words he allegedly chose to use but that isn’t to say I wouldn’t find a lot of the things he had to say funny/thought provoking/relevant.

He should be free to say what he wants to say.

People should be free to choose to hear what he has to say. What anyone has to say.

The venue has taken away that choice.

We believe in free speech and we don't censor comedy

They clearly don’t. They clearly have.

And they can yap away about not aligning with values. Given that everything has been the subject of jokes without censorship up to now, I can only imagine that this is the Emperor’s new values.

I still haven't heard back form the couple of posters who said he exposed himself to a woman exactly how this happened.

Did he jump off the stage and run up to this woman and get his penis out only for her?

The Pleasance were happy enough to book JS and I bet they were thrilled when his shows sold out. JS is brutal - very, very funny, but completely brutal. His fans know this and know what to expect and this is what they've paid to see. The show is called "Not for Anyone" <-- there's a clue.

For the venue to come out virtue signalling about his material "not aligning with our values" is just massive virtue signalling. They should instead be entirely clear to the audience that the show may contain material that some find offensive. Being offended is a feeling and is entirely personal to every individual.

Of course comedians defend him. It’s an adult show and you know what you get with him so don’t go if you don’t like him. I don’t like that kind of humour but I defend it’s right to exist.
however I do think a win for him, huge publicity, everyone knows he is still about, almost like he got his desired outcome🤔

So they are absolutely fine with the whole penis thing, it's just he may have said something slightly transphobic, and that's enough to cancel him?

After all these years of being highly offensive someone took the right kind of offence and that's it?

I'd love the irony to be that what they took offence about was men getting their penises out somewhere that they shouldn't. As that would make my day.

I heard he said Rishi Sunak was a ‘P**i’ and said the economy was bad because black people and women were running it.

He's a highly offensive comedian, so hearing that he said things that are highly offensive shouldn't be a surprise.

JS' friend on Twitter said it was nothing to do with his penis. The TRAs jumped on that as an irony against Glinner and The Sun ran with it.

But there are many naked bodies at The Fringe including in other shows at The Pleasance.

JS knows why The Pleasance jumped. He was obviously waiting to see if they'd put out an honest statement. Instead they waffled about supporting free speech whilst doing the opposite.

Glad he’s been axed. Sounds like a vile individual.

So does Piers Morgan but I don’t want him eradicated off the face of the entertainment earth.
Free speech and freedom to avoid that speech, for me.

He hasn't been axed 😄 He's had one show cancelled.
I think the TRAs misjudged how famous JS is and how well-established his persona and routine.
As I said, they're trying to get lots of comedians cancelled at The Fringe. The Pleasance gave in first. The other venues will be watching carefully. The comedy circuit is close-knit. They'll just choose venues that genuinely do support free speech.

The statement from the Pleasaunce made it clear that they knew exactly what sort of show it would be and we’re fine with that.

but then he also did something (unspecified) which ran so counter to their values they could not bear to be associated with it.

So the things he’s known to have done/said before are not the reason for this.

Yes, me too.

Similar effects with ‘Satanic Verses’. Sales have peaked in the aftermath of the attack on Rushdie.