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Jerry Sadowitz

336 replies

Bearsinmotion · 15/08/2022 13:08

Is anyone following this?

Really strange - the Pleasance theatre have cancelled Jerry Sadowitz’s show at the fringe, citing audience walkouts and complaints of extreme misogyny and racism. But have not quoted what was said that was so offensive even to him. Both Sadowitz and people who were there have questioned the walkouts. The show had many, many warnings about offensive content, and that he was going to be getting his cock out, which he did, as do other comedians at the Fringe.

there are a few comedians supporting him on Twitter, around the defence of free speech. But what stood out to me in the language was that audience members felt “unsafe,” yet I have not seen a single person say that was them. Graham Linehan has written about it here. Just wondering if it was related to the TRA frenzy as Glinner implies, with manufactured outrage or whether Sadowitz genuinely went too far this time.

I used to love Jerry back in the day, and he was one of the few calling out Jimmy Saville when it counted, so I want to believe he’s not been targeted for once again calling out those doing real harm…

OP posts:
Floisme · 15/08/2022 17:23

Yes it's intended as satire
I was quoting your own post.

Monkeysaymonkeydont · 15/08/2022 17:24

The only reason he's being defended on here is because a certain ex-comedy writer jumped the gun and thought JS had been banned for doing some trans material in the vein of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle.

Floisme · 15/08/2022 17:27

No that is not the only reason, or even a reason at all in my case. I suggest you read the thread.

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:28

I'm honestly astounded that feminists are defended a man who racially abuses female audience members and flashes his penis at women without their consent, just because of an unconfirmed rumour that he made anti-trans jokes and speculation that it was TRA who objected?

Where are all these rumours? Did you start them? What makes you think the people in this thread are even aware of them until you brought them up?

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:29

*were even aware

ArcticSkewer · 15/08/2022 17:30

JenniferBarkley · 15/08/2022 13:34

All I've seen is that he got his dick out. I doubt that would be tolerated in most places.

obviously never been to the fringe then?

AlisonDonut · 15/08/2022 17:32

Monkeysaymonkeydont · 15/08/2022 17:24

The only reason he's being defended on here is because a certain ex-comedy writer jumped the gun and thought JS had been banned for doing some trans material in the vein of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle.

Well, no. The reason he is being defended on here is:
a - he's been doing it for decades and is quite blatant that people might get offended
b - the people buying the tickets are adults who bought tickets to an offensive comedian's show at the Edinburgh Fringe
c - he isn't doing it in front of kids

He's not my bag, never has been and I'd never pay money to see him.

It's the difference between:
'I don't agree with you but I defend your right to say it'
and
'Anything I don't agree with needs cancelling'.

JemimaPuddlegoose · 15/08/2022 17:36

Monkeysaymonkeydont · 15/08/2022 17:24

The only reason he's being defended on here is because a certain ex-comedy writer jumped the gun and thought JS had been banned for doing some trans material in the vein of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle.

Exactly. Yet by all accounts he was scrupulous in avoiding mentioning trans people.

Happy to say "Maddie McCann's mum would be worth raping if only she smiled more."
Use racial slurs directly to the only non-white woman in the audience.
Make jokes about raping Jewish female celebs with a meat cleaver.

Yet transpeople are on a pedestal and must not be mentioned?

I'm actually not calling for his work to be banned or censored, just explaining why women genuinely felt scared being in the audience, and why non-white women had a problem with being called racial slurs,. And that it was wrong that the show summary didn't mention nudity or give any real indication of the content of the show. (JS is actually on record as saying that he doesn't let critics see the show in advance and doesn't like to tell people anything about the show's content because he feels the show relies on the surprise element of people not knowing what he'll say and do.)

ArcticSkewer · 15/08/2022 17:38

AlisonDonut · 15/08/2022 17:32

Well, no. The reason he is being defended on here is:
a - he's been doing it for decades and is quite blatant that people might get offended
b - the people buying the tickets are adults who bought tickets to an offensive comedian's show at the Edinburgh Fringe
c - he isn't doing it in front of kids

He's not my bag, never has been and I'd never pay money to see him.

It's the difference between:
'I don't agree with you but I defend your right to say it'
and
'Anything I don't agree with needs cancelling'.

Show quote history

Exactly this.

Worrying how many people just don't get it. Today they are banning things you don't like so you're happy. Tomorrow it might be something that affects you instead.

They didn't have to take the booking. Cancelling it halfway through is a type of censorship.
If they thought it was a racist hate rime, for instance, then that's a matter for the police not the thought police.
If it's not a criminal matter then at this point, it's none of their business. They accepted the booking, put a warning on it, and now act surprised.

Authoritarian twats

JemimaPuddlegoose · 15/08/2022 17:40

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:28

I'm honestly astounded that feminists are defended a man who racially abuses female audience members and flashes his penis at women without their consent, just because of an unconfirmed rumour that he made anti-trans jokes and speculation that it was TRA who objected?

Where are all these rumours? Did you start them? What makes you think the people in this thread are even aware of them until you brought them up?

Are you fucking joking??? Read the actual thread please before hurling accusations at me.

The OP post literally says, "Just wondering if it was related to the TRA frenzy as Glinner implies, with manufactured outrage." The very first reply references Glinner's suggestion that it's trans related.

The other thread about this in AIBU has multiple posts going "I bet it's trans related"

PrimAndProperViperish · 15/08/2022 17:43

Speculation is pointless, though. As are unattributed accounts from an anonymous internet poster's pal.

JemimaPuddlegoose · 15/08/2022 17:44

They accepted the booking, put a warning on it, and now act surprised.

Except they didn't. I copy and pasted the full show description and content warning from the original show event listing page on page 2 of this thread, and it doesn't say one word about nudity or potential nudity, or anything about racial content.

I've worked the Edinburgh Fringe several times, show descriptions and warnings are provided by the act themselves (or their team/management).

They accepted the booking based on the information Jerry gave them, and they posted the show description and content warning they were given. If nothing else Jerry was in the wrong not to put "potential nudity" in the show description page.

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:47

I'm actually not calling for his work to be banned or censored, just explaining why women genuinely felt scared being in the audience, and why non-white women had a problem with being called racial slurs,. And that it was wrong that the show summary didn't mention nudity or give any real indication of the content of the show.

I’m intrigued how you know all this? Is there a report with people interviewed? Can you link to anything? And if you are not calling for JS to be banned what is it that you think should happen? From your post it seems that you think there was a serious racial assault and possibly also sexual assault that took place. What should happen?

Saucery · 15/08/2022 17:47

Gosh, I would love to see his impression of Frankie Boyle! Grin

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:51

*sorry I didn’t mean to say assault in my post I meant to say harassment.

ZuttZeVootEeeVo · 15/08/2022 17:52

Monkeysaymonkeydont · 15/08/2022 17:24

The only reason he's being defended on here is because a certain ex-comedy writer jumped the gun and thought JS had been banned for doing some trans material in the vein of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle.

Nobody with a passing knowledge of sadowitz thinks he did anything in the vien of chappelle or Gervais.

JemimaPuddlegoose · 15/08/2022 17:55

Signalbox · 15/08/2022 17:47

I'm actually not calling for his work to be banned or censored, just explaining why women genuinely felt scared being in the audience, and why non-white women had a problem with being called racial slurs,. And that it was wrong that the show summary didn't mention nudity or give any real indication of the content of the show.

I’m intrigued how you know all this? Is there a report with people interviewed? Can you link to anything? And if you are not calling for JS to be banned what is it that you think should happen? From your post it seems that you think there was a serious racial assault and possibly also sexual assault that took place. What should happen?

Please don't put words into my mouth.

Multiple audience members have confirmed that he exposed his penis to a woman in the audience, and Jerry himself admits he did. His own website even contains a video where he mentions exposing his penis on stage so it clearly happened, no one is denying it happened.

Exposing a penis during a stage show is not "sexual assault" since it's normal for fringe shows to have nudity. BUT this has to be mentioned in the show description so that audiences can consent or not consent to attend a show with nudity.

The issue is that the show description and content warnings that JS/his team gave to the Edfringe.com didn't include any mention of nudity or potential nudity, meaning people were not given the information necessary to consent to attend a show featuring nudity. Not everyone will take the time to google an act's own website and watch videos - that information should be on the event listing page, and it wasn't.

Saywhy · 15/08/2022 17:56

Today they are banning things you don't like so you're happy. Tomorrow it might be something that affects you instead.

That's why everyone was so quick to defend the I, Joan production at The Globe in this thread right?

😒

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4609542-globe-theatre-makes-joan-of-arc-non-binary-in-new-play

Floisme · 15/08/2022 17:58

Did that thread call for 'I Joan' to be banned?

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/08/2022 17:59

I think previous posters are right. Whatever happened, it's the staff who complained about the working environment it created for them.

I'm actually quite sympathetic to that point of view. I don't think I'd go to see Jerry Sadowitz in a million years, and I don't think however much theatre staff are paid per hour would sweeten the deal. I'd want to swap my shift with someone else, if permitted. And if it wasn't permitted, I'd be miffed.

IcakethereforeIam · 15/08/2022 17:59

I don't think anyone on the thread called for 'I, Joan' to be banned. If they did, they were very much a minority voice.

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/08/2022 18:03

IcakethereforeIam · 15/08/2022 17:59

I don't think anyone on the thread called for 'I, Joan' to be banned. If they did, they were very much a minority voice.

As of last night, I'd read all that thread.

I don't recall anyone wanting to ban it. One person thought it should be staged at another theatre, and that was it.

I can mock theatre productions without wanting to ban them.

Especially when it's Puppetry of the Penis, which has visited my local provincial theatre. Cue much gushing from the local paper's journalist who does the arts section.

ZuttZeVootEeeVo · 15/08/2022 18:06

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/08/2022 17:59

I think previous posters are right. Whatever happened, it's the staff who complained about the working environment it created for them.

I'm actually quite sympathetic to that point of view. I don't think I'd go to see Jerry Sadowitz in a million years, and I don't think however much theatre staff are paid per hour would sweeten the deal. I'd want to swap my shift with someone else, if permitted. And if it wasn't permitted, I'd be miffed.

The venue just come across as inept. They didn't know sadowitz act or they didn't employ staff who could work alongside him.

Floisme · 15/08/2022 18:09

I'd be sympathetic to the staff too. I think the venue did have a duty to make sure that they - like the audience - knew what the show was about beforehand. But, if that's what happened then the venue should have sorted it out with the staff, e.g. given them the option to work another shift, not cancelled the show.

ScribblingPixie · 15/08/2022 18:10

Gosh, I would love to see his impression of Frankie Boyle!

Oh me too. That was the first thing I thought.