Jimmy Carr Goes Too Far

[jeremyp]

Apparently he made a joke about the Holocaust (it's in the BBC article, if you want to know what it is). When I read it, even I thought it was going a bit too far, possibly in a career ending sort of way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60261876

Unfortunately, it's prompted this from the government

Ms Dorries suggested the government could legislate to stop comedy people find offensive being shown on streaming platforms.

That would be the death of comedy.

[Robbie]

He did go too far even allowing for comedy pushing boundaries. It was a stupid, horrible remark.

Whoopi Goldberg is in some shit for saying that the holocaust was more about people being inhumane to each other, specifically two groups of white people, than persecution of Jews tho I don't think she meant it the way it has been taken. She's apologised for her choice of words but viewers are still baying for her blood.

[Nearly Sane]

It's been suggested that the joke is different in context. While I struggle to think of a context, I can think of a few lines from comedy routines that outside of context would sound much worse.

[SteveH]

Never did like Carr - too cocky by hallf. As for Whoopi, I don't think she's anti-semitic; it was just a stupid comment, and we all make them from time to time.

[Aruntraveller]

David Baddiel on GMTV was very eloquent on the whole Whoopi hornets nest thing, well worth a watch:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/whoopi-goldberg-david-baddiel-gmb-b2006573.html

Like NS I had heard there was some context missing from the Carr joke, but like him I'm failing to see how it could redeem this particular bit of sheer nastiness.

[Robbie]

Maybe he wanted to provoke, who knows?

I agree with you Steve about Whoopi Goldberg and like the way David Baddiel talked about what she said.

[Aruntraveller]

This article contains the supposed context:

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

I'm not seeing that as redeeming the joke at all.

Really sad that the audience is complicit in this. They laughed at the joke.

[jeremyp]

This article contains the supposed context:

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

I'm not seeing that as redeeming the joke at all.

Really sad that the audience is complicit in this. They laughed at the joke.

Maybe you had to be there.

Edit

There are some jokes I find funny even though I know they are extremely offensive. I could sort of see how this joke might have been funny with a bit of tweaking and in the right context (I'm not going to watch the show in question because I'm not a fan of Jimmy Carr) but it doesn't alter the fact that it is well on the wrong side of the line.