Reginald d hunter joke...is this racist

[jonny.rainbow]

I’ve always liked Reginald D Hunter and thought him very funny.
but to make jokes like that against Jews at the moment seems particularly stupid……
……… and for the record I abhor what the Jewish Government is doing to the Palestinians at the moment.

The Jewish government?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

The Jewish government?

It is the Jewish Government on whose behalf all this is being done, surely, and they are not being particularly open to the notion of a ceasefire. That is probably an enormous statement.
if I were to say the Jewish People, that would quite rightly be seen as anti-Semitic. it is the Jewish military under the orders of the government, and I believe plenty of Jewish people both inside and outside Israel are, to varying degrees, not happy with it.
40,000 palestinians dead and counting.

 

[Triggaaar]

It is the Jewish Government on whose behalf all this is being done, surely, and they are not being particularly open to the notion of a ceasefire.

I think they're the Israeli Government

 

[Jackthelad]

They call themselves a Jewish nation.

 

[Insel affe]

This is going well

 

[The Clamp]

Is every thread going to turn into this debate?

Jesus wept.

Turn it in. Boring AF.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I think they're the Israeli Government

True - my bad! I’m old!
and a bit embarrassed at making such a silly and I guess potentially offensive mistake…..

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Is every thread going to turn into this debate?

Jesus wept.

Did he though?

 

[Triggaaar]

True - my bad! I’m old!
and a bit embarrassed at making such a silly and I guess potentially offensive mistake…..

Am I being whooshed or are you taking that too seriously? Or maybe I'm not taking it seriously enough. Whilst there are people in Israel of other faiths, the majority of people are Jewish. No biggie.

 

[Mr Bridger]

Did he though?

Did you see the size of the nails!

 

[Curious Orange]

A comedian should be able to give some stick back to a heckler, not be racist/xenophobic towards them.

I'm with Jimmy Carr, comedians shouldn't be afraid to punch in any direction, even down. By avoiding making jokes about certain parts of the population because you think they need some sort of protection you are implying that they are somehow less than you, they are not.

We need to be challenged in our opinions and how we think about ourselves and other people, we need to be asking the question "should I be laughing at this?" If the joke isn't made, the question is not asked, and opinions don't change.

 

[Triggaaar]

I'm with Jimmy Carr, comedians shouldn't be afraid to punch in any direction, even down. By avoiding making jokes about certain parts of the population because you think they need some sort of protection you are implying that they are somehow less than you, they are not.

I also agree with Jimmy. He wouldn't have done what Reg has.

 

[Curious Orange]

The below is from the Jewish Chronicle article, and is the most complete description of the incident of those linked within this thread.

Everyone can make their own mind up as to whether Reg overstepped the mark given that he didn't initiate it.

I am disappointed by the audience response though.

When the couple said they were from Israel, audience members shouted “f*** off”, “genocidal maniac”, “you’re not welcome” and “free Palestine.”


During the furore, Hunter, 55, appeared to double down on his initial joke, telling the couple: “I’ve been waiting for you all summer, where the f*** you been?


“You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish,” he continued.


According to Cavendish, the Israeli women “remonstrated with the audience”, to which Hunter responded: “Look at you making everyone love Israel even more.”


Hunter allegedly laughed at the couple, one of whom was disabled, as they slowly left the auditorium.


He gloated: “That tells me that I still got voltage" after the couple left George Square Studios.[/QUOTE ]

 

[Is it PotG?]

A theatre has cancelled a show by comedian Reginald D Hunter after an accusation jokes at his Edinburgh Fringe show were antisemitic

 

[Guinness Boy]

Just dropped in and, yes, this is going exactly as expected.

 

[herecomesaregular]

A theatre has cancelled a show by comedian Reginald D Hunter after an accusation jokes at his Edinburgh Fringe show were antisemitic

Pathetic response imho.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Am I being whooshed or are you taking that too seriously? Or maybe I'm not taking it seriously enough. Whilst there are people in Israel of other faiths, the majority of people are Jewish. No biggie.

You’re not being whooshed.
I’m being over-cautious/paranoid.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Bernard Manning told jokes about all kinds of minority races. Perhaps even Jews. Hunter is just carrying on with Manning's principles.

 

[nickjhs]

I’ve always liked Reginald D Hunter and thought him very funny.
but to make jokes like that against Jews at the moment seems particularly stupid……
……… and for the record I abhor what the Jewish Government is doing to the Palestinians at the moment.

And this is why a distinction needs to be made between Jews and Israeli's. Being opposed to the actions of the Israeli government is NOT an anti-Semitic position. By the rules of matrilineality, I am Jewish, however, I am not a Zionist and not Israeli. This makes the sentiment that anyone seeking out against the actions of the Israelis is an antisemite rather ridiculous.

 

[Zeberdi]

The performing arts have always been a risqué and liberal environment, with the caricaturing of ‘types’/‘peoples’ a key theme of comedy performances for time immemorial. .

For me, the real shock here, are audience members shouting abuse towards an actual Israeli couple in a British theatre calling them "genocidal maniacs" and telling them ‘they were not welcome at the gig’. I find that appalling and slightly chilling in a lynch mob kind of way. It’s this apparent willingness by some people to resort to scapegoating for the ’perceived wrongs of others’ that provided the far right/hard right an opportunity to exploit and be able to successfully incite the sort of riots we saw a few weeks ago.

Let’s use a modicum of informed, common sense and integrity when it comes to judging what is and is not acceptable ‘free speech’ and avoid overreaction when it offends but doesn’t exceed the universally accepted boundaries.

And ffs please don’t turn this into another binfest about Israel, Gaza and antisemitism.

I am not looking to pick a fight or start a binfest