Jimmy Carr, is playing at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, in April.
We are disappointed that he has not apologised for an offensive joke about the Holocaust. He has defended himself, saying he makes light of serious issues, with the intention of making people laugh. Unfortunately, many of his audience on Netflix did laugh at his racist joke.
Some will say it is “cancel culture” to try to limit free speech. But let us remember Martin Niemöller’ s 1946 poem:
"First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
If we do not call out racism, homophobia, misogyny or the singling out of disadvantaged or minority communities when we see or hear it; if we walk by, or worse, laugh, we are complicit. Comedians, are shrewd, they play to their audience’s partialities, but they also encourage them. They should recognise their responsibility to all sectors of society.