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Should we allow people to be sued over a joke?

10 year old joke heading to the Canadian Supreme Court

By KeggercastPublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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Can a joke ever go so far that it leads to a 10-year court battle? Apparently, it can. Back in 2010, Canadian comedian Mike Ward performed a 90-minute stand-up act that included a bit about Canadian celebrities who he believed were "sacred cows" that were considered too rich and powerful to be made fun of. In that bit he roasted Celine Dion, her husband Rene Angelil, and a young singer named Jeremy Gabriel.

Gabriel has Treacher Collins syndrome, which is a genetic disorder characterized by skull and facial deformities and, as in Gabriel's case, can also cause deafness. Ward's roast of Gabriel made fun of his condition and appearance, calling Gabriel "ugly".

I have nothing against roasting people, but let's admit that making fun of a person's disability or physical appearance isn't funny. It isn't because it might hurt a person's feelings, it isn't funny because it just isn't very creative. This is why I never found Donald Trump's jokes funny; they were too uncreative. I had never heard of Mike Ward before stumbling across the news reports about this case, but I have to say that it is pretty disappointing that a professional comedian would use something as uncreative as making fun of a person's disability and physical appearance to roast someone.

Usually I would side with a comedian when they start getting blowback due to a controversial joke, but in this case I have to say that I believe that Ward went too far with this bit, not only because he was making fun of a person with a disability, but because in this case the person with the disability was a child. Jeremy Gabriel was just 13-years-old when Ward performed this bit. Gabriel was apparently a Make-A-Wish kid. Gabriel was already a victim of bullying in school before Ward's comedy show, but the bullying now included Gabriel's peers quoting Ward's act when making fun of him. In my opinion, Ward is as guilty of helping incite bullying on Gabriel, as Donald Trump is guilty of inciting violence on the Capitol.

Reference links:

Murphy, J. (2021, February 15). How a joke ended up before Canada's top court. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55959133

Press, C. (2021, February 16). Comedian Mike Ward's case Before Supreme Court tests limits of artistic freedom. Retrieved from https://torontosun.com/news/national/comedian-mike-wards-case-before-supreme-court-tests-limits-of-artistic-freedom

Rebel News. (2016, March 4). Hear the joke that might cost comedian Mike Ward $180,000. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dMQxXIb7Y8

Reid, C. (2021, February 15). Comedian goes to Canadian Supreme court Over 'Joke' he made 10 years ago. Retrieved from https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-comedian-goes-to-supreme-court-over-joke-he-made-10-years-ago-20210215

comedy
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About the Creator

Keggercast

Keggercast is an entertainment company. We book comedy and music shows in Imperial Valley, CA. and Yuma, AZ. We interview local entertainers and businesses.

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