Comedian ordered to pay $15K for "homophobic, sexist" insults

[punchlinemagazine.com]

i'm sure most of you heard about this story about Canadian amateur comic Guy Earle being ordered to pay $15,000 for alleged "homophobic and sexist" insults he delivered from stage. i chatted with Earle over the weekend to get his side of the story. you can listen to it here:

http://punchlinemagazine.com/blog/20...phobic-insults

thought it might make for good discussion about free speech, civil rights and how stand-up comedy plays a part in those things.

-dylan

[Cameron]

The Guy Earle Trial

[funnyclown]

beat me to it by seconds...

[Cliffalus]

There's that other story going on right now to about the teenager who performed a nice song in front of a kindergarten class then went back when it was empty and sang a song about child molestation or something along those lines. He intercut hi song with the children laughing, etc, and now he's looking at 6 months in jail, finds, community service, etc.

These sort of stories make me think of what Patrice O'Neil said about a good joke and a bad joke are born from the same place.

Obviously court officials think certain actions require consequences but depends on culture and current events. Bill Hicks got rammed by the police for profanity but now it's almost expected to hear that kind of profanity in a comedy club.

Humor is subjective but at the same time you can't go off killing a guy and then turn to the jury and say, "What? Don't you get it?!"

[Junk]

I probably would've walked out of the club after $2,000 worth of insults.

[Umlaut]

There's that other story going on right now to about the teenager who performed a nice song in front of a kindergarten class then went back when it was empty and sang a song about child molestation or something along those lines. He intercut hi song with the children laughing, etc, and now he's looking at 6 months in jail, finds, community service, etc.

The worst part of this story for me is that this kid will now be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. Yep, the kind that will have to go around the neighborhood and introduce himself as such wherever he lives. His joke was in poor taste and stupid, but that seems totally extreme to me. No actual harm was done to the kids, unless they watched the video, which it should have been marked as "adult" or whatever.

[Monty]

That's too much to pay. I know a place where you can get homophobic, sexist insults for practically free.

[Burnside]

[QUOTE=Cliffalus;213862]Bill Hicks got rammed by the police for profanity
/QUOTE]

When? Where?

[fevre]

Canada (and Europe) don't have the same rights as the good ol' USA, I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often

[Cliffalus]

[QUOTE=Burnside;213907]

Bill Hicks got rammed by the police for profanity
/QUOTE]

When? Where?

Fuck Freudian slip. *Lenny Bruce

[crowbar]

Gays should die and women are cunts. Now where do I write my $15k check?

[Jixby Phillips]

Fuck Freudian slip. *Lenny Bruce

[Cliffalus]

Donate to Guy Earle here: http://guyearle.ca/ Looks like he's taking this to the Supreme Court.

[ProfessorShutYoMouth]

I think the authorities should throw all of you degenerates in jail.

[nixonjames]

By the sound of it this 'Council' acted out of turn and are forcing the comic to go through the hassle of defending himself and creating precedent on the idea. What I think will actually happen by the time this plays out is the exact protection of comics in clubs because from what little I've looked at it sounds like the council overstepped it's authority and this will play out on appeal.

But of course we usually only get the first court decision in the news.

[CarolineEAnd]

As I mentioned in my thread about the topic , I can't find any actual proof that the couple heckled. None of the waitstaff or other comics who testified remembered hearing the couple heckle. Plus, they were seated outside and brought in by a member of the waitstaff, so I have ZERO problem with them suing. I have SOME problem with the amount for which they're suing.

.........my thread about it....... *mopey face*

[RoyalDutchOfDukes]

That's too much to pay. I know a place where you can get homophobic, sexist insults for practically free.

I call bullshit, Gallagher shows are at least $15, that ain't practically for free.