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Jimmy Carr Says He’s ‘Going Down Swinging’ During Live Gig Following Holocaust Joke Backlash

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Jimmy Carr has broken his silence after he faced a huge backlash over a joke he made about the Traveller community and the Holocaust in his Netflix special, His Dark Material.

In a widely-shared clip from the hour-long show, Carr spoke about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.

Carr has received widespread criticism over the remarks, with calls for Netflix to remove the joke and sparking petitions calling on him to apologise.

On Saturday night, the comedian took to the stage for his stand-up show at the Whitley Bay Playhouse and told the audience he was “going down swinging” and that “the joke that ends my career is already out there.”

Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr

Thomas M Jackson via Getty Images

According to the Mirror, a heckler at the gig yelled out: “Are we going to talk about the holocaust?”

Jimmy replied: “We are going to talk about cancel culture, the whole thing.

“We are going to talk about fucking everything people. Relax.”

After joking about offending the LGBT community, Jimmy said: “We are speaking my friends in the last chance saloon.

“What I am saying on stage this evening is barely acceptable now. In ten years fucking forget about it.

“You are going to be able to tell your grandchildren about seeing this show tonight.

“You will say I saw a man and he stood on a stage and he made light of serious issues.

“We used to call them jokes and people would laugh.”

He continued: “I am going to get cancelled, that’s the bad news. The good news is I am going down swinging.

“The joke that ends my career it’s already out there. It’s on YouTube, Netflix, or whatever, and it’s fine until one day it fucking isn’t.”

Jimmy’s friend and fellow comedian David Baddiel has spoken out about the Netflix joke in a series of tweets over the weekend.

The comic pointed out the difference between cruel jokes about the Holocaust and ones that target the oppressors.

“I said this every night during my Trolls: Not The Dolls tour as part of a bit arguing that it’s not the subject matter of a joke that counts, it’s the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr’s was the former,” he said.

“Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling,” Dorries said during an interview on BBC Breakfast.

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.

Meanwhile, Judge Rinder star Robert Rinder labelled Carr and the audience at his Netflix special who “clapped, whooped and cheered” over the joke, “complete incorrigible turds”.

Robert, who is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, made his feelings clear during a panel discussion about the hour-long special on Talk Radio.

HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.

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Victoria Coren Mitchell Defends ‘Decent’ Jimmy Carr After Holocaust Joke Backlash

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In a widely-shared clip from the hour-long show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.

Carr has received widespread criticism over the remarks, with calls for Netflix to remove the joke and sparking petitions calling on him to apologise.

On Saturday evening, Only Connect host Victoria took to Twitter to defend her “close friend”, saying Carr was “a properly decent person”.

“While I’m here, might take a moment to mention I also love @JimmyCarr, a close friend who’s made about a thousand jokes I wouldn’t make myself, as a stage performer, but as a man is full of goodness and kindness,” she said.

When one unimpressed follower asked: “Do you think you would be similarly quick to defend him if he’d made a joke defending the murder of Jews in the Holocaust?”, Victoria responded: “Yes. It’s not about the joke.”

Others pointed the presenter towards comedian David Baddiel’s response to Carr’s comments.

The comedian had pointed out the difference between cruel jokes about the Holocaust and ones that target the oppressors.

“I said this every night during my Trolls: Not The Dolls tour as part of a bit arguing that it’s not the subject matter of a joke that counts, it’s the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr’s was the former,” he said.

David added: “As a footnote, I’d add that Jimmy is a close friend of mine and a brilliant stand-up in general. Makes no difference to how I feel or think about this specific joke.”

Meanwhile, Judge Rinder star Robert Rinder labelled Carr and the audience at his Netflix special who “clapped, whooped and cheered” over the joke, “complete incorrigible turds”.

Robert, who is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, made his feelings clear during a panel discussion about the hour-long special on Talk Radio

In a follow-up tweet posted on Saturday, Robert said the comedian’s comment was “breathtakingly racist” and reiterated his dismay at the audience’s reaction.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has also condemned the remarks, suggesting that new laws would hold to account streaming sites from airing jokes.

“Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling,” Dorries said during an interview on BBC Breakfast.

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.

HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.

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Robert Rinder Labels Jimmy Carr And Audience At Netflix Special ‘Incorrigible Turds’ For Laughing At ‘Breathtakingly Racist’ Joke

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Robert Rinder has labelled Jimmy Carr and the audience at his Netflix special who “clapped, whooped and cheered” over a joke he made about the Traveller community and the Holocaust, as “complete incorrigible turds”.

In a widely-shared clip from the His Dark Material show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.

Robert, who is best known as TV’s Judge Rinder and is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, made his feelings clear during a panel discussion about the hour-long special on Talk Radio on Friday.

“I’ve got to say Jimmy Carr, I’m not going to repeat the joke, or anybody in the audience who whooped and clapped at a joke about the genocide of Travellers and gypsies, you are all, complete incorrigible turds,” he said.

In a tweet posted on Saturday, Robert said the comedian’s comment was “breathtakingly racist” and reiterated his dismay at the audience’s reaction.

“Jimmy Carr’s “joke” suggesting the systematic genocide of gypsies during the Holocaust was a “good thing” is breathtakingly racist,” he tweeted.

“The truly disturbing thing isn’t just the gag, it’s that on hearing it, instead of leaving, the audience clapped, whooped and cheered in approval.”

In a second tweet, the former Strictly star said that “middle class comedians can do irony and clever boundary pushing so it’s ‘ok’”.

“Let’s imagine the reaction to this joke had it been filmed at a working men’s club to a cheering whooping audience,” he added.

Carr has received widespread criticism over the remarks, with calls for Netflix to remove the joke and sparking petitions calling on him to apologise.

Roberts tweet came after Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries condemned the remarks during an interview on Saturday’s BBC Breakfast, suggesting that new laws would hold to account streaming sites from airing jokes.

Dorries suggested that in the future, new laws would “hold Netflix to account” for such content.

Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries

Future Publishing via Getty Images

“We are looking at legislation via the Media Bill which would bring into scope those comments from other video on-demand streaming outlets like Netflix,” she said.

“So it’s interesting that we’re already looking at future legislation to bring into scope those sort of comments.”

The MP said Carr’s comments were “abhorrent and they just shouldn’t be on television”, but it was then put to her that in a tweet in 2017 she had claimed that “left-wing snowflakes are killing comedy”.

She said: “Well, that’s not comedy.

“What Jimmy Carr did last night is not comedy. And you know, I’m no angel on Twitter, nobody is, but I just would like to say that nothing I’ve ever put on Twitter has been harmful or abusive.

“But that last night… Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling.”

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.

The Traveller Movement, a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: “This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour.”

In a tweet, the charity said: “We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.”

The charity has launched a petition to Netflix calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”.

HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.

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Nadine Dorries Says New Laws Would ‘Hold Netflix To Account’ Following Jimmy Carr’s ‘Appalling’ Holocaust Joke

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Nadine Dorries has suggested new laws would hold to account streaming sites from airing jokes such as those made by Jimmy Carr about the Traveller community and the Holocaust.

During an interview on Saturday’s BBC Breakfast, the Culture Secretary condemned the comic’s joke made during his one-hour Netflix special, His Dark Material, as “shocking, abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carr issued a “trigger warning” to the audience at the beginning of the Netflix show, admitting his performance contained “terrible things”.

In a widely-shared clip from the show, the comedian joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.

Nadine Dorries and Jimmy Carr
Nadine Dorries and Jimmy Carr

Dorries suggested that in the future, new laws would “hold Netflix to account” for such content.

“We are looking at legislation via the Media Bill which would bring into scope those comments from other video on-demand streaming outlets like Netflix,” she said.

“So it’s interesting that we’re already looking at future legislation to bring into scope those sort of comments.”

The MP said Carr’s comments were “abhorrent and they just shouldn’t be on television”, but it was then put to her that in a tweet in 2017 she had claimed that “left-wing snowflakes are killing comedy”.

She said: “Well, that’s not comedy.

“What Jimmy Carr did last night is not comedy. And you know, I’m no angel on Twitter, nobody is, but I just would like to say that nothing I’ve ever put on Twitter has been harmful or abusive.

“But that last night… Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling.”

She said the comments were “shocking and abhorrent and unacceptable, not just because he was making fun on the basis of people who died in the most appalling circumstances, but on the pain and suffering of many thousands of families”.

In a separate interview with Times Radio, she said: “We don’t have the ability now, legally, to hold Netflix to account for streaming that but very shortly we will.”

Asked on Sky News if there was any way this new law would put restrictions on free speech, she said: “No, absolutely not. We’ve been very, very… well because I’m a Conservative, I’ve been very, very careful about that.”

In a tweet, Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.

The Traveller Movement, a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: “This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour.”

In a tweet, the charity said: “We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.”

The charity has launched a petition to Netflix calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”.

The not-for-profit organisation the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust shared a statement on Twitter from their CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman who was “horrified” to hear “gales of laughter” following Carr’s remarks.

Hope Not Hate, the anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigning group, also condemned the comedian’s joke on Friday.

In a tweet, they said: “Comedy is an amazing tool for progressive change and it’s such a shame that @jimmycarr decided to use his platform to celebrate the murder of one of the most marginalised groups in society.”

The Auschwitz Memorial called for Carr to “learn about the fate of some 23 thousand Roma & Sinti deported to Auschwitz” in a tweet to their 1.2 million followers.

They added: “It’s sad to hear words that can fuel prejudice, hurt people & defile memory of their tragedy.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.

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Jimmy Carr Condemned For ‘Vile’ Holocaust Joke About Gypsy, Roma And Traveller Community

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Jimmy Carr has been denounced for a “truly disturbing” joke made about the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community and the Holocaust in his latest Netflix special.

The comedian, known for his stand-up and roles on shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats, issued a “trigger warning” to the audience at the beginning of his one-hour show, His Dark Material, admitting his performance contained “terrible things”.

In a widely-shared clip from the show, Carr, 49, said: “When people talk about the Holocaust, they talk about the tragedy and horror of six million Jewish lives being lost to the Nazi war machine. But they never mention the thousands of Gypsies that were killed by the Nazis.

“No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.”

Mikey Walsh, author of the best-selling memoir Gypsy Boy, tweeted that he didn’t know what he should be more “disgusted” by, “the kind of Racism that us GRT people are forced to live with every day … that it’s still absolutely ok to demonise us & our demise as a joke … or the reactions of whooping and cheering from the audience.”

In a tweet referencing the joke, The Traveller Movement, a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: “This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour.

“We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.”

The charity have now launched a petition to Netflix calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”.

In a tweet, Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.

“In funding, streaming and profiting from this material, Netflix is legitimising and perpetuating racism,” Whittome wrote in her letter.

“Material of the kind on your platform does not exist in isolation and it has real-life consequences.”

In a synopsis of the programme, which aired on Christmas Day, it says the special features jokes which are “career enders”.

Similarly, not-for-profit organisation the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust shared a statement on Twitter from their CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman who was “horrified” to hear “gales of laughter” following Carr’s remarks.

Hope Not Hate, the anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigning group, also condemned the comedian’s joke on Friday.

In a tweet, they said: “Comedy is an amazing tool for progressive change and it’s such a shame that @jimmycarr decided to use his platform to celebrate the murder of one of the most marginalised groups in society.”

The Auschwitz Memorial called for Carr to “learn about the fate of some 23 thousand Roma & Sinti deported to Auschwitz” in a tweet to their 1.2 million followers.

They added: “It’s sad to hear words that can fuel prejudice, hurt people & defile memory of their tragedy.”

A representative for Carr has been contacted for comment.

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Jimmy Carr Has Heckler Removed From His Show: ‘Get Him Out Of The F***ing Building’

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Thomas M Jackson via Getty Images

Jimmy Carr performing last year

Jimmy Carr furiously had an audience member thrown out of one of his comedy shows last week, after losing his patience with their constant heckling.

The 8 Out Of 10 Cats host was performing in Dorset on Thursday night as part of his Terribly Funny tour, but reports have claimed he had to repeatedly stop his show to address a member of the audience who was heckling him.

Footage recorded during the set shows that Jimmy eventually called on security to “stop negotiating with him and get him out the fucking building”, with the comedian branding the heckler a “fucking r*****”.

As the audience cheered, he reiterated: “Get him out of the room.”

“I’m so sorry ladies and gentlemen,” Jimmy told the rest of the audience. “It very occasionally happens.”

The audience then joined in the calls for security to “get him out”, with Jimmy continuing: “Honestly, it’ll take a minute. It’s a slightly awkward thing but, like, I’m not willing to put up with it.”

Finding the funny in the situation, Jimmy added from the stage: “You’ve done this to yourself mate. If it’s any consolation, I’ll keep the money. Don’t forget to buy my book!”

Fortunately for Jimmy, the audience stayed on his side, with one guest telling Dorset Live: “It was a bit uncomfortable as the set had lost its rhythm and we were now 20 minutes behind. But Jimmy brought it back round and managed to make it enjoyable.” 

Another agreed: “Jimmy Carr handled it like only Jimmy Carr could, he absolutely ruined the bloke. The rest of the show once he was removed was brilliant.”

Jimmy isn’t the only high-profile British comic who’s had to stop a show to deal with an audience member, though.

Last year, Russell Howard made headlines when he walked off stage after spotting someone in the crowd filming him during a gig where he was trying out new material.

He later admitted he was surprised at how big the story became, but stood by his decision to leave the stage, adding: “You won’t find any kind of artist, or performer, or comedian, or musician that would feel differently.

“Particularly if you’re doing a small gig, and somebody’s recording it, it’s not going to be good for you and it’s not going to be good for the performer.”

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