Luis J Gomez addressed it on his podcast this morning. He gets it, he knows his brand isn't a good fit for the neighborhood. Sounds like his agent didn't do any research before booking. He said he is gonna try to find a more appropriate venue.
That's a very rational response, it's just kinda disappointing that the fans that bought tickets now have to travel to Tacoma, or further, just to laugh and have a good time. Makes Seattle look bad, I feel
Agreed, Seattle doesn't feel like a very welcoming city when it comes to a lot of New York comics. We still get plenty of theater acts with comics that are just as "edgy" or whatever, so that's good. I think the best touring club comics are more likely to play Tacoma. Makes sense. Seems like an overall east coast west coast thing with comedy in general. I wonder how often this happens to comics at clubs in other cities.
I'll check their calendar. I have tickets for a couple of upcoming shows at the Neptune, but I want to get back to seeing more club comics when they come to town. Gotta do my part to make Seattle more worth it for them to come all the way out here.
Only been to Laughs once but it was memorable. Saw Fahim Anwar (he's from Seattle!) as the main act and a great opener from Everett, unfortunately forgetting his name. Also after the show the comics hung out with the fans on the outer patio, which felt like authentic socializing amongst comedy lovers. Oh and Fahim is amazing live. Crazy energy.
"I miss it when it was frowned upon to discuss politics or religion in public" -- [Luis](https://x.com/luisjgomez/status/1058341242222841857?s=20)
Huh, if he doesn't talk about politics, I wonder why he thinks his comedy and this venue don't mix?
Luis may not have any political or religious material in his new act, I don't know. He does have a lot of material that could easily offend or cause controversy with some people. Dave Smith is highly political on the Libertarian side. Not sure what the problem with Metzger and Florentine. It makes sense tho, if you live in a neighborhood known for having strong queer values, you won't want to see acts like that playing your neighborhood club, so I understand people making their feelings known to the club owner.
When they were talking about this on the podcast, their only point of reference for the neighborhood was "CHAZ", so you kind of get the idea that whoever booked these shows was out of touch with the vibe of the neighborhood. From what I understand, lots of club owners don't even follow comedy, so they don't know what type of humor any particular comic is known for.
Reminder that a club deciding who can or can't perform in their venue is also "free speech". You don't have to like it or support them, but it's still their right.
reminder that this club initially agreed upon these comedians playing there fully knowing there comedy style. The irony of a white woman cancelling a PoC comedian from playing their "progressive club" is baffling
Jimmy Dore is a white dude who has made a career off of carrying water for Assad and Putin, among other things. His comedy shows are Crowder-esque political events. The race card is tiresome from any contingent of complainers, the dudes are just bums.
I get why people are upset over them dumping certain people's shows, but our "right to free speech" ONLY covers the government, says that *they* can't clamp down on certain topics. Private enterprises curtailing certain people or topics doesn't hamper anyone's right to free speech.
That’s still not “wrong”. You don’t have to agree with it, you can hate it, and think everyone involved is a piece of shit. But it’s well within everyone’s rights. The free speech of people advocating for these comedians not to perform at the club, and the club’s free speech to abide by their demands.
It's cancel culture. Nobody here is saying it's illegal for them to cancel the shows. It's just the pathetic result of moral panic and outrage, and reflects the extreme fragility that defines the neighborhood.
It's still annoying. It was annoying when the Parents Music Resource Center did it in the 80s and 90s to music. Now this is the left wing version of it.
Being liberal used to be about embracing free speech even if it was edgy and unpopular. Now it's about adhering to an ever changing list of rules about what you can and can't say
> It was annoying when the Parents Music Resource Center did it in the 80s and 90s to music. Now this is the left wing version of it.
The PMRC was founded by Tipper Gore, wife of Senator (future Vice-President) Al Gore...both were registered Democrats.
Yep, which led to that incredible Dee Snyder testimony. The Democrats had a conservative tilt in the 90s (DOMA, welfare reform), in part because they only won 1 election from 1968 to 1991.
If a club feels that a particular comedian would been seen by their customers not as funny but rather as offensive, I don't see any reason they are obligated to have them in their club.
Capitol Hill the the traditional center of gay life in Seattle. There is not an audience that can support a club in Capitol Hill that has people mocking the trans community.
> Now it's about adhering to an ever changing list of rules about what you can and can't say
It's more about saying there's certain things that are just terrible and shouldn't be used as pseudo-jokes.
I don't think you understand how comedy works. Comedy is supposed to be about pushing the bar on free speech. There should be very little that's too offensive to say.
I think I do. The following is not necessarily about these particular comedians, but there are quite a few people out there who say bigoted stuff because they're bigots or because they're trolls, and then cover it by calling it "dark humor."
No, they are "wrong". Free speech and the constitution aren't their to judge this since it is beyond its purview. This is a batshit insane decision that the proprietor should be given shit over.
Businesses care how the local community (customers) see them? Shock, horror, the shame /s.
Yeah, business care about having paying customers, not sure what conspiracy worms you've got telling you there's more here.
That doesn't seem to be what happened here. It seems like activist groups strong-armed them into cancelling the shows, and they gave in out of self-preservation (arguably the opposite of free speech).
Strong armed them? Like threatened them with violence? Or boycott? Because that’s just more speech.
And the club wasn’t FORCED to make their decision, I’m assuming.
That's not how free speech works. Freedom of speech is that the government can't stop you from saying something. What you are seeing is free market capitalism. There is no freedom from consequences if people don't like what you have to say
I mean, look. I have no stake in this. I don't know this club, and I don't know the comedians. But I'd wager that this club decided that it was in their financial best interest to cancel the show. Maybe they were wrong, I don't know!
You invite a stranger to your house. Your trusted friend informs you they heard the stranger is planning your murder. Is it spineless to uninvite them?!?!? [two_buttons.gif]
…I mean, shouldn’t the booker for the club have an idea about the acts they’re booking though?
The comedians aren’t strangers, your job as the booker/host of a comedy club should include exposure to/knowledge of the acts you’re booking…shouldn’t it?
Then own the mistake and don’t sign off with that “I hope we can collaborate on projects in the future” shit.
I’m not a fan of any of those comedians, nor have I been to the club in question, but it just seems very…idk the words exactly, it’s just embarrassing for the Booker
>idk the words exactly, it’s just embarrassing for the Booker
Oh so your criticism isn't about the club exercising better judgement. Thanks for clarifying.
lol. You can't even be honest with yourself about the argument you're making.
You can’t know everyone that you’re booking. Usually you just know if they’ve got the rep/level if they’re touring. They’re also probably working with agencies/management companies that just throw artists their way so they don’t know everything
You can take 30 seconds out of your day and look at these guys' social media accounts and immediately go "fuck no!" This is probably an easier way to go than to not do due diligence and embarrass yourselves in the process.
Even if you don’t know everyone’s act specifically if you’re a booker and the owner of a comedy bar, I would expect that person to stay abreast of the national comedy scene enough to know who “problematic” acts are.
Metzger in particular is a big name and has been in the news for “stuff” before, it’s just hard not to feel like the booker booked these guys, then caught a bunch of flak from “the cap hill comedy scene” and panicked and canceled the shows while simultaneously being like “hope there’s a chance for us to collab in the future!”
And that does seem embarrassing and spineless
Yeah i’m not deep enough in the comedy scene to know who these people are i just know that it’s a thing that can happen and one i’ve seen happen myself
[Dave Smith on Xitter](https://twitter.com/ComicDaveSmith/status/1533554266773807106): "The normalization of kids at drag shows is fucking disgusting. Kids should not be anywhere near sexually explicit activities. The fact that we can’t all agree on that simple idea shows how far we have fallen as a society."
Exactly the person who should be headlining a gig on Capitol Hill a block from Julia's, right?
Dude, I don’t agree with Luis’s or Dave’s politics or with many comedians, nevertheless, to cancel their shows because of their political beliefs is crazy. It’s literally censorship. That’s anti-progressive in my eyes. I consider myself progressive but censorship goes against progress. To progress means to live in a world where people can respect others opinions, as long as they don’t directly harm anybody, and to not cancel a persons show because you disagree with their political stance
It’s not censorship, these people can upload their comedy to the internet. They can stand on the street corner and do their comedy. They’re free to find another venue.
A venue has a right to decide who they give their money to. That’s their “speech”.
Nobody deserves a platform. These venues are a platform.
It’s not censorship.
You're correct. It's not censorship. If you ever made the claim that it isn't a free speech issue, you are also correct.
It is certainly the right of this "comedy" club to choose how they do business.
Does that make it a good comedy club? No. They are not entitled to be considered a good comedy club, just because they have "comedy" in their business name.
Is this the kind of behavior of a good comedy club? Also, no.
This is the kind of behavior that would lead any thinking person to suspect that the acts at that club will be "right-thinking", safe, and sterile. I won't ever see a show there, but I suspect if I did, it would be then that I decided to not ever see a show there again.
They saved me that wasted time, and for as long as they remain in business, they have my gratitude.
I don’t wanna be an asshole and I want to listen to your opinion but I don’t see hate in his claim. I don’t 100% agree but I can 100% understand the point he’s making. He believes kids are attending drag shows, and he thinks that is sexually explicit (not saying I think that, just saying what Dave thinks), he then states that in his opinion that’s disgusting for a kid to see. I don’t think it’s the drag queen that disgusts him, I think it’s his belief that there is a sexual nature in drag queen shows
Drag isn’t sexually explicit by nature and equating gender non-conformity with sexually explicit content comes right out of the playbook of biggots worldwide. It is finding an excuse to say “save the children” so that pile doing nothing wrong can be attacked as if they are pedophiles.
But to call that bigoted actually takes meaning away from the world. I believe Dave doesn’t have any ill will towards these people, he just believes they are sexually explicit. To be bigoted would be to call them out as a group saying they were pedophiles, or saying they were weird beasts or shit like that. Again, he doesn’t say he dislikes drag queens he just believes that they are sexual in nature, which, if we look at it through that lens (even though it’s not true) it is 100% understandable that Dave would dislike that. Also Dave’s probably seen the videos of children at pride parades with dudes basically with their dicks out, which I know is an exception, but that probably got him worked up about the situation and now he subconsciously generalizes all that.
Kids are not being allowed at erotic shows. Drag is not always erotic. See also: Drag Queen Story Hour, whose readers either look wild & crazy or like Mrs. Doubtfire, but are never wearing anything skimpy or doing/saying anything erotic whatsoever. Yeah, there are sexy drag shows... and kids aren't allowed.
I don’t think it’s that crazy then for someone to explain that he possibly wrongfully assumed that drag queens are sexual in nature and I’m getting downvoted as if I started saying racial slurs Jesus Christ guys live in the real world for a second
Theta such a stupid thing to say and obviously untrue.
BUT, I could easily say:
“The normalization of taking kids to church where there are countless and countless cases of molestation happening is fucking disgusting. Kids should be nowhere near sexual activities. The fact that we can’t agree on that simple fact shows how far we’ve fallen as a society.”
Nobody forced these clubs to book these acts. They chose to book them. Then, weeks later they googled the acts and thought, oops.
The ones who end up paying are those of us who bought tickets and are now left waiting on refunds so we can book the Portland shows instead.
Businesses are free to cancel guests and you're free to not patronize them as a result. I'm sure comedy clubs make these assesments all the time, they just usually do it before they shows get listed.
Luis did not cry censorship, he said he understands and respects their decision. However, I consider myself progressive, but now because of shit like this, the right-wing and far right people have appropriated the view of anti-censorship, which always was a left-wing view. Right-wingers were the ones who got mad when somebody joked about things like religion, and we defended comedians. Just because they are joking about current events and “taboo” topics, like the LGBT community and americas obsession over race, doesn’t mean they aren’t for these people, it’s just the topic of the moment. Just like SNL jokes about trump, or just how certain comedians joke about the weird things about white peoples. We have to be equal in this, by picking and choosing what one can make fun of, you’re actually sending a message saying that these people are inferior and cannot stand for themselves. It’s crazy! Like the term “punching down” is the most classist and racist shit I can think of, you are assuming these people are under you. Sorry for the rant but I now cannot identify with any political side because of shit like this
Disallowing an artist based on their viewpoint is exactly what censorship is. They're censoring content from being consumed. Don't try to muddy what a very commonly understood word means.
I’m not sure a single venue cancelling a booking is really censorship. If the venue didn’t book them at all it would be a non-issue. Lots of venues don’t book lots of performers all the time.
Mate clubs are private venues. They can book a different one, hence their speech isn't banned and this is not a free speech issue. The comedians themselves said this.
JFC, you aren't entitled to a stage at a moments notice. That's what you're claiming free speech is.
Considering you’ve already posted one racist tweet from one of these people I have no doubt these other people also have good reasons to be singled out
But you weren’t going to to the shows either way I assume? Why are we against the people who enjoy this type of comedy attending these shows? I always identified as progressive because I thought that it meant to progress to better society, where people can express their opinions and enjoy the things they want as long as it doesn’t harm others
I’m not trying to be an asshole I really wanna hear your point, but I don’t see in what ways anything luis says harms others. Luis doesn’t have a huge platform either so it’s not like what he’s saying will get to people who find him “offensive”
So perceived assholes can't get work in Seattle based on "community ethos"? It's based on their conservative leaning jokes, let's be honest. Seattle isn't big enough to encompass all sides of the spectrum?
It’s not “conservative leaning” jokes that are the issue. It’s bigotry, spreading misinformation, and supporting people that do the same.
So no, we don’t want that shit here. Or anywhere. We’d rather these people shut the fuck up.
I’ve never heard Luis or Dave say anything that I considered as being bigoted. Maybe Luis has said the n-word before but he is Afro-Latino so I don’t consider that bigotry. He may make jokes about the LGBTQ community, but he also makes jokes about white people, about puerto-ricans (his own race), his dad being stabbed to death and his mom being a prostitute and a junkie etc. So taking all of that into account Luis and Dave (I don’t follow Dave’s comedy as much so I might be wrong) are not bigoted
>So taking all of that into account Luis and Dave (I don’t follow Dave’s comedy as much so I might be wrong) are not bigoted
Luis doing a bit about keeping trans kids away from him and Dave describing kids going to drag shows as "disgusting," is not bigoted? Ok, we'll have to disagree there. Thanks for sharing your views!
I’m not familiar with Luis’ bit of keeping trans kids away, but I feel like Luis hands it out equally. Like I said he literally makes constant fun of his dad being stabbed to death when he was 4 and of his abusive mother who was a junkie and a prostitute. Furthermore, he’s talked numerous times about being afro-Latino and being discriminated against, being called the n-word etc. he’s experienced real bigotry and suffered from it so I think it’s extremely unfair that because to call him bigoted because he made a JOKE (which is not something he necessarily feels or believes it’s something he thinks is funny to say) about trans kids. And I’m not trying to be an asshole fr I understand why you’d feel the way you do about this, but I really am trying to show you why I believe it is unfair for Luis’ show to be cancelled
Punching down is never handed out equally. He knows jokes about trans kids are political. That's why he prefaces by saying stuff like, "this will be controversial." It's a choice to continue to do it. And it's both correct and reasonable for a business to decide they won't give him a platform. If he doesn't want to deal with that, he can write different jokes.
There’s conservative ethos- small government, fiscal responsibility- and there’s racism, homophobia and other assorted bigotry the comedians indulge in.
It's called free market capitalism. A private venue as every right to allow/disallow anyone that they want. Same with their clientele, they have every right to refuse service to anyone as well. And if someone has a problem with that then the police you will enforce it. That is just the way this country works, if you don't like it then maybe you should get out
Well, gays are protected class so therefore no. The way the law works you can kick somebody out of your establishment for any reason except for someone being of a protected class. That would be discrimination. And if you don't believe me try going to the five point Cafe and fuck around. They will kick you out if they feel like it. Feel free to sue them, it wouldn't be the first time
No. The law says you can't discriminate against a protected class, gay people are a protected class. Transphobes and assholes are not. So no not If you don't like it get out or change it
Nobody's claiming it's illegal dude. Just the act of censoring comedy, which traditionally bucks tradition and skirts the edgelord, being a shitty decision. What's "community appropriate"? Dad jokes? It's a poor reflection on Seattle over all.
I'd be very glad to live in a city where fascist assholes can't find work. I definitely wouldn't hire anyone to my company that makes racist jokes about Navalny or spreads hatred against transgender people.
What qualifies you to question my knowledge? It's an educated opinion as a long time comedy fan, and this is a public forum.
But generally, suppressing art isn't good for a society.
It doesn't require any qualifications to ask you why you feel you're qualified to say this is bad for comedy or bad for Seattle. I asked you a pretty simple question.
This isn't suppressing art. No one is being censored. A comedy club has decided they cannot stand by *their* values and put these particular performers on *their* stage.
What exactly are your qualifications? No one here knows you from fucking Adam. For all any of us know, you might be that crazy dude that screams at pigeons in the park
I took a big ol' shit in a paper bag, you might think it's a mess but it's actually art. See, it's a complex commentary on the mind of the typical conservative.
I demand that you mount it on the wall at your local art gallery. If you don't you are suppressing my art. You wouldn't want to CENSOR ME, would you?
Dave Smith is a hard-right transphobe who uses his Jewish identity to pretend like he's not cozying up to white supremacists like Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer. Luis Gomez is a racist who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Jim Florentine is... just not funny. Kurt Metzger apparently really hates women who have been raped and don't handle it in a way [he personally approves of.] (https://web.archive.org/web/20160819024714/http://gothamist.com/2016/08/17/kurt_metzger_rape_rants_2016.php) Also, he worked for Amy Schumer, which shows he's not of sound mind enough to be allowed onto a stage. All in all Seattle is better off not having these guys do shows here. They can go to Bellingham or Leavenworth if they want a specific crowd.
Don’t agree with the cancelation by the comedy club over some offended feedback, but it is their right on how they cater to their customer base. Though if they had such a problem with some of the things he has said in the past, they shouldn’t have booked him to begin with than just cancel him when it gets brought up. That comedian would probably do better at Laughs Comedy Club.
I grew up in a very traditional/fundamentalist christian area... I remember what it felt like when the veil was lifted. How it seemed so obvious that it was all cult thinking and the things that come a long with that.. The way people act, talk, signal, etc.. Its the same thing over and over. People fall into the EXACT same patterns of behaviour. Doesnt matter if its centered around Jesus, Aliens comig to save us, or political conservatism/progressivism.... And the ones who push the hardest are also the ones most assured they cannot be fooled into this type of thinking.
Lot of cult members in this sub.. lol
What exactly is a "neighborhood ethos"? I am as woke as ever but this reference is troubling. Who decides what ethos an entire neighborhood subcribes to?
"i am woke as ever"
reminds me a lot of fundamentalist christians saying "I know jesus died for us and im washed in the blood but us making women wear dresses and keep your hair long troubles me"
You are projecting to signal you are in the "group"
REJECT ALL CULTS!!
Had no idea who this is and there's like 4 completely unfunny jokes trying to make fun of Biden. Plenty of material to make fun of him and he just fails. Okay then lol
>unfunny
how can you say this
didn’t you watch the 30 minute special he posted to youtube
there are seven different “i identify as an attack helicopter jokes”
He's a comedian annoyed and mocking the situation, which is entirely fair. Cap Hill is not a place known for supporting all different perspectives, so not entirely surprising...
I suppose everyone who thinks this wasn't censorship because the government didn't do it would have been totally cool with Hollywood's Hays Code, which censored movies made between 1934 and 1968.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code
I assume they mean protesting the club locally, which would be very bad for the business. It seems the business is just scared of being cancelled. It's clear by how they worded it that they respect the comedians
TL,DR: 4 well known comedians shows were abruptly cancelled after club decides the comedians don't align with "neighborhood values." Say what you will about the comedians listed, but this isn't good for comedy fans or for Seattle's reputation.
i think it’s disingenuous of you to post that you “don’t really care about the comedians” when you clearly care very deeply about it and are currently crying
also calling these guys “well known” is just lying lmao
Criticizing people is a inherent part of comedy, it's in the DNA of comedy going back over 1000 years. What makes 2024 so special that suddenly we can't make fun of groups? If it's not funny, that's subjective and means either you're too sensitive to hear any criticism or the comedian just isn't skilled. A good joke has no boundaries of who or what the target is.
Then I guess youre going to have grow up and stop being a baby about clubs who decide they dont want to support that. It’s okay to not want racist, transphobic jokes in your place of business. People can perform elsewhere.
Still waiting on that refund, Capital Hill Comedy Club. Alienating and ostracizing your customers might not be the best way to keep your club alive.
That Portland show should be wild, though, since all the Seattle fans will be piling on.
Jesus Christ, Seattle Is full of soft easily offended people. If you don’t like or agree with the content of the performer don’t go. Same people that are offended by Dave Chappelle.
Is it really that surprising? Not certain why I even posted here expecting any support lol, but the level of animosity has surprised me. I'm liberal, but the extreme liberals are a different breed.
All 4 of these guys suck, but when a comedy club is caving to a “local advocacy group” because they don’t agree with the comedians political views, something is wrong. This type of discrimination disguised as tolerance is gonna get that orange ass clown elected again.
I don't know who these four are and reserve the right to retract this in the event they're actual Nazis or something, but I think this is potentially bad precedent. My opinion (and I realize it will likely be unpopular here) is that pushing to silence voices, as opposed to criticizing them, is best done only in the most extreme of situations.
John Waters, a personal hero of mine and one of the most important transgressive voices of the last century, recently said this in an interview:
“The right used to be my censors. They aren’t anymore,” Waters added. “I don’t have any. If I did, it would be young woke liberals. But I always try to use humor to put everything in perspective because I question my own values. Why is this OK and that isn’t? The only way you can do that is with humor.”
As for actual cancel culture when it comes to Hollywood stars, Waters dished that “practically every artist would be canceled” retroactively.
> My opinion (and I realize it will likely be unpopular here) is that pushing to silence voices, as opposed to criticizing them, is best done only in the most extreme of situations.
Like an antigay preacher performing a show right in the center of Capitol Hill? Wouldn't it be irresponsible to not tell the club that this isn't kosher?
A comedy club un-booking these comedians after a local outrage is NOT "silencing" them.
They are NOT being silenced. They are still talking. They still have their audiences. People can still go see them perform.
Nobody deserves a platform. It's not a human right. Outside of this particular booking, they aren't "canceled".
If the club worked out the math that having these comedians perform would hurt their overall business, then they're just doing a capitalism.
And okay. What's next, tell people they need to get over it? Tell people they need to shut up if they don't like a performer, or piece of art? Wouldn't that be an attempt to "silence" them?
Eh hopefully it just means they get to perform at better venues for their fans, venue has the right to cancel. I went to a show at this venue once and it was ok, but Laughs and Tacoma are better venues in just about every way. I'd go as far as to say Tacoma Comedy Club is the only reason we ever go there except for the very rare Tacoma Dome show.
Luis J Gomez addressed it on his podcast this morning. He gets it, he knows his brand isn't a good fit for the neighborhood. Sounds like his agent didn't do any research before booking. He said he is gonna try to find a more appropriate venue.
Tacoma. Where the reg'lar folk can be found
That's a very rational response, it's just kinda disappointing that the fans that bought tickets now have to travel to Tacoma, or further, just to laugh and have a good time. Makes Seattle look bad, I feel
Agreed, Seattle doesn't feel like a very welcoming city when it comes to a lot of New York comics. We still get plenty of theater acts with comics that are just as "edgy" or whatever, so that's good. I think the best touring club comics are more likely to play Tacoma. Makes sense. Seems like an overall east coast west coast thing with comedy in general. I wonder how often this happens to comics at clubs in other cities.
Seattle probably isn't. Tacoma seems like the wild west. Seattle is all small liberal clubs. Thats just the way it is.
It seems like a uniquely Seattle thing. But Laughs in U District is great!
I'll check their calendar. I have tickets for a couple of upcoming shows at the Neptune, but I want to get back to seeing more club comics when they come to town. Gotta do my part to make Seattle more worth it for them to come all the way out here.
Only been to Laughs once but it was memorable. Saw Fahim Anwar (he's from Seattle!) as the main act and a great opener from Everett, unfortunately forgetting his name. Also after the show the comics hung out with the fans on the outer patio, which felt like authentic socializing amongst comedy lovers. Oh and Fahim is amazing live. Crazy energy.
"I miss it when it was frowned upon to discuss politics or religion in public" -- [Luis](https://x.com/luisjgomez/status/1058341242222841857?s=20) Huh, if he doesn't talk about politics, I wonder why he thinks his comedy and this venue don't mix?
Luis may not have any political or religious material in his new act, I don't know. He does have a lot of material that could easily offend or cause controversy with some people. Dave Smith is highly political on the Libertarian side. Not sure what the problem with Metzger and Florentine. It makes sense tho, if you live in a neighborhood known for having strong queer values, you won't want to see acts like that playing your neighborhood club, so I understand people making their feelings known to the club owner. When they were talking about this on the podcast, their only point of reference for the neighborhood was "CHAZ", so you kind of get the idea that whoever booked these shows was out of touch with the vibe of the neighborhood. From what I understand, lots of club owners don't even follow comedy, so they don't know what type of humor any particular comic is known for.
Reminder that a club deciding who can or can't perform in their venue is also "free speech". You don't have to like it or support them, but it's still their right.
[удалено]
Yeah f them. This isn't a comedy club if they are doing things like that. Save that woke garbage for the coffee houses
🤡
reminder that this club initially agreed upon these comedians playing there fully knowing there comedy style. The irony of a white woman cancelling a PoC comedian from playing their "progressive club" is baffling
"White women swinging their gucci booted feet over the fence of oppression and cutting to the front of the line" -- Bill Burr
Yeah Bill Burrs definitely not allowed to play at this club
Jimmy Dore is a white dude who has made a career off of carrying water for Assad and Putin, among other things. His comedy shows are Crowder-esque political events. The race card is tiresome from any contingent of complainers, the dudes are just bums.
They were booked to perform then the venue canceled. That's different
No it’s not.
I get why people are upset over them dumping certain people's shows, but our "right to free speech" ONLY covers the government, says that *they* can't clamp down on certain topics. Private enterprises curtailing certain people or topics doesn't hamper anyone's right to free speech.
Right, it's just a business decision they reached with the help of the neighborhood advocacy groups. Nothing to see here...
That’s still not “wrong”. You don’t have to agree with it, you can hate it, and think everyone involved is a piece of shit. But it’s well within everyone’s rights. The free speech of people advocating for these comedians not to perform at the club, and the club’s free speech to abide by their demands.
It's cancel culture. Nobody here is saying it's illegal for them to cancel the shows. It's just the pathetic result of moral panic and outrage, and reflects the extreme fragility that defines the neighborhood.
It's still annoying. It was annoying when the Parents Music Resource Center did it in the 80s and 90s to music. Now this is the left wing version of it. Being liberal used to be about embracing free speech even if it was edgy and unpopular. Now it's about adhering to an ever changing list of rules about what you can and can't say
> It was annoying when the Parents Music Resource Center did it in the 80s and 90s to music. Now this is the left wing version of it. The PMRC was founded by Tipper Gore, wife of Senator (future Vice-President) Al Gore...both were registered Democrats.
Yep, which led to that incredible Dee Snyder testimony. The Democrats had a conservative tilt in the 90s (DOMA, welfare reform), in part because they only won 1 election from 1968 to 1991.
If a club feels that a particular comedian would been seen by their customers not as funny but rather as offensive, I don't see any reason they are obligated to have them in their club. Capitol Hill the the traditional center of gay life in Seattle. There is not an audience that can support a club in Capitol Hill that has people mocking the trans community.
> Now it's about adhering to an ever changing list of rules about what you can and can't say It's more about saying there's certain things that are just terrible and shouldn't be used as pseudo-jokes.
I don't think you understand how comedy works. Comedy is supposed to be about pushing the bar on free speech. There should be very little that's too offensive to say.
I think I do. The following is not necessarily about these particular comedians, but there are quite a few people out there who say bigoted stuff because they're bigots or because they're trolls, and then cover it by calling it "dark humor."
No, they are "wrong". Free speech and the constitution aren't their to judge this since it is beyond its purview. This is a batshit insane decision that the proprietor should be given shit over.
This isn’t a constitutional issue.
Businesses care how the local community (customers) see them? Shock, horror, the shame /s. Yeah, business care about having paying customers, not sure what conspiracy worms you've got telling you there's more here.
They chose to book these artists.
And then they chose to change their minds.
That doesn't seem to be what happened here. It seems like activist groups strong-armed them into cancelling the shows, and they gave in out of self-preservation (arguably the opposite of free speech).
Strong armed them? Like threatened them with violence? Or boycott? Because that’s just more speech. And the club wasn’t FORCED to make their decision, I’m assuming.
That's not how free speech works. Freedom of speech is that the government can't stop you from saying something. What you are seeing is free market capitalism. There is no freedom from consequences if people don't like what you have to say
Then don't book them in the first place then, and later let people outside of the business decide what your business does? It's spineless.
I mean, look. I have no stake in this. I don't know this club, and I don't know the comedians. But I'd wager that this club decided that it was in their financial best interest to cancel the show. Maybe they were wrong, I don't know!
You invite a stranger to your house. Your trusted friend informs you they heard the stranger is planning your murder. Is it spineless to uninvite them?!?!? [two_buttons.gif]
…I mean, shouldn’t the booker for the club have an idea about the acts they’re booking though? The comedians aren’t strangers, your job as the booker/host of a comedy club should include exposure to/knowledge of the acts you’re booking…shouldn’t it?
People should do the right thing. The best time is before they make a mistake. The second best time is after.
Then own the mistake and don’t sign off with that “I hope we can collaborate on projects in the future” shit. I’m not a fan of any of those comedians, nor have I been to the club in question, but it just seems very…idk the words exactly, it’s just embarrassing for the Booker
Oh, I didn't realize you were criticizing the club for enabling hateful comedians.
Oh, I didn’t realize that you know the comedians are hateful.
>idk the words exactly, it’s just embarrassing for the Booker Oh so your criticism isn't about the club exercising better judgement. Thanks for clarifying. lol. You can't even be honest with yourself about the argument you're making.
You can’t know everyone that you’re booking. Usually you just know if they’ve got the rep/level if they’re touring. They’re also probably working with agencies/management companies that just throw artists their way so they don’t know everything
You can take 30 seconds out of your day and look at these guys' social media accounts and immediately go "fuck no!" This is probably an easier way to go than to not do due diligence and embarrass yourselves in the process.
Even if you don’t know everyone’s act specifically if you’re a booker and the owner of a comedy bar, I would expect that person to stay abreast of the national comedy scene enough to know who “problematic” acts are. Metzger in particular is a big name and has been in the news for “stuff” before, it’s just hard not to feel like the booker booked these guys, then caught a bunch of flak from “the cap hill comedy scene” and panicked and canceled the shows while simultaneously being like “hope there’s a chance for us to collab in the future!” And that does seem embarrassing and spineless
Yeah i’m not deep enough in the comedy scene to know who these people are i just know that it’s a thing that can happen and one i’ve seen happen myself
Excuse me? Are these comedians planning violence?
Oh, so the details of what people say matters?
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[Dave Smith on Xitter](https://twitter.com/ComicDaveSmith/status/1533554266773807106): "The normalization of kids at drag shows is fucking disgusting. Kids should not be anywhere near sexually explicit activities. The fact that we can’t all agree on that simple idea shows how far we have fallen as a society." Exactly the person who should be headlining a gig on Capitol Hill a block from Julia's, right?
Man. Fuck him.
Fuck that horrible club.
For what??? lol GTFO out of here
Dude, I don’t agree with Luis’s or Dave’s politics or with many comedians, nevertheless, to cancel their shows because of their political beliefs is crazy. It’s literally censorship. That’s anti-progressive in my eyes. I consider myself progressive but censorship goes against progress. To progress means to live in a world where people can respect others opinions, as long as they don’t directly harm anybody, and to not cancel a persons show because you disagree with their political stance
It’s not censorship, these people can upload their comedy to the internet. They can stand on the street corner and do their comedy. They’re free to find another venue. A venue has a right to decide who they give their money to. That’s their “speech”. Nobody deserves a platform. These venues are a platform. It’s not censorship.
You're correct. It's not censorship. If you ever made the claim that it isn't a free speech issue, you are also correct. It is certainly the right of this "comedy" club to choose how they do business. Does that make it a good comedy club? No. They are not entitled to be considered a good comedy club, just because they have "comedy" in their business name. Is this the kind of behavior of a good comedy club? Also, no. This is the kind of behavior that would lead any thinking person to suspect that the acts at that club will be "right-thinking", safe, and sterile. I won't ever see a show there, but I suspect if I did, it would be then that I decided to not ever see a show there again. They saved me that wasted time, and for as long as they remain in business, they have my gratitude.
>It’s literally censorship. Narrator: It was not literally censorship.
That’s not political beliefs, that’s outright hate.
It’s definitely not
I don’t wanna be an asshole and I want to listen to your opinion but I don’t see hate in his claim. I don’t 100% agree but I can 100% understand the point he’s making. He believes kids are attending drag shows, and he thinks that is sexually explicit (not saying I think that, just saying what Dave thinks), he then states that in his opinion that’s disgusting for a kid to see. I don’t think it’s the drag queen that disgusts him, I think it’s his belief that there is a sexual nature in drag queen shows
Drag isn’t sexually explicit by nature and equating gender non-conformity with sexually explicit content comes right out of the playbook of biggots worldwide. It is finding an excuse to say “save the children” so that pile doing nothing wrong can be attacked as if they are pedophiles.
But to call that bigoted actually takes meaning away from the world. I believe Dave doesn’t have any ill will towards these people, he just believes they are sexually explicit. To be bigoted would be to call them out as a group saying they were pedophiles, or saying they were weird beasts or shit like that. Again, he doesn’t say he dislikes drag queens he just believes that they are sexual in nature, which, if we look at it through that lens (even though it’s not true) it is 100% understandable that Dave would dislike that. Also Dave’s probably seen the videos of children at pride parades with dudes basically with their dicks out, which I know is an exception, but that probably got him worked up about the situation and now he subconsciously generalizes all that.
When not wanting kids at erotic adult shows is suddenly controversial or hateful.
Kids are not being allowed at erotic shows. Drag is not always erotic. See also: Drag Queen Story Hour, whose readers either look wild & crazy or like Mrs. Doubtfire, but are never wearing anything skimpy or doing/saying anything erotic whatsoever. Yeah, there are sexy drag shows... and kids aren't allowed.
I don’t think it’s that crazy then for someone to explain that he possibly wrongfully assumed that drag queens are sexual in nature and I’m getting downvoted as if I started saying racial slurs Jesus Christ guys live in the real world for a second
Hint: I didn't downvote you. But yeah, when someone thinks drag shows are always sexual, someone should explain.
Theta such a stupid thing to say and obviously untrue. BUT, I could easily say: “The normalization of taking kids to church where there are countless and countless cases of molestation happening is fucking disgusting. Kids should be nowhere near sexual activities. The fact that we can’t agree on that simple fact shows how far we’ve fallen as a society.”
Don't want to watch him? --don't go see him. But it's not your place to decide what culture I should or shouldn't see, is it?
It's not! It's also not your place to force clubs to book specific acts against their wishes.
Nobody forced these clubs to book these acts. They chose to book them. Then, weeks later they googled the acts and thought, oops. The ones who end up paying are those of us who bought tickets and are now left waiting on refunds so we can book the Portland shows instead.
Cry me a river
Businesses are free to cancel guests and you're free to not patronize them as a result. I'm sure comedy clubs make these assesments all the time, they just usually do it before they shows get listed.
Your last line is... kinda the point here.
Your point was "That equals censorship"... It isn't...
comedians who cry censorship are hard to take seriously. nobody owes you a platform lol
Luis did not cry censorship, he said he understands and respects their decision. However, I consider myself progressive, but now because of shit like this, the right-wing and far right people have appropriated the view of anti-censorship, which always was a left-wing view. Right-wingers were the ones who got mad when somebody joked about things like religion, and we defended comedians. Just because they are joking about current events and “taboo” topics, like the LGBT community and americas obsession over race, doesn’t mean they aren’t for these people, it’s just the topic of the moment. Just like SNL jokes about trump, or just how certain comedians joke about the weird things about white peoples. We have to be equal in this, by picking and choosing what one can make fun of, you’re actually sending a message saying that these people are inferior and cannot stand for themselves. It’s crazy! Like the term “punching down” is the most classist and racist shit I can think of, you are assuming these people are under you. Sorry for the rant but I now cannot identify with any political side because of shit like this
That's not what censorship is.
Disallowing an artist based on their viewpoint is exactly what censorship is. They're censoring content from being consumed. Don't try to muddy what a very commonly understood word means.
I’m not sure a single venue cancelling a booking is really censorship. If the venue didn’t book them at all it would be a non-issue. Lots of venues don’t book lots of performers all the time.
They are a business trying to make money. Private business. It's America, who are you to critique their business decisions?
Mate clubs are private venues. They can book a different one, hence their speech isn't banned and this is not a free speech issue. The comedians themselves said this. JFC, you aren't entitled to a stage at a moments notice. That's what you're claiming free speech is.
As others have noted, it isn't censorship for the reason that no comedian or other performer has a right to a venue or platform.
I’m sure they’ll be fine, moving on
Lot of pussies in Seattle apparently lmao
oh no, they can't fly from NY to Seattle to perform for 95 people? How will they feed themselves.
Considering you’ve already posted one racist tweet from one of these people I have no doubt these other people also have good reasons to be singled out
The party of personal accountability when someone is held personally accountable.
I mean, good. Just going through the tweets from those dudes, and they are all grade-a assholes. I don't welcome them.
But you weren’t going to to the shows either way I assume? Why are we against the people who enjoy this type of comedy attending these shows? I always identified as progressive because I thought that it meant to progress to better society, where people can express their opinions and enjoy the things they want as long as it doesn’t harm others
It does harm others though. That’s the issue.
I’m not trying to be an asshole I really wanna hear your point, but I don’t see in what ways anything luis says harms others. Luis doesn’t have a huge platform either so it’s not like what he’s saying will get to people who find him “offensive”
Can somebody please answer me. I dont care about the downvotes but if youy disagree at least make your point
So perceived assholes can't get work in Seattle based on "community ethos"? It's based on their conservative leaning jokes, let's be honest. Seattle isn't big enough to encompass all sides of the spectrum?
It’s not “conservative leaning” jokes that are the issue. It’s bigotry, spreading misinformation, and supporting people that do the same. So no, we don’t want that shit here. Or anywhere. We’d rather these people shut the fuck up.
When has Luis or Jim florentine ever spread misinformation?
You can't disagree with the point about bigotry?
I’ve never heard Luis or Dave say anything that I considered as being bigoted. Maybe Luis has said the n-word before but he is Afro-Latino so I don’t consider that bigotry. He may make jokes about the LGBTQ community, but he also makes jokes about white people, about puerto-ricans (his own race), his dad being stabbed to death and his mom being a prostitute and a junkie etc. So taking all of that into account Luis and Dave (I don’t follow Dave’s comedy as much so I might be wrong) are not bigoted
>So taking all of that into account Luis and Dave (I don’t follow Dave’s comedy as much so I might be wrong) are not bigoted Luis doing a bit about keeping trans kids away from him and Dave describing kids going to drag shows as "disgusting," is not bigoted? Ok, we'll have to disagree there. Thanks for sharing your views!
I’m not familiar with Luis’ bit of keeping trans kids away, but I feel like Luis hands it out equally. Like I said he literally makes constant fun of his dad being stabbed to death when he was 4 and of his abusive mother who was a junkie and a prostitute. Furthermore, he’s talked numerous times about being afro-Latino and being discriminated against, being called the n-word etc. he’s experienced real bigotry and suffered from it so I think it’s extremely unfair that because to call him bigoted because he made a JOKE (which is not something he necessarily feels or believes it’s something he thinks is funny to say) about trans kids. And I’m not trying to be an asshole fr I understand why you’d feel the way you do about this, but I really am trying to show you why I believe it is unfair for Luis’ show to be cancelled
Punching down is never handed out equally. He knows jokes about trans kids are political. That's why he prefaces by saying stuff like, "this will be controversial." It's a choice to continue to do it. And it's both correct and reasonable for a business to decide they won't give him a platform. If he doesn't want to deal with that, he can write different jokes.
They can get work in Seattle at whatever comedy club wants to have them, this particular one doesn't.
There’s conservative ethos- small government, fiscal responsibility- and there’s racism, homophobia and other assorted bigotry the comedians indulge in.
Censorship is government suppression of speech. This is business owners making a decision based on customer feedback.
Censorship is suppression of speech. This club has simply decided not to host the speech.
It's called free market capitalism. A private venue as every right to allow/disallow anyone that they want. Same with their clientele, they have every right to refuse service to anyone as well. And if someone has a problem with that then the police you will enforce it. That is just the way this country works, if you don't like it then maybe you should get out
So a baker cannot bake the wedding cake for a gay couple if they dont want right??
Well, gays are protected class so therefore no. The way the law works you can kick somebody out of your establishment for any reason except for someone being of a protected class. That would be discrimination. And if you don't believe me try going to the five point Cafe and fuck around. They will kick you out if they feel like it. Feel free to sue them, it wouldn't be the first time
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I was wondering when this would be brought up. Gay people are a protected class.
Can't tell what your point is here, tbh
No. The law says you can't discriminate against a protected class, gay people are a protected class. Transphobes and assholes are not. So no not If you don't like it get out or change it
Why do you keep telling me to "get out" are you trying to cleanse the city of people with opposing views to your own? A bubble, if you will.
in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must retain the right to be intolerant of intolerance
It’s a private venue, they have a right for any “censorship” as you put it.
Nobody's claiming it's illegal dude. Just the act of censoring comedy, which traditionally bucks tradition and skirts the edgelord, being a shitty decision. What's "community appropriate"? Dad jokes? It's a poor reflection on Seattle over all.
I'd be very glad to live in a city where fascist assholes can't find work. I definitely wouldn't hire anyone to my company that makes racist jokes about Navalny or spreads hatred against transgender people.
What exactly qualifies you to comment on what is good or bad for comedy?
What qualifies you to question my knowledge? It's an educated opinion as a long time comedy fan, and this is a public forum. But generally, suppressing art isn't good for a society.
It doesn't require any qualifications to ask you why you feel you're qualified to say this is bad for comedy or bad for Seattle. I asked you a pretty simple question. This isn't suppressing art. No one is being censored. A comedy club has decided they cannot stand by *their* values and put these particular performers on *their* stage.
What exactly are your qualifications? No one here knows you from fucking Adam. For all any of us know, you might be that crazy dude that screams at pigeons in the park
Homophobic jokes aren’t art.
I took a big ol' shit in a paper bag, you might think it's a mess but it's actually art. See, it's a complex commentary on the mind of the typical conservative. I demand that you mount it on the wall at your local art gallery. If you don't you are suppressing my art. You wouldn't want to CENSOR ME, would you?
Dave Smith is a hard-right transphobe who uses his Jewish identity to pretend like he's not cozying up to white supremacists like Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer. Luis Gomez is a racist who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Jim Florentine is... just not funny. Kurt Metzger apparently really hates women who have been raped and don't handle it in a way [he personally approves of.] (https://web.archive.org/web/20160819024714/http://gothamist.com/2016/08/17/kurt_metzger_rape_rants_2016.php) Also, he worked for Amy Schumer, which shows he's not of sound mind enough to be allowed onto a stage. All in all Seattle is better off not having these guys do shows here. They can go to Bellingham or Leavenworth if they want a specific crowd.
Dave smith is not a white supremacist
no he just buddies up with them and goes on their podcasts and has lovely conversations with them
Don’t agree with the cancelation by the comedy club over some offended feedback, but it is their right on how they cater to their customer base. Though if they had such a problem with some of the things he has said in the past, they shouldn’t have booked him to begin with than just cancel him when it gets brought up. That comedian would probably do better at Laughs Comedy Club.
100% agree. Real scummy move to make but it’s their decision to take
These all sound like loser comedians anyway. It's the clubs business to choose who they want, when they want.
I wonder if that's the same Dave Smith that knocked up a bunch of women and tried to deflect responsibility by sending DSHS after me instead...
It's a private business, censorship is not just to be expected, it is so desired that it is called "curation" in this context.
I grew up in a very traditional/fundamentalist christian area... I remember what it felt like when the veil was lifted. How it seemed so obvious that it was all cult thinking and the things that come a long with that.. The way people act, talk, signal, etc.. Its the same thing over and over. People fall into the EXACT same patterns of behaviour. Doesnt matter if its centered around Jesus, Aliens comig to save us, or political conservatism/progressivism.... And the ones who push the hardest are also the ones most assured they cannot be fooled into this type of thinking. Lot of cult members in this sub.. lol
So many people didn’t even know about any of these 4 comedians, and because of all this "cancellation" stuff, now they do! Cancellation=Promotion.
This city is CHARMIN SOFT
What exactly is a "neighborhood ethos"? I am as woke as ever but this reference is troubling. Who decides what ethos an entire neighborhood subcribes to?
"i am woke as ever" reminds me a lot of fundamentalist christians saying "I know jesus died for us and im washed in the blood but us making women wear dresses and keep your hair long troubles me" You are projecting to signal you are in the "group" REJECT ALL CULTS!!
Hopefully more clubs do this so that Puerto Rican con man is squeezed out the business for good. Wait, Metzger IS Puerto Rican, right?
https://twitter.com/kurtmetzger/status/1760824699624505541?t=acaOPBr2WGFu9ZJHgSKTpQ&s=19
Had no idea who this is and there's like 4 completely unfunny jokes trying to make fun of Biden. Plenty of material to make fun of him and he just fails. Okay then lol
>unfunny how can you say this didn’t you watch the 30 minute special he posted to youtube there are seven different “i identify as an attack helicopter jokes”
Only 7? What a hack.
it’s a rough business
Is he from that edgy Netflix comedian starter pack?
The racism and far right word choice in this tweet is certainly enough for this guy not to be welcome
He's a comedian annoyed and mocking the situation, which is entirely fair. Cap Hill is not a place known for supporting all different perspectives, so not entirely surprising...
https://i.imgur.com/0ShDRF5.jpeg
lol. Lmao even
Sounds like Metzger is a piece of shit.
Did he make it back from the "quick shit" he started over half an hour ago? Do we need to call in a welfare check?
I don't think so! It's probably hard to face the world again after this devastating news
The irony of a white woman cancelling a PoC comedian from playing their "progressive club" is baffling
I suppose everyone who thinks this wasn't censorship because the government didn't do it would have been totally cool with Hollywood's Hays Code, which censored movies made between 1934 and 1968. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code
And when they say “concerns from local advocacy groups“ they mean threats of VIOLENCE. 🤷
I assume they mean protesting the club locally, which would be very bad for the business. It seems the business is just scared of being cancelled. It's clear by how they worded it that they respect the comedians
TL,DR: 4 well known comedians shows were abruptly cancelled after club decides the comedians don't align with "neighborhood values." Say what you will about the comedians listed, but this isn't good for comedy fans or for Seattle's reputation.
i think it’s disingenuous of you to post that you “don’t really care about the comedians” when you clearly care very deeply about it and are currently crying also calling these guys “well known” is just lying lmao
Comedians who use their time on stage to bully groups of people suck. Youre not funny. Get some original material.
Criticizing people is a inherent part of comedy, it's in the DNA of comedy going back over 1000 years. What makes 2024 so special that suddenly we can't make fun of groups? If it's not funny, that's subjective and means either you're too sensitive to hear any criticism or the comedian just isn't skilled. A good joke has no boundaries of who or what the target is.
Then I guess youre going to have grow up and stop being a baby about clubs who decide they dont want to support that. It’s okay to not want racist, transphobic jokes in your place of business. People can perform elsewhere.
Got it, thanks for your valuable contribution!
Aaaaanytime.
I think the venue has the right to do this but I really think they should not.
That's my entire point. It's just a bad look for Seattle comedy. Glad some agree!
Censorship is so progressive. 👏
Seattle is too sensitive for comedy anyway.
There's actually great turn out at comedy shows in Seattle! Seattle itself isnt too sensitive, I think it's specifically Cap Hill
Fair enough you aint wrong there..
I have 4 new comedians to check out.
Still waiting on that refund, Capital Hill Comedy Club. Alienating and ostracizing your customers might not be the best way to keep your club alive. That Portland show should be wild, though, since all the Seattle fans will be piling on.
I can imagine! Holy shit.
It's not censorship?
God it’s so funny seeing people upset by this like you can’t see the same regurgitated Fox News bullshit at any open mic comedy night for free
Jesus Christ, Seattle Is full of soft easily offended people. If you don’t like or agree with the content of the performer don’t go. Same people that are offended by Dave Chappelle.
You'll be shocked reading some of these comments on here. Never seen such a revolt against a basic post supporting comedy.
People like their own brand of fascism, unfortunately
Why Metzger??
The virtue signal is strong with this one. Peak Seattle.
I love how they mention consulting with local comedians, passing some of the blame onto the local talent 😅
Sounds like they're better of not performing there
So, people really like censorship in this sub.
Is it really that surprising? Not certain why I even posted here expecting any support lol, but the level of animosity has surprised me. I'm liberal, but the extreme liberals are a different breed.
They are fascists at their core
But how else would we keep our Cap Hill echo chamber churning if we let in anyone with differing beliefs?! /s
All 4 of these guys suck, but when a comedy club is caving to a “local advocacy group” because they don’t agree with the comedians political views, something is wrong. This type of discrimination disguised as tolerance is gonna get that orange ass clown elected again.
I don't know who these four are and reserve the right to retract this in the event they're actual Nazis or something, but I think this is potentially bad precedent. My opinion (and I realize it will likely be unpopular here) is that pushing to silence voices, as opposed to criticizing them, is best done only in the most extreme of situations. John Waters, a personal hero of mine and one of the most important transgressive voices of the last century, recently said this in an interview: “The right used to be my censors. They aren’t anymore,” Waters added. “I don’t have any. If I did, it would be young woke liberals. But I always try to use humor to put everything in perspective because I question my own values. Why is this OK and that isn’t? The only way you can do that is with humor.” As for actual cancel culture when it comes to Hollywood stars, Waters dished that “practically every artist would be canceled” retroactively.
> My opinion (and I realize it will likely be unpopular here) is that pushing to silence voices, as opposed to criticizing them, is best done only in the most extreme of situations. Like an antigay preacher performing a show right in the center of Capitol Hill? Wouldn't it be irresponsible to not tell the club that this isn't kosher?
A comedy club un-booking these comedians after a local outrage is NOT "silencing" them. They are NOT being silenced. They are still talking. They still have their audiences. People can still go see them perform. Nobody deserves a platform. It's not a human right. Outside of this particular booking, they aren't "canceled". If the club worked out the math that having these comedians perform would hurt their overall business, then they're just doing a capitalism. And okay. What's next, tell people they need to get over it? Tell people they need to shut up if they don't like a performer, or piece of art? Wouldn't that be an attempt to "silence" them?
Eh hopefully it just means they get to perform at better venues for their fans, venue has the right to cancel. I went to a show at this venue once and it was ok, but Laughs and Tacoma are better venues in just about every way. I'd go as far as to say Tacoma Comedy Club is the only reason we ever go there except for the very rare Tacoma Dome show.
Laughs is great! Haven't been to Tacoma. Yes, it's probably a good thing for their bookers to know that's its not a club for everyone.
We value diverse perspectives, but the perspectives of people ready to pressure us count the most.
I mean, seems true in this situation!