Comics under fire as ‘Holocaust gag’ row hits fringe festival
Yesterday, one of the comics involved hit back at the claims. Australian funnyman Steve Hughes was criticised by Jamie Glassman, one of the writers behind Da Ali G Show.
But Mr Hughes insisted the Jewish writer had taken his joke out of context and branded his claims “ridiculous and obscene”.
Mr Glassman attacked Mr Hughes and another comedian, Reginald D Hunter, in an article in The Times newspaper.
He said: “I’ve seen two comics so far who have been happy to amuse their crowds with Holocaust gags.”
He claimed Mr Hughes suggested children should be taught to play Nazis and Jews instead of cowboys and Indians — prompting one member of the audience to shout “Throw them in the oven”.
Mr Hughes said: “Anyone who has seen my show, Storm, will realise that it is ridiculous and obscene to suggest that I would incite a crowd to play Nazis and Jews.
“This joke has been taken out of context, and has been totally misquoted.
“The actual joke is this — ‘I grew up playing cowboys and Indians — which as an adult I can see is very strange — that you market the genocide of an indigenous people as a game for kids. Australians are far from perfect — I’ve never played cops and Aboriginals, and you WOULDN’T play Nazis and Jews!”’
He said: “The whole message of the show is how the obscenity of war affects every human being on earth.”
He also said any hecklers in the crowd did not necessarily reflect his own beliefs, adding he had not heard someone shout “Throw them in the oven”.
“If I had, I would have stamped on it immediately,” Mr Hughes insisted.
In his article, Mr Glassman said the question of what material would be acceptable for a comedian was a complex one.
He added: “Comedians should certainly be allowed to say anything about anything. In fact it is their role and duty to be breaking taboos where they need to be broken.
“But comics do have an obligation to think about whom they might be offending with their material and whether or not those who say they are offended are right to be.”
He also criticised Mr Hunter, saying he told his audience he wanted to go to Austria, where it is illegal to deny the Holocaust, and say it did not happen so he could be arrested.
Mr Glassman said the comic went on to say he would tell the judge he was talking about the holocaust in Rwanda rather than the killings by the Nazis.
However Mr Hunter’s publicist, Paul Sullivan, insisted his client’s comments, made in his show Pride and Prejudice and Niggas, were not anti-Semitic.
Mr Sullivan said: “He’s not making anti-Jewish remarks, all he’s saying is it’s very difficult to criticise Jewish people in this world at the moment.”
He added: “He wouldn’t be doing the material if he was apologising for it.
