Too Far, Jimmy Carr?

This story is covered in several of the Sunday papers today...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6427618/Anger-over-Jimmy-Carrs-joke-about-war-amputees.html

Personally, I think that it's a joke that isn't funny or clever enough to warrant the offence that it has given. Yes I know Carr always does these jokes, the audience should know what to expect and, yes, it didn't have any real malice. But it's like my whole problem with a lot of Mock The Week stuff... it's a joke that many of us could have come up with, but it's putting a desperation for laughs above a sense of humanity. Comedians shouldn't be censored, but the best ones have a set of ethics that they use to regulate themselves on what jokes they should and shouldn't use. I suppose that what I'm saying is that the very best comedians, IMO, show themselves to be human over and above the gags they tell. That's why Jimmy Carr all too often leaves me cold. It seems that a lot of comics, proud of the fact they don't do racist or sexist material (unlike the old "dinosaurs" of comedy), hypocritically seem to think pretty much anything else is fair game.

He's 'armless.

Passable joke but you have to be able to read the audience. I guess after gypsies etc he over stepped himself. If the joke was better or cleverer he may have got away with it.

Certainly he could have framed it as being anti government, or reflecting on his experiences meeting the troops.

He aint got a leg to stand on, Tim.

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 25 2009, 5:12 PM BST

He's 'armless.

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You don't have a leg to stand on.

I thought it was hilarious when I read it on Chortle earlier.

I dunno, if I listened to a set by Jimmy, I reeeeally doubt that one would stand out as the one likely to give most offence.
Another fuss over nothing, I think.

I expect most squaddies would find it funny anyway.

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 25 2009, 5:16 PM BST

I expect most squaddies would find it funny anyway.

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Isn't that's the defence a lot of club comedians in the 70s used to give about racist jokes? "There was a black fella in audience and he was laughing his head off" Fair to say that if he did this gag at a gig for servicemen it would most likely get a lot of laughs and be considered appropriate, but I'm not sure it's the same for a normal non-squaddie public audience.

I think it's probably just me being an old stick-in-the-mud, but there's so many cheap laugh comedians around thesedays...

It could be taken as a compliment. These guys have been blowed up, but they're still going to be cracking athletes. He's not really mocking them, is he?

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 25 2009, 5:19 PM BST

Isn't that's the defence a lot of club comedians in the 70s used to give about racist jokes? "There was a black fella in audience and he was laughing his head off" Fair to say that if he did this gag at a gig for servicemen it would most likely get a lot of laughs and be considered appropriate, but I'm not sure it's the same for a normal non-squaddie public audience.

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Hmm maybe.

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 25 2009, 5:19 PM BST

I think it's probably just me being an old stick-in-the-mud, but there's so many cheap laugh comedians around thesedays...

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Hmm maybe.

I'm not a great debater, can you tell?

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ October 25 2009, 5:20 PM BST

It could be taken as a compliment. These guys have been blowed up, but they're still going to be cracking athletes. He's not really mocking them, is he?

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For me, it's getting a cheap laugh out of both amputees and the Special Olympics, but that's probably just my warped brain.

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 25 2009, 5:21 PM BST

I'm not a great debater, can you tell?

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Hmm maybe.

So will all the regular disabled types have to perform in The Not So Special Olympics now?

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 25 2009, 5:16 PM BST

I expect most squaddies would find it funny anyway.

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But would the mother of the eighteen year old boy who had lost both his legs and his left arm?

I don't see the fuss. It isn't mocking servicemen for getting blown up, or anything like that - if anything it's the opposite. There isn't a victim in this joke, unless you pretend that Carr has blown soldiers up himself and said that's funny.