The hilarity of the HRCs
First they came for the basement Nazis.
Then they came for the publishers and newsmen.
And now they’re coming for our laughs. No, really.
A Canadian stand-up comedian will face a human rights tribunal hearing after a woman complained she and her friends faced a “tirade of homophobic and sexist comments†while attending one of his shows.
In a decision released this week, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled there is enough evidence to hear the case of Vancouver woman Lorna Pardy against Toronto comedian Guy Earle. Zesty’s Restaurant in Vancouver, where the May 22, 2007, show took place, was also named in the complaint. The restaurant has since closed.
“Two of them started making out, flipping me the bird and saying I hated lesbians,†he said.
Basically some dumb comedian pulled a Michael Richards on some lesbians, and instead of being shamed and shunned like Richards was, these bitter broads decided to run crying to the teacher. A good public shaming would have nullified any career he might have had, but instead he will now become a free speech hero. Is that what these man-haters had in mind?
Oh well. The trial will be funny. Maybe this guy and Steyn can do a road show together or something. Have Ezra as emcee…
This should have went to a real court, or the comedian pay for her glasses. This is just nuts. But hey more gist for the future tree shredding of this Inquisition.
Happy Nuptuials by the way. Congrats with some future brats in your pack.
Comment by Revnant Dream — June 27, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
“Happy Nuptuials by the way.”
You need to work a little harder on your branding, RG. They’re starting to mistake you for your relapsed soul sister.
In any case (and sorry to intrude sort of off topic) but you scooped the “Hyperbole Award” handsomely. Congratulations, and you can claim your prize (a brand new copy of Charles McKay’s classic “Extraordinary Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” if you just pop me an email with your preferred shipping address.
Comment by balbulican — June 28, 2008 @ 8:39 am
Makes you wonder why people are so hanged BRITTLE that they take such deep offense at such small things…..
After all, they weren’t being DUNKED or BURNED AT THE STAKE or DEEP FRIED IN BOILING OIL or BEHEADED or STONED to death. really. Take a deep breath. Walk away. Get a ROOM for crying out loud!
Comment by Mrs.Lu — June 28, 2008 @ 9:46 am
[...] RIGHT GIRL: “First they came for the basement Nazis. Then they came for the publishers and newsmen. And [...]
Pingback by Steynian 182 « Free Mark Steyn! — June 28, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
(but they won’t LISTEN to this!) Free speech, at least in the originalist interpretation of the Constitution of the Country Adjacent to Canada, doesn’t mean one has the right to force people to stop saying what one doesn’t want to hear.
Comment by HannahJ — June 28, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
All comedians should be imprisoned until they come up with a good reason to be let out. This is a Canadian* bookstore, there is no humour section.
*feminist
Comment by philanthropist — June 29, 2008 @ 1:33 am
But nightclub humor has always been rough and insulting (Don Rickles, anyone? Jack E. Leonard? Barry Humphries/Edna Everage?) And wiseguys in the audience who try to get smart with the guy onstage usually end up getting a good public smackdown. Don’t tell me these gals are such pampered innocents (or idiots) that they didn’t know this.
Comment by Anne B. — June 29, 2008 @ 7:05 am
Exactly right, Anne B. This show is billed as “The Edgiest in town”. You don’t go to such a show, plop yourself down front stage, start heckling and expect a sermon in reply. Either these people are incredibly naive or else they were there for the purpose of generating a HRC complaint.
Comment by Brett_McS — June 29, 2008 @ 9:10 pm
I have an old adage that if things go beyond preposterous then sarcasm is the weapon of choice. Here’s a little video in that spirit. Enjoy!
Comment by Robert W. (Vancouver, BC) — June 30, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
This case and a few others are a simple foray into “the new market in litigation” for Canadian Lawyers that are feeling left out of the US style malpractice suits.
The lawyers get paid by our tax dollars and the defendant goes bust.
The Supreme Court should rip these tribunals a new one.
Another waste of taxpayer money: non-elected political reach-around-appointments performing witch-hunts with no published code of conduct and no accountability.
Can we spend some taxpayer money where its needed?
What ever happened to an apology and two sides admitting the acted in poor taste?
Guy Earle has his freedom of speech and I support him.
The fact that the lesbians were drinking for 7 hours never seems to make the content of the story. Nor does Michael Richards story ever tell the fact that the black hecklers repeatedly called him cracker.
Where is my protected group? HUH?
-G
Comment by Graham — July 13, 2008 @ 12:32 pm