Writer Nails It

Bold ours.

Vancouver Courier – In a culture where anyone can yell “discrimination” against anyone for any perceived slight, and go judicial on their assets, there’s a constant danger of a chilling effect. Not just on comedy, but on illustration, journalism, theatre and music.

Democracy was never supposed to be about the tyranny of a solitary offended citizen.

Human Rights Is Big Bucks #16

Update. See below.

CP – Comedian Guy Earle could end up paying a heavy price for his freedom of speech – up to $15,000 if his accuser has her way.

At an open-mic comedy show hosted by Zesty’s restaurant in Vancouver, B.C. three years ago, Earle, acting as volunteer emcee, lit into Lorna Pardy and her lesbian partner with a profanity-laced tirade that Pardy’s lawyer said left Pardy humiliated and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lawyer Devyn Cousineau said during her closing arguments at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal hearing Friday that Pardy should be awarded between $10,000 and $15,000 in damages for the discrimination she suffered as a result of Earle’s homophobic comments.

TGET:

Cousineau said nothing about 10 or 15 thousand dollars, or any dollar amount whatsoever during her closing arguments.

Mr. Scott has his facts wrong, his Canadian Press article is inaccurate.

Awwww. Gutless Comics Have Their Own Little Blog

Punchline – Here’s what we think: We obviously don’t condone the act of making fun of people based on whom they like to have sex with—especially if it’s not done with any sense of tact, art or humor. But we also don’t condone people showing up late to a comedy show, sitting in the front row and acting like complete assholes to the comedian onstage. One of the signs of a seasoned comedian is the ability to skillfully – and that sometimes includes being harsh – deal with hecklers…

Both parties were out of line.

The Pardy Effect (Or: The Gutless Chumps That Make Up Canada’s Comedians)

CBC – A discrimination complaint before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has cast a chill over stand-up comics in the Lower Mainland, a comedy club manager says….

“I go out and I frequent rooms in the city because that’s how I find my talent. And I would say that people who are performing in rooms on a regular basis are a little bit more careful about their interaction with the crowd.

“I know that comics who have usually taken an antagonistic approach with the crowd are a little bit more — they sugar-coat their words now.”

Free Speech Gets Murky When You Remember The Drunk Violent Guys

Winnipeg Free Press – But it’s not that simple. Members of minority groups can and do feel harassed, if not threatened, in some environments. Comedy clubs are frequented by enthusiastically imbibing young men.

Some of them, hearing “there’s the dyke table” from an irritated comedian who proceeds to unleash a torrent of abuse, could take it as permission to act out their own aggressions.

Smyth: Earle’s Comedy Sucks, But He Has The Right To Suck At It

The Province – But is his vicious spat with a heckler in a late-night comedy club really a matter for a state arbiter? If this is a choice between offensive “humour” by bad comedians in half-empty neighbourhood nightclubs, versus an all-powerful government joke regulator, I think I’ll take the offensive gags.

Human Rights Commission A Joke

Montreal Gazette – Is there some contest to see how silly a complaint Canada’s human-rights commissions will try to take seriously? If so, there’s a new front-runner, as B.C’s Human Rights Tribunal grapples with a complaint from a woman who was insulted in a Vancouver comedy club. Talk about people unclear on the concept.

The Illegality of Being An Asshole

Globe and Mail – “It’s been three years of shite,” says Guy Earle, whose comedy career is currently on hiatus. “I didn’t think being an asshole was illegal in this country.”

Insensitive Blogger Dares To Question PTSD

National Post, Hugh MacIntyre – Plus I find her assertion that she is suffering post-traumatic stress from being called bad names a little over the top. Does she wake up screaming every night because some comedian insulted her? I somehow doubt it.

Lorna Pardy Has PTSD. Like We Didn’t See That Coming

TGET – Pardy says she suffers from PTSD stemming from the incident, and will later call a witness doctor to confirm it.

Enough With This Talk Of Justice, On With The Witch Hunt

TGET:

Guy Earle Legal Defense Fund Now Open

FFoF – REMEMBER:

The angry lesbians bringing this “hate speech” case (over a pair of broken sunglasses) get all their “legal” fees paid by your taxdollars, while Guy is out of pocket five figures and counting.

By Our Count, National Post Is Sixth Rag To Use Lame “Last Laugh” Line

National Post – Will lesbian heckler get last laugh in rights fight?

Blogger Set To Steno The Guy Earle “Trial”

TGET – Comedian Guy Earle faces a hearing before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) for responding to Lorna Pardy’s heckling with lesbian-based jokes that she claims were “discriminatory and harassing.”

The trial takes place on March 29, 2010 at 605 Robson street in Vancouver BC Canada. The public is welcome to attend.

Human Rights Is Big Bucks #14

Toronto Sun – A comedian whose put-downs of a lesbian and her companion in the audience is hoping she doesn’t have the last laugh at a B.C. Human Rights Commission tribunal this week…

Pardy is seeking damages in the neighbourhood of $20,000.

The Human Right Not To Be Insulted By Stand Up Comedians

CTV – A comedian whose put-downs of a lesbian and her companion in the audience is hoping she doesn’t have the last laugh at a B.C. Human Rights Commission tribunal this week.

Was Guy Earle’s discriminatory verbal assault spurred solely by the woman’s sexual orientation, or was the professional funny man exercising his right to free speech when an audience member wouldn’t settle down?

Burnaby Paper To BC Human Rights Tribunal: Shame On You

[Burnaby Now] The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal members should feel ashamed.

Comedian Guy Earle is now the latest target heading for a showdown at the tribunal over comments Earle allegedly made while at an open microphone during a weekly standup comedy night in March of this year.

The revelation that Earle is now scrambling for legal advice comes just weeks after the human rights tribunal sat for several days to hear a complaint about an article written by journalist Mark Steyn and published in Maclean’s magazine.

The rest.

The Joke’s On You: Stand-Up Comedian To Face BC Human Rights Tribunal

That sound you hear is comics calling their agents to cancel flights.

Pat yourself on the back yet again for keeping the human rights commissions in business by paying their salaries. Where would they be without you?

The BCHRT is really leading the charge in questioning what people are allowed to say in New Canada. First a magazine, now a stand-up comic. Shakespeare and Twain can’t be far behind.

[Vancouver Sun] 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.

The rest.

You can read the actual decision here, signed by the chair of the BCHRT herself. The short of it:

[24] I also cannot find that the complaint would not further the purposes of the Code, which are set out in s. 3.  They include fostering a society in which there are no impediments to full and free participation in the social and cultural life of British Columbia and promoting a climate of understanding and mutual respect where all are equal in dignity and rights.

Look out comedians: no more jokes to anyone, about anything, ever.