Here we go again - What CAN I joke about? Comedian cancels university show after students force him to sign 'behaviour contract' banning sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, transphobia... plus SEVEN other ‘isms’

First topic message reminder :

A comedian has pulled out of a student charity event after being asked to sign a contract banning him from being offensive about almost anything. Konstantin Kisin was sent a 'behavioural agreement form' which stopped him telling jokes which were not 'respectful and kind'.

The form stated: 'By signing this contract, you are agreeing to our no-tolerance policy with regards to racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia or anti-religion or anti-atheism.'Student leaders said the ban was necessary to preserve the event as a 'safe space' and a place for 'joy, love, and acceptance'.

But Mr Kisin, 35, who was born in the Soviet Union, said the demand amounted to a 'threat to freedom of speech' and pulled out.

The fundraising event, scheduled for January 23, is organised by the Unicef On Campus society at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), part of the University of London.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6484947/Comedian-pulls-university-charity-event-asked-sign-behaviour-contract.html

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/dec/11/comedians-asked-to-sign-behavioural-agreement-for-soas-gig

Apparantly its only a few

gelico wrote:

Thor wrote:


I know we are all different Gelico

Have no issue with that what so ever and agree on your points

But can you even see the joke in what she said?

Can anyone?

That is what I want to understand how it could be funny to someone, so I can understand and not react stupidly as I did at the time

I am trying to understand here and learn

Ben claims it was funny and I am just simple asking to explain the joke

Can you help me here understand what is meant to be the joke part of the joke itself?

I am being serious here, because I simple failed to see any punchline off this

I know some Jewish comedians make jokes based off the holocaust but they are normally actually funny and based from their Jewish perspective

i dont know what the joke was nor how you reacted but that's irrelevant

all you need to understand is that it is perfectly ok for you to not find something funny, just as it's perfectly ok for someone else to find that same thing funny.  like i said each to their own.

just because you didn't find it funny doesn't mean you are deficient in some way and you shouldnt feel the need to try and understand and learn.  you didn't find it funny and you don't need to justify that in any way

but it proves that humour can't be monitored and put into categories because as individuals that would make humour impossible, hence that comedian guy cancelling due to the contract.

it certainly shouldn't be criminalised which it is now #nazipug

lol, can anyone explain this for me and even you Gelico cannot answer what the actual joke was or how its even funny

Which is my point

If this had not been declared as a joke and simple said

Would people have gone

Cool joke or antisemitism

Do you now see my point?

If me seeing this or many other people seeing this statement, what would your thought  and many peoples have been?

This is not about what I see as funny or anyone else sees as funny

I know this was actually said to get at me and ben only later said it was a joke, but the intent was clear to use

I certainly did badly react and clearly the joke then is on me.

Now I do not for one second think either are antisemitic. I was going off the reails that night, but then was it really even then a joke or simple a statement to goad?

So the only way it had anything to do with humour, was actually at my expense and backfired. With my reaction

Oh and for the record, not saying jokes should be criminalised, but they certainly can be criticised when in poor tastes.

I do get your points, but think we are talking and looking at this from different angles

I like and respect them both and I know I can get annoyed and stupid. Which I do apologise for

I do though and am generally interested as to how they saw this as funny

It can then also help me learn and better understand

It really is like Big Brother now

This is really worth watching

Here is the man himself from the article interviewing Munira Mirza Deputy Mayor or Education and Culture of London