'That was a s*** joke': Aussie disability advocate slams comedian over ‘extremely insensitive’ behaviour
- Replies 36
Comedy clubs are places where people go to laugh, let their hair down, and forget about life’s worries for a while.
Yet, sometimes, jokes hit a little too close to home, and that’s exactly what happened recently at a comedy club.
At the Moth Club in Hackney, London, a routine show turned into a heated exchange when an Aussie disability campaigner had a debate with a British comedian.
Carmen Azzopardi, an advocate for people living with disabilities, was an audience member for Paul Foot’s stand-up set.
What seemed to be a fun-light-hearted show, took a sudden turn.
According to a video Carmen later shared online, Foot went into a lengthy comedic bit about Type 1 diabetes.
Foot had complete jokes about glucose monitors and mimicking a patient’s hypoglycaemic attacks.
The comedian also suggested that people who struggle with their medical tech are 'idiots' who 'don’t know how to use their technology'.
Foot reportedly claimed that diabetics had a 'victim mentality' and that diabetes itself 'isn’t a real illness'.
For Carmen, a Type 1 diabetes patient herself, the jokes were a step too far.
In the middle of Paul Foot’s show, Carmen Azzopardi called him out from the audience.
'That was a s*** joke,’ she exclaimed.
‘I have Type 1 diabetes, that was extremely insensitive and mis-informative.'
‘I don’t think it’s up to you to decide if it’s insensitive or not,’ she continued.
The comedian, not one to back down, insisted that he was not insensitive and argued that 'comedy is subjective'.
'Due to the failure of you to grasp that simple intellectual point, cause you fail to grasp the difference between these issues, cause of that it’s ending in an awkward way,' Foot stated.
He also told the audience that Carmen was on the 'emotional side' of an 'intellectual argument'.
Carmen later described the incident as 'deeply embarrassing' for the comedian.
Listen to Carmen's full story here:
Source: @zigs_mom/TikTok
‘It’s probably one of the most blatant acts of ableism that I have ever personally experienced since being diagnosed with this illness, because that’s what it is, it’s an illness, not a punch line to a joke,’ Carmen stated.
‘I’ve never heckled/interrupted/called out during a show before but this was absolutely beyond disgusting and someone needed to say something.’
The incident quickly made rounds online and sparked a lively debate among onlookers.
Aussie radio host Abbie Chatfield praised Carmen for standing up for herself and others.
'What a f******loser…What is this niche diabetes beef?’ Chatfield asked.
‘Well done for standing up for yourself and others, queen.'
Others questioned the comedian for focusing so much on diabetes.
'Did someone with diabetes break up with him? This is such a random gripe to have,' one asked.
However, not everyone was on Carmen’s side.
Some argued that comedy was meant to push boundaries.
'I understand how insensitive that must have felt, but isn’t this what comedy shows and satire is?’ one asked.
‘It’s joking and making fun of sometimes serious topics.'
'While I admit his jokes definitely weren’t funny I don’t agree with the, “You’re so brave standing up” culture,’ another quipped.
‘I was at a gig where someone kicked off a joke aimed at wearing glasses, it’s a joke, it's not real.’
‘If you are offended by jokes, even bad ones, just don’t go to comedy shows,' they concluded.
This incident raised important questions about comedy’s role in society.
Should comedians be free to joke about anything, or are there some topics that should be off-limits?
Is it fair to expect people living with chronic illnesses to 'take a joke', or do we need to be more mindful of the impact our words can have?
Comedy is subjective; what makes one person laugh might make another cringe.
Perhaps the best comedy is the kind that brings us together, rather than driving us apart.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this issue! Have you ever been at a show where a joke went too far? Do you think some topics should be off-limits in comedy, or is everything fair game? Share your opinions with us in the comments below!
Yet, sometimes, jokes hit a little too close to home, and that’s exactly what happened recently at a comedy club.
At the Moth Club in Hackney, London, a routine show turned into a heated exchange when an Aussie disability campaigner had a debate with a British comedian.
Carmen Azzopardi, an advocate for people living with disabilities, was an audience member for Paul Foot’s stand-up set.
What seemed to be a fun-light-hearted show, took a sudden turn.
According to a video Carmen later shared online, Foot went into a lengthy comedic bit about Type 1 diabetes.
Comedian Paul Foot was doing a show in a local pub in London. Image Credit: TikTok/Carmen Azzopardi
Foot had complete jokes about glucose monitors and mimicking a patient’s hypoglycaemic attacks.
The comedian also suggested that people who struggle with their medical tech are 'idiots' who 'don’t know how to use their technology'.
Foot reportedly claimed that diabetics had a 'victim mentality' and that diabetes itself 'isn’t a real illness'.
For Carmen, a Type 1 diabetes patient herself, the jokes were a step too far.
In the middle of Paul Foot’s show, Carmen Azzopardi called him out from the audience.
'That was a s*** joke,’ she exclaimed.
‘I have Type 1 diabetes, that was extremely insensitive and mis-informative.'
‘I don’t think it’s up to you to decide if it’s insensitive or not,’ she continued.
The comedian, not one to back down, insisted that he was not insensitive and argued that 'comedy is subjective'.
'Due to the failure of you to grasp that simple intellectual point, cause you fail to grasp the difference between these issues, cause of that it’s ending in an awkward way,' Foot stated.
He also told the audience that Carmen was on the 'emotional side' of an 'intellectual argument'.
Carmen later described the incident as 'deeply embarrassing' for the comedian.
Listen to Carmen's full story here:
Source: @zigs_mom/TikTok
‘It’s probably one of the most blatant acts of ableism that I have ever personally experienced since being diagnosed with this illness, because that’s what it is, it’s an illness, not a punch line to a joke,’ Carmen stated.
‘I’ve never heckled/interrupted/called out during a show before but this was absolutely beyond disgusting and someone needed to say something.’
The incident quickly made rounds online and sparked a lively debate among onlookers.
Aussie radio host Abbie Chatfield praised Carmen for standing up for herself and others.
'What a f******loser…What is this niche diabetes beef?’ Chatfield asked.
‘Well done for standing up for yourself and others, queen.'
Others questioned the comedian for focusing so much on diabetes.
'Did someone with diabetes break up with him? This is such a random gripe to have,' one asked.
However, not everyone was on Carmen’s side.
Some argued that comedy was meant to push boundaries.
'I understand how insensitive that must have felt, but isn’t this what comedy shows and satire is?’ one asked.
‘It’s joking and making fun of sometimes serious topics.'
'While I admit his jokes definitely weren’t funny I don’t agree with the, “You’re so brave standing up” culture,’ another quipped.
‘I was at a gig where someone kicked off a joke aimed at wearing glasses, it’s a joke, it's not real.’
‘If you are offended by jokes, even bad ones, just don’t go to comedy shows,' they concluded.
This incident raised important questions about comedy’s role in society.
Should comedians be free to joke about anything, or are there some topics that should be off-limits?
Is it fair to expect people living with chronic illnesses to 'take a joke', or do we need to be more mindful of the impact our words can have?
Comedy is subjective; what makes one person laugh might make another cringe.
Perhaps the best comedy is the kind that brings us together, rather than driving us apart.
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