Keyboard warriors are ruining everything, TV comedy writer bemoans
COMEDIAN Rob Shehadie has rallied to the defence of Australia’s old-style funnymen stifled by political correctness, telling them: “Keep cracking the one-liners — it beats depression.”
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COMEDIAN Rob Shehadie has rallied to the defence of Australia’s old-style funnymen stifled by political correctness, telling them: “Keep cracking the one-liners — it beats depression.”
“Telling them to tone it down is like telling Mick Jagger to stop swinging his hips,” the Here Come The Habibs co-writer said.
“There’s humour to suit everyone and if you don’t like it, don’t go — or switch off the TV. We don’t belly-laugh like we used to because comedians are too scared to tell it like they did — and we need to laugh, it’s great for depression.
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“There was a time when it was acceptable for people like Paul Hogan to hit bikini-clad women on the bottom, in the same way that it was fine to smoke in a restaurant in the ’80s.
“That doesn’t happen any more and humour has been dampened down because the keyboard warriors pick on everything.”
Shehadie spoke out after The Daily Telegraph revealed iconic comedians such as Rodney Rude, Kevin “Bloody” Wilson and Billy Birmingham had hit out at “PC idiots” who they complained were gagging satire and free speech.
When Here Come The Habibs first aired, it sparked accusations of racism, with an online petition calling for it to be pulled from TV drawing more than 800 signatures in 2006.
“It was not racist — it was clean, honest, family fun,” Shehadie said.
“People just need to relax a little bit and enjoy life again.
“My new Channel 10 show Street Smart will also be honest family fun, with no swearing — but that’s TV.
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“If you want dirty humour, go to comedy clubs.”
Funnyman Darren Sanders yesterday revealed he has turned his back on sensitive Sydney audiences to work cruise ships in the US, Thailand and New Zealand.
The stand-up comic best known for his late night chat show The Darren Sanders Show, says that comedy fans in Australia have become too sensitive and easily offended.
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“There’s no appetite for comedy in Sydney. I’m now performing to a broader audience and overseas where you can say trigger words like ‘gay’ and ‘Aboriginal’ and ‘Blacktown’ without people freaking out,” he said.
“If you say someone is 60 or gay, you’re labelled ageist or homophobic — the comedy scene has become too delicate.
“In Sydney people would rather have a drink at the Opera Bar than a night out at the comedy store.
“TV shows that showcased homegrown comedians like Hey Hey It’s Saturday have died because TV is too censored these days and comedy clubs where dirty but funny stuff was heard have shut down.”
Four years ago the curtain closed on Sanders’ comedy club Laugh Garage in Parramatta after 13 years.
“The combination of a lack of appetite for comedy in an outdoor city that is so spread out and under construction for four years with the light rail and the boring younger PC brigade is strangling comedy,” he said.