Comedian Joe Avati 25th anniversary tour rails against cancel culture, political correctness

An Italian comedian from Sydney said it’s funny when he does an Indian accent, but audiences now baulk at jokes around telling women to shut up.

An Italian comedian from Sydney is railing against cancel culture, political correctness and young people in his anniversary show, saying his fans still find his Indian accent funny no matter what critics think.

Joe Avati is one of southwest Sydney’s most successful comedians, having grown up in Prairiewood. He is returning to Cabravale Diggers on August 13 for his ‘25 Live, Have Some Respect’ tour.

“Coming to a comedy show is like being hooked up to a polygraph machine,” Mr Avati said. “When you laugh, you’re subconsciously saying I agree with you.”

But what is acceptable to laugh at has dramatically changed since his first Sydney Comedy Store set in July 1996.

Comedians are now criticised for poking fun at minority groups they’re not a part of — think the reactions to Dave Chapelle’s jokes about trans people.

Australian-Italian comedian Joe Avati in his early years – circa 1996 – at the Sydney Comedy Club. Picture: Supplied

Australian-Italian comedian Joe Avati in his early years. Picture: Supplied

It’s one thing to be an Italian comedian cracking jokes about Italian culture, but it can now feel more pointed when the butt of the joke ‘punches down’ at a minority group.

Mr Avati used the example of an Indian accent he puts on as part of his set when imitating an Uber driver, a joke which he feels he can get away with.

Australian-Italian comedian Joe Avati. Picture: Supplied

“I can do an Indian accent really well,” Mr Avati said. “I have a tribe of people who will come and watch me, whether the critics or politically correct people like what I say.

“But a young comedian without a following, who is in fear of being cancelled by other comedians and venues who won’t employ them, is not allowed to do that character.”

Mr Avati had a joke which he said used to kill in the early 2000s, about his grandparents arguing about an expensive phone bill leading to his grandmother asking his grandfather about a phone sex line being called at 3am.

‘Shutup, just shutup’, Mr Avati would recite to the crowd in an exaggerated version of his grandfather’s voice.

“Ten years ago I would get a huge laugh out of that,” Mr Avati said. “Now people will baulk at that routine. Obviously, you don’t tell a woman to shut up.”

Australian-Italian comedian Joe Avati. Picture: Supplied

But despite the lines on what is acceptable shifting, he said there was nothing quite like live comedy.

“You’re in a room full of like-minded people, and you all have the one thing in common — the same sense of humour,” Mr Avati said.

After 25 years in comedy, he believes he has earned the stripes to say what he wants to say, and the new show shook him out of a funk.

“I was getting sort of stale for a while,” Mr Avati said. “For this show here I drew a blank page and started again. I really smash the woke people and really tackle the kids today, who don’t have respect. I offend a lot of people without swearing.”

After testing the tour in Canada and the US, he said Australian audiences are more open to his style of humour.

“Either they’re extremely touchy, or Australians just don’t give a f**k,” Mr Avati said.