Comedian Isaac Butterfield jokes about Christchurch massacre in comedy special

An Australian comedian’s joke about the Christchurch mosque shootings has sparked a fierce debate online with many saying he went too far.

An Australian comedian’s joke about the Christchurch mosque shootings has sparked a fierce debate online.

In his recently-released comedy special Anti-Hero, comedian Isaac Butterfield references the 2019 terror attack during which Brenton Tarrant killed 51 people and injured 49.

“This Australian extremist stormed this building, this mosque, this room where people were saying their prayers and going about their business,” he says in the special which is available to stream online.

“For me, the saddest thing about that, it wasn’t the 52 people who were killed, it wasn’t the countless others who had their lives changed forever because their family members were taken from them, it was the hundreds of people that night who couldn’t make it home from nightclubs in Christchurch because all the cabbies were dead.”

Australian comedian Isaac Butterfield jokes about Christchurch mosque shootings. Audience laughs.
From his new show: Anti Hero - Isaac Butterfield (2020) pic.twitter.com/nJZsSkLWpk

— Almir Colan (@almircolan) August 2, 2020

A clip of that joke was tweeted by Almir Colan, the Director of Australian Centre for Islamic Finance, on the weekend.

In a lengthy Twitter thread, Mr Colan wrote about the joke: “I think people like Isaac Butterfield argue that there is too much political correctness (and that is a fair point) and that comedians should be free to talk about anything and nothing should be off-limits.

“That is also fair enough. We don’t want to live in a totalitarian society where people are scared to demand their rights and live in fear from too powerful government or corporations.

“But in his joke about the victims of the Christchurch massacre, Butterfield is not going against some powerful forces nor is he using his voice to speak truth to power,” Mr Colan wrote. “Butterfield is bullying the most powerless and voiceless amongst us – he is haunting the survivors and victims who only have memories of loved ones left.

“It is not brave or honest or standing up for anything. It is just insensitive. Rude. Vile. Low.”

Mr Colan tweeted that he didn’t understand the purpose of the joke, writing: “What is the point of free speech when he is turning all his talent against those who can not answer him? Where has his empathy and our empathy as an audience gone? What is the purpose of comedy like this?”

The clip sparked a fierce debate online with many people slamming the joke for being insensitive.

“The whole argument about free speech and dark humour doesn’t stand here, he’s not opposing a powerful government or some giant public figure, he’s mocking innocent victims who’s lives where changed forever, this is horrifying and the fact that people APPLAUDED this makes me sick,” one person tweeted.

Another wrote: “This man has a lot to learn. I think he’s a young comic who hasn’t learned his craft yet. Think he’s going for extreme shock in an age of intolerance for unacceptable comedy fodder.”

And another person tweeted: “There will never be a time when that kind of joke is okay.”

Other comments included “despicable,” “disgusting” and “sick”.

There were some people who defended the joke, with one person writing: “It’s fine. Stop crying. It’s comedy. Comics say f**ked up sh*t. It doesn’t mean they actually believe it.”

Another added: “Comedians made hundreds of jokes about 9/11 and other terrorist attacks countless times.”

Aussie comedian Isaac Butterfield has a new special out.

Butterfield not only performs stand-up comedy but also has a popular YouTube channel with 1.45 million subscribers.

In a heartfelt video posted just after the Christchurch mosque shootings last year, Butterfield slammed the gunman and said his heart went out to everyone in New Zealand.

“It’s just a testament to show that there is so much hate and anger in the world, and people are out there who legitimately do not care for anyone else but themselves,” he said at the time. “These people are not human beings, they are just f***ing horrible pieces of sh*t.

“My heart is with every single one who was affected by this horrible tragedy. It should never happen to anyone in any part of the world. Just disgraceful.”

This isn’t the first time Butterfield has sparked outrage with his jokes. Last year a woman who saw his show Why So Serious? at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival sent the comedian an email after his performance and said she was offended by a joke he said on stage about the Holocaust.

According to the Herald Sun, Butterfield replied to her in an email: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the oven.”

The Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said at the time that Butterfield should apologise for the comment.

“It’s never OK to spew such hate rhetoric, and Isaac Butterfield should be ashamed for his hideous remarks that crossed all lines and which trampled on the memory of the dead,” Mr Abramovich said to the Herald Sun.