Freedom of speech, or freedom to yell “fire” in a crowded theater?
“Holocaust joke” comedians hit back at critics – Yahoo! News
LONDON (Reuters) – Two stand-up comics accused of making light of the Holocaust at the Edinburgh Fringe festival hit back at their critics on Tuesday, igniting a debate about where, if anywhere, to draw the line in comedy.
The famously irreverent Fringe is renowned for over-the-top humor, and this year religion has been a popular target of ridicule in a trend welcomed by commentators arguing for freedom of speech over religious sensitivity.But Jamie Glassman, a Jewish comedy writer who has worked on the often outrageous “Da Ali G Show,” said at least two comedians had gone too far and reflected broader anti-Jewish sentiment at the festival which he called “shocking.”
“Stand-up comedy is as good a prism as any through which to look at the changing attitudes in our society,” Glassman wrote in the Times newspaper on Tuesday.
“If my past few days are anything to go by then it is becoming increasingly acceptable to hate the Jews. Again.”
white pebble 