I didn't see a thread on this anywhere and I think it is worth discussing. Mike Ward is a bilingual Montreal based comedian who pushes the boundaries of humor. He was sued over mocking the voice of a disabled teen aged singer and lost his case (while ordered to pay $35,000 in damages). Quebec residents are probably familiar with this case, but for others
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/...tory&variant=1_bandit-all-surfaces_daysback_4
From the article:
"Comedy has long reflected the cultural mores of a nation, sometimes exposing the fault lines in a society and testing the legal limits of acceptable speech. Canada and countries the world over, including the United States, have come under intensifying pressure to respect minority rights, spurring a debate of where to draw the line between harmful speech and freedom of expression.
In Canada, which prides itself on its humanism, Mr. Ward’s case has been particularly polarizing.
On the one side are civil libertarians and artists who argue that offensive jokes, however egregious, are protected under the Canadian constitution’s freedom of expression provision. The Supreme Court policing comedy, they say, risks having a chilling effect on artistic expression across Canada."
I am still on the side of freedom of speech, even if I don't like what is being said.
Here is an example of Mike Ward's act from the Montreal club Le Bordel. I find his bilingual take on being insulted for speaking French and insulted for speaking English particularly funny - "There are stupid intolerant pieces of garbage everywhere."
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/...tory&variant=1_bandit-all-surfaces_daysback_4
From the article:
"Comedy has long reflected the cultural mores of a nation, sometimes exposing the fault lines in a society and testing the legal limits of acceptable speech. Canada and countries the world over, including the United States, have come under intensifying pressure to respect minority rights, spurring a debate of where to draw the line between harmful speech and freedom of expression.
In Canada, which prides itself on its humanism, Mr. Ward’s case has been particularly polarizing.
On the one side are civil libertarians and artists who argue that offensive jokes, however egregious, are protected under the Canadian constitution’s freedom of expression provision. The Supreme Court policing comedy, they say, risks having a chilling effect on artistic expression across Canada."
I am still on the side of freedom of speech, even if I don't like what is being said.
Here is an example of Mike Ward's act from the Montreal club Le Bordel. I find his bilingual take on being insulted for speaking French and insulted for speaking English particularly funny - "There are stupid intolerant pieces of garbage everywhere."
