Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke

Re:Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke by TazeTSchnitzel on Friday August 19, 2016 @12:12PM (#12321069)

Maybe it is a “joke”. So? Absolutely any statement, no matter how provocative or hateful, can be excused on that pretense.

So that begs the question: should “jokes” be protected? Why?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke by zeveb on Friday August 19, 2016 @12:15PM (#12321108)

> Absolutely any statement, no matter how provocative or hateful, can be excused on that pretense.

Yes, that's kinda the point of free speech: the State doesn't get to send men with guns and truncheons to silence people who are merely saying things.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke by function_seven on Friday August 19, 2016 @12:23PM (#12321172)

> So that begs the question: should “jokes” be protected? Why?

Because they're expressions of ideas, i.e. speech.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke by dghughes on Friday August 19, 2016 @12:25PM (#12321206)

Jerry Seinfeld often speaks of why offensive jokes are needed even though many people may not like them.

In the end professional comedians are artists and art can offend.

Jerry is more eloquent than I am he can explain it better he often does on his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Canadian Comedian Fined $42,000 for Telling a Joke by gk1 on Friday August 19, 2016 @12:14PM (#12321099)

Because it's speech and speech is--or should be--protected.

[ Parent | on HN ]