Jimmy Carr, 49, has received backlash for his failure to apologise for offensive Holocaust material
In his Netflix special ‘His Dark Materials’, Carr stirred controversy by referencing the Holocaust. In the 59-minute special, Carr remarks on the death of thousands of Gypsy, Romani and traveller people at the hands of the Nazis, suggesting it was a “positive” of the Holocaust.
To some, these remarks may seem offensive, although they are intended to be satirical. Regardless of Carr’s reasoning, critics felt that the joke crossed the line of acceptable humour.
Since the release of ‘His Dark Materials’, Carr has found himself facing widespread criticism, with calls for the special to be removed from the streaming platform.
The Traveller movement a charity supporting the Gypsy, Romani and traveller movement in the UK launched a petition calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”. This petition has now reached almost 19,000 signatures.
In response to the controversy, on Saturday 5 February, Carr addressed his remarks when performing at Whitley Bay’s Playhouse. During his show, he admitted that he was going to be ‘cancelled’.
Carr failed to apologise for his offensive joke during the performance. One audience member asked if he regretted his ofjoke about the death of 'Gypsies' during the Holocaust, to which the comedian remained silent with a straight-face.
Newcastle student, Peter Bath said, 'This supposed joke is in terrible taste and perpetuates deep-rooted racism within western society, particularly against Romani people, which is all too common'
