Following our protest against 30 Rock stand-up comedian Tracy Morgan – who spread his anti-women pollution at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this week – and our calls for Regal Theatre in Perth not to give him a platform to spread his hate speech further, Morgan responded on Monday night. According to The Real Steve Gray, this is what he said:
In front of a sold out Regal Theatre in Perth last night, 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan addressed the bad press he received in Melbourne on the weekend.
“All I’m trying to do is make people laugh,” he said onstage.
Fans allegedly stormed out of Hamer Hall during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in disgust – some demanding refunds – claiming he was misogynist and lacked humour.
It was all sexually related. He said he was a pervert and this is the sort of stuff he liked and then it went on from there,” she said.
“He went everywhere, he discussed disabled people having sex, what his experiences were, everything he discussed was just disgusting.”
Women’s rights campaigner Melinda Tankard urged for the cancellation of his remaining Australian dates.
Morgan has been called out for offensive material in the past..
“Collective Shout is calling on Regal Theatre to not give Morgan a platform for Morgan’s misogynist hate speech,” Tankard posted on her website.
“It’s fear, [Tankard] doesn’t understand me,” Morgan told Perth fans. “I love her anyway,” he added.
Social media exploded with conversation after the initial MICF reviews surfaced.
“Unfunny, sexist, racist, misogynistic, disgusting rubbish,” one Melbourne attendee posted.
“I left thinking he is chauvinist pig and I can’t believe I paid almost $80 for it!” commented another.
On occasion last night Morgan made jokes at the expense of his enemies and refused the censor his material. “Go home and blog some shit ’cause you ain’t gettin’ any,” he said. “I don’t give a fuck what you think.”
See also ‘Tracy Morgan sparks outrage in Australia’
The deluge of apologists for Morgan’s behaviour has been remarkable, even by usual standards. I’m still processing it and will write about it further. Seems anything is justifiable in the name of ‘art’ or ‘entertainment’. Here’s the Regal Theatre’s response to a Collective Shout supporter:
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:27:12 +0800
From: regal@iinet.net.au
Subject: Re: Tracy Morgan hate speech
Hi
I appreciate your email, but the Regal does not engage in discrimination when selecting acts for our venue.
Many thanks,
KIM KNIGHT
Manager
Regal Theatre 474 Hay St Subiaco Western Australia 6008 0448 111 308 9388 2066
That’s right folks, we allow acts at our venue to discriminate against ANYONE!
There’s this idea that the problem with us, for being ‘offended’, not with Morgan’s speech.
My colleague Nicole Jameson addresses this really well:
‘If you don’t like it leave, or don’t go in the first place’ IS a defence of misogyny – it’s based on the false, apologetic premise that hate speech against women is only subjectively offensive. Sexism doesn’t go away if we ignore it, nor if we dress it up as ‘edgy humour’ or ‘boundary pushing’ in order to swallow it.
Related to this is this Women’s View on News piece ‘Bare boobs are now news’
One Response
‘It’s fear, [Tankard] doesn’t understand me,” Morgan told Perth fans. “I love her anyway,” he added.’
Tracey Morgan’s statement proves he is the one on the defensive concerning his vile women-hating propaganda.
‘If you don’t like it, leave etc.’ is another pathetic attempt to defend the indefensible – namely a male women-hater considering he has the right to promote male hatred/male contempt for women.
Would anti-racists be told ‘if you don’t like, leave etc’ when they rightly hold white male supremacists to account for their racial hatred? I think not but men such as Tracey Morgan believe they have the innate right to subject women collectively to vitriolic women-hating insults.
We aren’t fooled by Tracey Morgan’s claims because he is the one attempting to defend his women-hating stance. We women are telling him we won’t remain silent and accept his vile women-hating insults.
By the way Morgan we women aren’t offended – we are angry that yet another arrogant male thinks women aren’t human and because women aren’t human this makes it acceptable for women-hating men such as Morgan to promote and utter their vile sexualised insults.
I wonder how Morgan would react if his sex were commonly subjected to vile insults – oh but wait I do know because men commonly claim they are the ones being subjected to ‘male hatred’ by mythical women-hating radical feminists! Yes men know they have the right to be accorded dignity and respect but this continues to be male only because – only males are human- not women!