We Didn't Talk About Nick Di Paolo's firing (comedian/radio host)

[Fawlty]

Here's the Tweet that got comic Nick Di Paolo fired from his show on Sirius XM last week:

"Dear future school shooters, please confine yourself to coll. campuses, specifically faculty lounges at Berkeley, Fresno State etc."



So this one got deleted fairly quickly, and Nick just up and disappeared from Sirius XM over last weekend. Nick is verging on openly racist and obsessed with pushing right wing politics. He's also a very talented comic whose voice is underrepresented on stage.

This was a tough one for me because that's a really fucked up thing to say, and it does border on being an actual call for violence. In the end though, it was a joke. A failed, shitty, inappropriate (even among the inappropriate) joke. I see the joke in there (faculty lounges), but you have to look pretty hard to find it. I understand how it might seem like a hateful call to violence to a lot of people.

Patrice O'Neal had a semi-famous old interview where he argued that comics should get the benefit of the doubt. Funny and unfunny come from the same place, he said. And it's the audience who lets you know if it succeeded. We should defend the attempt to be funny. Which, in Nick's case, would mean that we fuck him up for making a shit joke that was both unfunny and over the top offensive, which is the worst way to fail- but we don't ostracize him.

We don't need to waste any time on the "they can hire/fire who they want" stuff. We know that. We all know that. Should we defend Di Paolo's attempt at the joke, or should we punish him up for it, or do you disagree that it even qualifies as a joke?

 

[VivaRevolution]

That's fucked up. I just got off double yellows for a very similar joke.

To me, a joke is like art. It's purpose is to offend, and inspire. To provoke by challenging. And of course to entertain.

I don't buy the idea that it is a call to violence. That seems to me to be a disingenuous argument made by those who are offended.

This falls under censorship to me.

Many of us have seen the movie Trumbo. Perhaps those that have, can explain the difference between this, and the way Trumbo was blacklisted for having controversial political beliefs.

 

[Fawlty]

That's fucked up. I just got off double yellows for a very similar joke.

To me, a joke is like art. It's purpose is to offend, and inspire. To provoke by challenging. And of course to entertain.

I don't buy the idea that it is a call to violence. That seems to me to be a disingenuous argument made by those who are offended.

This falls under censorship to me.

Many of us have seen the movie Trumbo. Perhaps those that have, can explain the difference between this, and the way Trumbo was blacklisted for having controversial political beliefs.

I don't think it's disingenuous to see that as a call to violence. I think a literal reading of it, without knowing that he's a comic, would have to be that it's exactly that. And even being familiar with Nick and his comedy, I cringed hard when I read that. I didn't see it immediately as a joke- I saw it as angry violent ranting, like he has been doing lately. He hasn't been very funny these last few months.

 

[JbModest]

I think I saw him a few times when he was on Red Eye on Fox. His humor was fairly dry iirc. That joke was in bad taste but I don't know if he deserved to be fired for it.

 

[VivaRevolution]

I don't think it's disingenuous to see that as a call to violence. I think a literal reading of it, without knowing that he's a comic, would have to be that it's exactly that. And even being familiar with Nick and his comedy, I cringed hard when I read that. I didn't see it immediately as a joke- I saw it as angry violent ranting, like he has been doing lately. He hasn't been very funny these last few months.

I think assuming that it is a call to violence when irony is obviously implied there, does make it disingenuous.

I mean the platform has to make a difference. Giving a political speech running for office, yeah, that statement can be called a call to violence.

A comedian on twitter.......

 

[hillelslovak87]

He's mediocrity defined in comedy, but he's still a comedian. Do people honestly think he was serious, when his entire living is based off of making jokes?

 

[Fawlty]

I think assuming that it is a call to violence when irony is obviously implied there, does make it disingenuous.

I mean the platform has to make a difference. Giving a political speech running for office, yeah, that statement can be called a call to violence.

A comedian on twitter.......

Lemme put it this way- it's as close to being a call for violence as a joke can get. So I just can't buy that it shouldn't be so controversial, or was obviously not serious, etc.

 

[GOATER]

We should defend his joke......Right Wingers are simply pussies.


I defend any type of joke..and he was obviously joking because he called for a shooter to kill a left wing fresno teache who made fun of Barbara bush to be killed..but since we live in pussy world...right wingers easily offended...now, why em I picking on right wingers? Because we all know SJWs are pussies, but not all liberals are pussies...In the Right Wing, we have Right wing SJWs who get offended by everything, so the joke in the OP would've offended those pussies.


We need to realize that right wing snowflakes will complain...just like they cried about the war on christmas and starbucks coffee cups....sadly we live in the age of pussies.


Bro Im so drunk and high that I just realized then fucker called for the killings of Berkeley.


Bro I go to Berkeley, I aint even offended.....LMFAO.

 

[HereticBD]

Tasteless joke, that was unfortunately posted on twitter, that we've decided is the true nature of someone's being, where sarcasm doesn't exist.

Ultimate lesson:

Watch your step. Twitter is not a comedy club.

 

[all caps]

It's too late for all that. Weve already set the precedent that you are going to get fired, joking or not.

Weve got people digging up peoples posts from 10 years ago to get them fired. It doesn't matter until it happens to someone you enjoy.

 

[Fawlty]

He's mediocrity defined in comedy, but he's still a comedian. Do people honestly think he was serious, when his entire living is based off of making jokes?

Well, Nick even agreed that it was a mistake and that he thought it might warrant a suspension. I'm not sure that it's fair that comics are assumed to always be "on." Nick is a particularly hateful guy who has not been doing much joking lately, for whatever that contributes to the context.

 

[Fawlty]

We should defend his joke......Right Wingers are simply pussies.


I defend any type of joke..and he was obviously joking because he called for a shooter to kill a left wing fresno teache who made fun of Barbara bush to be killed..but since we live in pussy world...right wingers easily offended...now, why em I picking on right wingers? Because we all know SJWs are pussies, but not all liberals are pussies...In the Right Wing, we have Right wing SJWs who get offended by everything, so the joke in the OP would've offended those pussies.


We need to realize that right wing snowflakes will complain...just like they cried about the war on christmas and starbucks coffee cups....sadly we live in the age of pussies.


Bro Im so drunk and high that I just realized then fucker called for the killings of Berkeley.


Bro I go to Berkeley, I aint even offended.....LMFAO.

Uh, dude? LOL.

I think that the outrage for this would have fallen almost exclusively left of center

 

[hillelslovak87]

Well, Nick even agreed that it was a mistake and that he thought it might warrant a suspension. I'm not sure that it's fair that comics are assumed to always be "on." Nick is a particularly hateful guy who has not been doing much joking lately, for whatever that contributes to the context.

In these pr days, though, one can't exactly know what he means by admitting it was a mistake. He could be simply playing damage control in hopes of not fucking himself more.

Me personally? I just don't go on twitter. It's a stupid platform for stupid narcissists, and it spreads stupidity and short attention by it's every design.

 

[HereticBD]

We should defend his joke......Right Wingers are simply pussies.


I defend any type of joke..and he was obviously joking because he called for a shooter to kill a left wing fresno teache who made fun of Barbara bush to be killed..but since we live in pussy world...right wingers easily offended...now, why em I picking on right wingers? Because we all know SJWs are pussies, but not all liberals are pussies...In the Right Wing, we have Right wing SJWs who get offended by everything, so the joke in the OP would've offended those pussies.


We need to realize that right wing snowflakes will complain...just like they cried about the war on christmas and starbucks coffee cups....sadly we live in the age of pussies.


Bro Im so drunk and high that I just realized then fucker called for the killings of Berkeley.


Bro I go to Berkeley, I aint even offended.....LMFAO.

Go to bed, Leroy.

 

[VivaRevolution]

Lemme put it this way- it's as close to being a call for violence as a joke can get. So I just can't buy that it shouldn't be so controversial, or was obviously not serious, etc.

I would argue that offending people is controversial these days, but I'm not sure that it should be.

As far as it being edgy, and close to a call to violence. Yeah, fair enough, but South Park has done worse, and that is kind of my measuring stick on stuff like this. Did you jump the Cartman shark?

If you don't have worse then Cartman trying to exterminate the jews, or animals having a blood orgy trying to resurrect the anti-christ, I'm going to be a bit shock proof.

If Nick di Paolo had the leverage the South Park guys have, he would still be on air.

Reminds me of Family Guy, and the Mohammed cartoon. Cartoon writers more powerful then the media and president combined.

 

[Fawlty]

In these pr days, though, one can't exactly know what he means by admitting it was a mistake. He could be simply playing damage control in hopes of not fucking himself more.

Me personally? I just don't go on twitter. It's a stupid platform for stupid narcissists, and it spreads stupidity and short attention by it's every design.

Yeah Twitter is god awful for context. It does so much harm there. I think Nick genuinely wishes he would have made a better joke, but yeah he could just be trying to stop the bleeding.

 

[GOATER]

Uh, dude? LOL.

I think that the outrage for this would have fallen almost exclusively left of center

Like I said Im high and drunk....and he just called the killing for me...I ain't offended.


So yeah, I defend any type of comedy, even those calling for the killing of me.....I truly believe in these ideals.

 

[Fawlty]

I would argue that offending people is controversial these days, but I'm not sure that it should be.

As far as it being edgy, and close to a call to violence. Yeah, fair enough, but South Park has done worse, and that is kind of my measuring stick on stuff like this. Did you jump the Cartman shark?

If you don't have worse then Cartman trying to exterminate the jews, or animals having a blood orgy trying to resurrect the anti-christ, I'm going to be a bit shock proof.

If Nick di Paolo had the leverage the South Park guys have, he would still be on air.

Reminds me of Family Guy, and the Mohammed cartoon. Cartoon writers more powerful then the media and president combined.

South Park, by being a production (and a cartoon no less) with a script and all, is completely out of the context of a public statement by an individual. In other words, every single thing on South park is a "joke" by its nature. But Nick Di Paolo on Twitter isn't necessarily joking, so a distinction has to be made, and he made that distinction very hard to make. There's some doubt, and for me, he gets the benefit of the doubt.

 

[GOATER]

That's fucked up. I just got off double yellows for a very similar joke.

To me, a joke is like art. It's purpose is to offend, and inspire. To provoke by challenging. And of course to entertain.

I don't buy the idea that it is a call to violence. That seems to me to be a disingenuous argument made by those who are offended.

This falls under censorship to me.

Many of us have seen the movie Trumbo. Perhaps those that have, can explain the difference between this, and the way Trumbo was blacklisted for having controversial political beliefs.

Well first of all the mods are hella bias dude....I noticed, there is a right wing bias....

A guy can simply make a "White Genocide" Thread where, he simply claims colored people are fucking white people thus genocide exist, yet I can't make a thread saying White women are #1 in privilege or you can't make your obvious joke?.....Fuck the boards in terms of equality.

I didn't see you joke, but I bet it wasn't that bad...so don't use your joke as an example, to make sherdog mod law valid IRL.


As far as this joke...It was simply a fucking joke....I understand that people will bitch and moan but anybody with any context knows its a joke.

 

[FinalFight]

Radio stations make a lot of their money through advertising, so no surprise they don't want someone giving them a bad look from stupid edgy jokes.