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To: infidel29

I was in attendence and this club and the comedian is known for incorrect humor. In fact he even asked the audience if he could tell a joke on the subject matter and if one person says no, he passes on the joke. Instead he was encouraged by the audience and they laughed their ass off.

Secondly, it was not a mean joke about the "R" word and the "A" word, the punch line was what was important which basically inferred that one would partake once the body warmed up.

There’s actually some legal precedent concerning statements like his. Back in a 1971 interview, Groucho Marx told a magazine, “I think the only hope this country has is Nixon’s assassination.”

Groucho was not arrested and tried for the statement. Intrigued by the fact that a prominent Black Panther Party leader had been indicted for saying much the same thing, author Paul Krassner wrote the Justice Department for an explanation.

The response from U.S. Attorney James L. Browning Jr. merits reprinting here. “The United States Supreme Court has held that Title 18 U.S.C., Section 871, prohibits only ‘true’ threats. It is one thing to say that “‘I (or we) will kill Richard Nixon’ when you are the leader of an organization which advocates killing people and overthrowing the Government; it is quite another to utter the words which are attributed to Mr. Marx, an alleged comedian.”

Browning and the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney felt that Groucho’s statement didn’t meet the level of a “true” threat.

The joke will never be told and you had to be there to understand. It was humor, just really dark humor.


32 posted on 12/29/2004 1:38:09 PM PST by Wawona
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To: Wawona

Very interesting. I was hoping we would have a first-person account. FReepers Rock, because we are everywhere! BTW - that does put a slightly different spin on it - although still tasteless, somewhat less offensive. But really folks, if you go to a comedy club, can you truthfully expect to not hear anything offensive?


34 posted on 12/29/2004 2:00:01 PM PST by Hegemony Cricket (Life is a Tragedy for those who feel, and a Comedy for those who think.)
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To: Wawona
Secondly, it was not a mean joke about the "R" word and the "A" word, the punch line was what was important which basically inferred that one would partake once the body warmed up.

So, in other words, that's she's so cold-hearted that room temperature would be higher than her usual body temperature?

Honestly, I can't say whether this crosses the line or not - not to be copping out, but a lot depends on the tone/delivery.

35 posted on 12/29/2004 2:07:47 PM PST by P.O.E. (Happy New Year)
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To: Wawona
I'm sure the atmosphere was a lot different than anonymous posts here, and I do enjoy sarcastic, dry, and dark humor. I don't think that comedians should have any topics that are verboten. BUT (and everything before but is B.S.) in this day and age, the comic should maybe have selected a different target? One has to know what the repercussions are to throwing verbal barbs in their direction. Everyone is feigning too much sensitivity.
41 posted on 12/29/2004 4:08:56 PM PST by infidel29 (America is GREAT because she is GOOD, the moment she ceases to be GOOD, she ceases to be GREAT - B.F)
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