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Canadian Comedian Ordered to Pay $35,000 over a Joke
PJ Media ^ | 12/01/2019 | Matt Margolis

Posted on 12/01/2019 10:17:04 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Canadian comedian Mike Ward has lost his appeal and has been ordered by a Quebec judge to pay $35,000 because of a joke he told about a disabled boy.

Ward was ordered to pay $35,000 to Jeremy Gabriel, who suffers from a genetic disorder that causes facial deformity and affects his hearing, due to a joke the comedian told at shows between 2010 and 2013. Two of three judges ruled Mike Ward’s comments regarding Gabriel were not justifiable in a society where freedom of expression is valued.

Ward was originally ordered to pay an additional $7,000 to Gabriel’s mother—a fine which the courts overturned due to the indirect relationship between the joke and the boy’s mother.

The joke in question was regarding Gabriel’s disability. In 2005, Gabriel sang to Pope Benedict and Celine Dion to flesh out his dream of becoming an international singer.

Ward’s jokes called Gabriel a bad singer, stating that he was “terminally ill” and that Gabriel not passing away meant that his “Make a Wish” was invalid. Gabriel was not actually terminally ill, as Gabriel’s genetic disease—Treacher Collins syndrome—does not generally have an effect on lifespan. He was also not a Make-a-Wish kid, as Ward was embellishing the story for the sake of the joke.

Ward’s jokes make have been tasteless, but does that mean he should have to pay $35,000? I don’t think so, but the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal ruled the joke was discrimination against Gabriel and his parents and ordered Ward to pay damages for “making discriminatory comments regarding Jéremy Gabriel, infringing his right to equality.”

Here’s a Mike Ward special from earlier this year where he talks about what’s happened to him. Please note there’s plenty of offensive language in it.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO ...

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Humor; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: canada; comedy; fine; jeremygabriel; joke; mikeward; treachercollins
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To: SeekAndFind

Same outfit that did this:

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/bell-canada-customer-ordered-to-pay-4000-for-intolerable-racist-conduct-toward-customer-service-agent

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/bell-canada-customer-ordered-to-pay-4000-for-intolerable-racist-conduct-toward-customer-service-agent

Apparently they are above the law there and can order punishment for perceived offenses to proglibs for “wrong-think” and “hate.”

This is another manifestation of “justice” that will be attempted here by the insane progs.

.


21 posted on 12/01/2019 10:54:07 AM PST by TLI ( ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: SeekAndFind

morality code fines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQGT01Kzg


22 posted on 12/01/2019 11:02:11 AM PST by Redmen4ever (u)
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To: SeekAndFind

“Jokester” by Isaac Asimov

Plot summary

Noel Meyerhof is a “Grand Master”, one of a small cadre of Earth’s recognised geniuses, who has the insight to know what questions to ask Multivac. But a computer scientist is concerned that Meyerhof is acting erratically. As a known joke-teller, he has been discovered feeding jokes and riddles into Multivac.

By computer analysis, the characters in the story investigate the origin of humour, particularly why there seems to be no such thing as an original joke, except for puns. Every normal joke is something that was originally heard from someone else.

The computer eventually tells them that humour is actually a psychological study tool imposed from without by extraterrestrials studying mankind, similarly to how humans study mice. They needed to isolate the responses to their jokes from original ones, so they “programmed” us to react differently to puns.

The characters of the story conjecture that figuring this fact out makes it useless as a tool, so the aliens will turn off humour. And suddenly nothing is ever funny again.


23 posted on 12/01/2019 11:04:26 AM PST by seowulf
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To: Hardastarboard

> I am firmly convinced that somewhere, in one of the possible millions of alternate universes, there is a funny version of Stephen Colbert. I mean, it’s at least possible right? Right? <

No. In the alternate universes theory, anything that can happen does happen. The key word there is “can”. But since Colbert can’t be funny in the first place, there can be no universe where he is funny.

It’s sort of like asking in what universe can you roll one die, and get a 7.


24 posted on 12/01/2019 11:05:32 AM PST by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: SeekAndFind

peanuts! 250,000 in NYC if you call an illegal immigrant an illegal immigrant.


25 posted on 12/01/2019 11:06:44 AM PST by ronnie raygun (nic dip.com)
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To: Texas Eagle

The video is an hour long. At what time was this “tasteless” joke was told?

Otherwise, all I see is Big Media interpreting his jokes for us.


26 posted on 12/01/2019 11:13:17 AM PST by treetopsandroofs
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To: southern rock
When has libel, slander, and defamation been acceptable even here in the US, especially regarding malice?

He targeted the kid, slandered him, even as a limited public figure.

Dude's an arse and should have picked on someone else.

And the fine for not being funny at all.

27 posted on 12/01/2019 11:14:24 AM PST by Maigrey (Life, for a liberal, is one never-ending game of Calvinball. - Giotto)
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To: treetopsandroofs

I didn’t watch the video. The so-called joke is in about the 4th or 5th paragraph of the story. I’ve already forgotten how it went and I have no desire to go back and find it. It was just plain stupid.


28 posted on 12/01/2019 11:16:47 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: ronnie raygun

> 250,000 in NYC if you call an illegal immigrant an illegal immigrant <

Imagine the trouble you’d be in if you did that while holding a large soda. That just might be a capital offense in New York City.


29 posted on 12/01/2019 11:18:12 AM PST by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: dp0622

[[but he does sound like a piece of s***]]

Agreed=- and may he get explosive diarrhea, while stuck in traffic, with a bad case of the sneezes


30 posted on 12/01/2019 11:18:22 AM PST by Bob434
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To: billorites
Sure it does, they elected Justin Trudeau.

31 posted on 12/01/2019 11:20:59 AM PST by Waverunner (I'd like to welcome our new overlords, say hello to my little friend)
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To: Maigrey
And the fine for not being funny at all.

I would prosecute him for fraudulently claiming to be a comedian.

32 posted on 12/01/2019 11:21:10 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Maigrey
When has libel, slander, and defamation been acceptable even here in the US, especially regarding malice?

There was no libel, slander, defamation, or malice here. It was a joke told by a comedian on the comedy stage. Completely protected here in the US.

33 posted on 12/01/2019 11:22:44 AM PST by southern rock
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To: SeekAndFind

Do not joke in Canada. You can beat your wife if you’re Muslim, but if you’re white you’d best keep your mouth shut.


34 posted on 12/01/2019 11:30:57 AM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: SeekAndFind

We need two walls.


35 posted on 12/01/2019 12:26:27 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: SeekAndFind

It doesn’t much matter what a joke is about any more. Humor is offensive to someone and actionable in Canada now and in the USA in the near future.


36 posted on 12/01/2019 1:23:04 PM PST by arthurus (ccx..c|__|o...>>0|oI0,v|-)
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To: southern rock

That sentence sure jumps out, doesn’t it?

“Well if 2 out of the 3 judges valued freedom of expression, how come.... OH - the special person’s freedom!” (Some pigs are more equal than others).

I have more of an issue regarding the accuracy of the joke with regard to the terminal illness and the Make a Wish thing. But then I guess that would make all of those “So a x, y and a z walk into a bar...” jokes illegal too.


37 posted on 12/01/2019 1:29:30 PM PST by 21twelve (!)
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To: Leaning Right

LOL!! I’m telling you, I have NO idea how that SOB got to be on television. He must have pictures of some major producer naked with animals. That’s the only way a no talent shlub like him gets to be a “star”.


38 posted on 12/01/2019 4:38:21 PM PST by Hardastarboard (Three most annoying words on the internet - "Watch the video")
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