Comedian burns US flag on live TV

Aftenposten ^ | 14 Feb | Jonathan Tisdall

[Eurotwit]

Comedian burns US flag on live TV

Controversial Norwegian humorist Otto Jespersen may have topped his already incendiary career exploits when his closing monologue on a popular comedy discussion show Torsdagsklubben (The Thursday Club) ended with the US flag in flames.

Comedian Otto Jespersen has not yet noticed that his candle for a war in Iraq has ignited the US flag.

PHOTO: TV2 Last year Jespersen's biting satire resulted in death threats after he ridiculed Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, and the comedian regularly sparks heated debate with his cutting humor which has offended parties from the state church to Crown Princess Mette-Marit's father Sven O. Hoeiby. Jespersen's closing rant, which has become the high point of the program, ended on Thursday with a pro-war tirade. Jespersen then said: "I would like to light a candle for a long and bloody war, and may this flame inspire the USA to turn Baghdad into the world's biggest crematorium."

Turning to see that an American flag behind him had caught fire, Jespersen said: "Sorry, sorry, that was a mistake, that wasn't supposed to happen. See you in Baghdad - Let's kick some ass!"

The show's closing had been cleared both by TV2's program director Nils Ketil Andresen and station chief Kåre Valebrokk, newspaper VG reported.

According to Norwegian law, Jespersen now risks a prison term for mocking another nation's flag. All it will take for the stunt to become a criminal case is a complaint, but the US embassy in Oslo was not immediately available for comment.

Legal experts agree that the flag-burning is clearly illegal and that precedence exists for jail terms for similar acts.

Amanda Batt, a spokeswoman for the US state department in Washington DC, told Norwegian news agency NTB: "Norway is one of our close allies and we are extremely concerned when we hear things like this."

Aftenposten English Web Desk Jonathan Tisdall

[Tijeras_Slim]

Norwegians have humorists?

[ElectricStrawberry]

I'd call for a boycott of all Norwegian products in the US, but..well...er....
(mental pause for search)
...can't think of anything but foreign exchange students, and some of THEM are pretty hot (actually dated one back in '88).

[Reaganesque]

All it will take for the stunt to become a criminal case is a complaint...

Does it matter where the complaint comes from?

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Do you think Otto would be willing to pull his little stunt in front of an American Legion post?

[Live free or die]

I'm gonna find me the number to the Norwegian embassy and give them an earfull before close of buisness today.

[Destructor]

That ain't funny.

[RightOnline]

Seems it was inadvertent and that he supports our efforts. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt on this one.

[Live free or die]

Royal Norwegian Embassy
2720 34th Street, NW, Washington DC 20008

Telephone: (202) 333-6000
Fax: (202) 337-0870

[Nagual]

We don't have to go as far as Norway to find those kind of twits. We have planty of our own jesters doing equal harm and we call it freedom.

God bless America!

[Hatteras]

It was "inadvertant" because it's illegal.

[mystery-ak]

It breaks my heart when I see pictures like these....sigh!

[UncleSamUSA]

Isn't "Norwegian humorist" a contradiction in terms.

[mountaineer]

The Euros bring to mind a child throwing a tantrum in the middle of a public place, like a grocery or department store. Just ignore his childish behavior.

[leadpenny]

You are too kind. I think he meant to do exactly what he did.

Not funny, Otto.

[Camerican]

I hope to God you're being sarcastic. Because this clown surely was in his speech. Take a look at the candle's placement a mere inch or two below the flag (which was probably doused in lighter fluid). This was no accident.

[Tailback]

Boycott lutefisk! (LOL)

[8mmMauser]

By golly, lefse too

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I'll give him the benefit of a doubt on this one.

Feel free to do so. However, his pro-war rant was the "joke". The flag burning was his message.

[ruready4eternity]

Guys, why give thesse guys fuel. This guy can make his payments at the bank and your worried about what effect this will have. NAH!!! put this aside as someone who hasnt been spanked beat with the ugly stick when he was a kid. If his father would have beat some respect into him maybe he wouldnt have turned out to be an idiot.