America, in theory, doesn’t need a separate law protecting the right of comedians to tell offensive jokes.
The constitution’s first amendment takes care of that.
But not all countries are as fortunate. It appears that even within the growing comedy scene in India, comedians aren’t necessarily free to speak their minds. Today’s Stand-Up Spotlight leads with a story proposing India pass a law protecting comedians’ speech, specifically.
It sounds like a good idea, and would make the line “I was only joking,” a legitimate legal defense. Intriguing.
The Spotlight also contains news about upcoming specials or tours from Kevin James, Lewis Black and Tom Segura. It concludes with a Trevor Wallace Q&A.
Spread the funny like the wind today.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – November 16, 2023
Time for a modern law protecting the right to offend through comedy
Have you heard the one in which a comic, a judge, and a heckler walk into a bar and have a laugh together? Neither have I, and it seems improbable that we will encounter such a situation, other than in a joke. Given the rather tenuous relationship between comedy, law, and a heightened propensity for people to take offence at jokes, we are unlikely to witness a harmonious coming together of the three in the real world. While humour and satire have always been essential to political speech, in the Indian context, comic speech has played a relatively minor part in the development of free speech jurisprudence. Free speech cases in India tend to emerge from seditious speech or expressions that offend religious sentiment, and often in such cases, there is a gravitas associated with these forms of expression.
Prime Video Announces Stand-Up Comedy Special Kevin James: Irregardless
LOS ANGELES—November 14, 2023—Critically acclaimed actor and comedian Kevin James is set to release his first comedy special for Prime Video, Kevin James: Irregardless. The one-hour special will premiere on Prime Video this winter. James will also head out on a new comedy tour, “Owls Don’t Walk,” beginning on February 29, 2024, all tour dates are listed on KevinJames.com.
Comedian Lewis Black To Retire From Touring; Dates For Final Run ‘Goodbye Yeller Brick Road’ Unveiled
After 35-plus years as a touring stand-up comedian, Lewis Black is preparing to park his tour bus for good.
On the road through next month to wrap up his 2023 Off the Rails tour, Black this morning unveiled the dates for Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour, which is set to take place throughout North America and Europe from January 2024 through 2025. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 17 at 10 a.m. local time, with Official Fan Club pre-sale starting Tuesday, November 14 at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET. Black’s dates for this month through May can be found below, with more to be announced later.
Tom Segura Announces ‘Come Together’ Global Comedy Tour for 2024
Comedian Tom Segura has announced the first leg of his new global stand-up comedy tour “Tom Segura: Come Together.”
“This tour is bigger and blacker than anything I’ve ever done,” Segura said. “But that name has already been used, but ‘Come Together’ gets the point across. Let’s all come together for a night. One way or another we’re going to make memories on this one.”
5 Questions With Comedian Trevor Wallace
Most comedy fans probably know Trevor Wallace from the hilarious characters he’s created on his social channels (add ‘em all up and the guy has more than 16 million followers). He’s been doing stand-up all along and his new special Pterodactyl drops tomorrow on Amazon Prime. I recently caught up with Wallace for five questions about his special and all things comedy.
Click here to view original web page at 5 Questions With Comedian Trevor Wallace
