So, yeah, a few people have made fun of Jesus before and Christianity in general in the history of comedy. Fair game. It’s just not often that a venue declines to bring back a popular comedian because he once made fun of the Son of God on a late-night TV show.
Steve Hofstetter explains on Reddit that’s just what happened to him with The Winchester. In his own words:
A few years ago, I did a sold out show at a bar in Cleveland called The Winchester. I had a wonderful experience. So when planning a show in the market in late May, they’re the first place we reached out to.They were happy to have me back and asked for a contract immediately. Then the owner watched a clip of me on Craig Ferguson where I did a joke about the Bible and Harry Potter. And he pulled the gig. His exact words:
“I don’t want to have Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of Mankind, called a ‘boy magician’ or any other such blasphemy in my club.”
I am incensed, both as an artist and as a person. I am looking for another venue in Cleveland where I can have an uncensored show where I don’t have to compromise my beliefs for a paycheck.
The show has been found a new venue at Anatomy on May 24 in a small victory for atheists and fans of comedy everywhere.
Here’s Hofstetter’s set on the Ferguson show.
This article appears in Apr 3-9, 2013.
The Winchester in Lakewood?
Won’t be going there anymore….
So, we applaud the comedian for refusing to compromise his beliefs for a paycheck, yet when the owner of the bar refuses to compromise his beliefs by allowing someone that mocks his religion into the bar he owns, he’s the bad guy? Hypocrites. Just like the comedian has the freedom to mock whoever they want, the owner of the club has the freedom to cancel an act because he doesn’t like who they chose to mock.
Freedom is a two way street. I applaud the owner for standing up for what he believes in, just like I applaud the comedian for standing up for what he believes in. Regardless of what you believe as far as religion goes, both men were fully within their rights to do what they chose to do. If you don’t like what either one did, you obviously don’t understand what America is all about.