You must be joking! Fringe comedians insist ‘woke mobs’ are actually not killing comedy

Every week there’s some new claim that comedy is being ruined by ‘woke’ mobs out to destroy freedom of speech. Is that really true? To find out, our Writer at Large heard from 15 hardworking comedians at Edinburgh’s Fringe. Contains strong language.

Neil Mackay Alison Spittle

LAST year, the Daily Mail wrote about BBC podcasts being puerile and funded by the licence fee. My podcast, Wheel of Misfortune, was included in the article. It’s a comedy about shame and embarrassment. That week the subject was p**s.

I was very thankful to the paper for clutching its pearls over poor pensioners presumably forced to listen to my filth. It was a thrill to ring my granddad and say: “Hey Gramps, the Daily Mail cancelled me.” It resulted in a boost of listeners. I now see the appeal of marketing oneself on being silenced.

The culture wars wouldn’t be continuing if they weren’t profitable – it’s content for media and distraction for politicians. It’s win-win for the elite. Freedom of speech is under threat – not in comedy but our everyday lives. This year, the Government brought in the Policing Bill, which affects our right to protest. But it’s more palatable to argue about what someone says on stage.

See Alison Spittle at the Pleasance

Conrad Koch

THE problem is that when racists define what free speech is they’re fighting for their right to be racist. The idea that “totalitarian woke freedom of speech squashers” are out to get comedians is just untrue.

The only reason comedy spent centuries appealing to racists is that’s who had the money.

If you ask many black people or women if they can say what they actually think about racism or sexism, you’ll get laughed at. Now white men are learning what it’s like to be accountable for what we say and suddenly freedom of speech is under attack? Ridiculous.

Yes, there are times the holier-than-thou cancellation police get it wrong. People will always get offended at something.

See Conrad Koch at the Pleasance

Emmanuel Sonubi

IS free speech under attack? For me that depends on which side of the line you stand. If it’s the side of popular opinion, then … no.

A person should think before they speak. The motivation behind my comedy is never to cause offence, but it’s so easy for a statement to be taken out of context that