Glasgow stand-up Jerry Sadowitz has hit back at Edinburgh Fringe venue chiefs who axed his show off the back of what he claims to be 'fake and exaggerated anger and bile'.
Glasgow Live previously reported that 'Jerry Sadowitz: Not for Anyone' at the Pleasance was cancelled 'with immediate effect' over the weekend. It came with a warning of 'strong language and themes some may find distressing'.
Festival bosses slammed Friday's show as 'extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny' and said it sparked, 'an unprecedented number of complaints'. Saturday's offering was scrapped as a result.
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Sadowitz, who grew up in Glasgow's south side, took to social media to vent at the Pleasance bosses who 'cheapened and simplified' his opening show after which he 'was left with no hint of anything going wrong'. The comedian urged those who do not enjoy his work to 'just stay at home' and 'stick to Carry On films' after admitting he 'got his d**k out' on stage.
He wrote: "I don't wish to humiliate The Pleasance but they are doubling down on their position and I don't want to be made the victim of that. I repeat . . . I did a 75-minute show for 600 people that went pretty well and left with no hint of anything going wrong.
"In addition to now being told there were multiple walkouts and 'abuse of staff' my act is now being cheapened and simplified as unsafe, homophobic, misogynistic and racist. I am not J** D******* folks . . . a lot of thought goes into my shows.
"And while I don't always get it right, especially at the speed of which I speak, and I don't always agree with my own conclusions, I am offended by those who, having never seen me before, hear words being shouted in the first five minutes before storming out without listening to the material which I am stupid enough to believe is funny, sometimes important and worth saying. Additionally there is a lot of silly, exaggerated irony and nonsense, real fake and exaggerated anger and bile.
"And even getting my d**k out is for the purpose of a funny line which follows it. No, I won't tell you what it is, see the show for yourself, or better still, just stay at home."
He added: "I ask nobody to agree with anything I say or do on stage, God forbid they should end up like me, and I have never once courted a mainstream audience to come to my shows because, guess what? I don't want to upset anyone, including Anthony Alderson.
"The show is what it is, for those who enjoy it. The rest of you, please stick to Carry On films.
"P.S if the Pleasance can't apologise to me they should at least apologise to the 300 people who paid for and travelled to see the show on Saturday."
Indignant Sadowitz thought Friday's performance 'went well' and he 'didn't see any walkouts'. Despite this, the comic said he was 'truly sorry' to all fans 'who travelled to see' Sunday night's performance.
He previously wrote on Twitter: "Did a show last night, 75 mins, thought it went well. Didn't see any walkouts.
"Today I’m told my show's been cancelled. Great stuff.
"I'm truly sorry for everyone who travelled to see the show tonight."
The Pleasance blasted 'language' used by the stand-up as 'completely unacceptable' and claimed that a 'large number of people walked out' of the show because they felt 'uncomfortable and unsafe'. They also stressed that a 'line was crossed' regarding the alleged offensive material in the show.
A spokeswoman told Glasgow Live on Sunday: "As previously stated, the Pleasance chose to pull Jerry Sadowitz’s second and final show. Due to numerous complaints, we became immediately aware of content that was considered, among other things, extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny.
"We will not associate with content which attacks people’s dignity and the language used on stage was, in our view, completely unacceptable. A large number of people walked out of Jerry Sadowitz’s show as they felt uncomfortable and unsafe to remain in the venue.
"We have received an unprecedented number of complaints that could not be ignored and we had a duty to respond. The subsequent abuse directed to our teams is also equally unacceptable."
The spokeswoman added: "At the Pleasance, our values are to be inclusive, diverse and welcoming. We are proud of the progress we have made across our programming, which includes significant investment and support for Black, Asian and Global Majority artists, LGBTQ+ voices, those from working class backgrounds, and the strong representation of women.
"We do not believe that racism, homophobia, sexism or misogynistic language have a place in our venues. In a changing world, stories and language that were once accepted on stage, whether performed in character or not, need to be challenged.
"There is a line that we will not cross at the Pleasance, and it was our view that this line was crossed on this occasion. We don’t vet the full content of acts in advance and while Jerry Sadowitz is a controversial comedian, we could not have known the specifics of his performance.
"The Pleasance has staged his work numerous times over the years, but as soon as we received complaints from those in the building which caused us great concern, we knew we could not allow the final performance to go ahead. The arts and comedy in particular have always pushed the boundaries of social norms but this boundary is always moving.
"Our industry has to move with it. However, this does not mean that we can allow such content to be on our stages."
The Pleasance said anyone who had booked a ticket for Saturday's gig would receive refunds for their tickets and that they "won’t be working" with the entertainer again.
Glasgow Live contacted the Pleasance on Monday and a representative refused to provide further comment.
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