Newspaper pulls 'racist' guide to comedy festival

The media partner of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been forced to withdraw an article about comedians, after it was widely condemned as racist.

Tabloid newspaper The Herald-Sun was slated after it ran the feature that referred to two Asian comedians as ‘hirarious’ and suggested that Australia distrusted Muslims.

The article suggested to comedy-lovers, that if they liked a certain famous comic, which up-and-coming comedians they should see at the festival.

But there was nothing to link the comedians other than their race and gender – the style of the stand-up was not considered at all.

For example, it suggest that fans of Aziz Ansari should see Nazeem Hussain, a far more overtly political comic than Ansari; and fans of gregarious Stephen K Amos were urged to see equally black, but far more satirical Loyiso Gola.

Of Hussain, they said he had a relationship with Australia that’s ‘fraught with mistrust. And given the state of the world, the feeling’s mutual.’

And suggesting dry and aloof Ronnie Chieng was like engaging storyteller Kuah Jenhan, pictured, they said the latter was ‘hirarious’. Twice.

The feature appeared online, compiled by journalist Tianna Nadalin, who gives her job description on LinkedIn as to ‘deliver local digital editorial executions [we think that means ‘stories’] that directly drive commercial outcomes [cash] for the Herald Sun’ – the newspaper which distributes the official festival programme.

Veteran comic Greg Fleet led the protest, tweeting: ‘Thousands of comedy people find this racist, homophobic and gender stereotyping. Take it down. It don’t represent us.’

The article was removed from the website following the outcry, and the festival distanced itself from it.

They posted a tweet saying they 'worked to have it removed [as] it does not reflect the values of MICF.’

A spokeswoman for the festival told Chortle: 'The Herald Sun online article published on March 1 was prepared and published without the Comedy Festival’s knowledge or involvement. It does not reflect the respect and value the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has for artists and our industry.

'The festival is committed to building a strong and vibrant comedy industry and a large and enthusiastic audience for festival artists.

'The article was written with the most cursory glance at the program resulting in ill-informed connections and the creation of stereotypes that were offensive to our audience and performers. We asked the publisher to remove it from circulation to prevent any further offence.'

Herald Sun editor, Damon Johnston, told the Guardian Australia: ‘The festival raised concerns about this piece of content. We agreed that it was inappropriate and pulled it down.’

Jenhan, who was on the receiving end of the ‘hirarious’ jibe (and whose surname the newspaper accidentally misspelled posted: ‘Thank you to all near and far who stood up for me & other comedians listed in today's Herald Sun article racially recommending comedians.

‘Being born & bred in Malaysia, this sort of casual racism happens all the time but seeing how my Aus friends dealt with it was refreshing…. You guys are top blokes.’

It is not the first time comics have turned on the right-wing Herald-Sun. In 2014 it was widely criticised for sexism after a review of Alice Fraser, by claimed she was a ‘plain Jane’ and adding: ‘You wouldn’t look twice at Alice Fraser if she walked past you on Collins Street in her black business dress that unfortunately only half covers a slightly hideous green shirt.’

Again the article was remove amid protest to be replaced wit a review focussing less on her choice of garment.

Here’s comic Lew Spears summing up all that was wrong with the laters piece.

Published: 3 Mar 2017