Johns hits back at Internet campaign

A group of Jewish comedy fans have started an internet campaign against stand-up Dave Johns, claiming he subjected them to a ‘disgusting’ torrent of racial abuse.

More than 100 people have signed up to Facebook group called ‘Racism In Comedy – Do Not See This Comedian’, which brands Johns an ‘anti-Semitic twat’.

And the punters even say they plan to report the Geordie stand-up to police for his alleged outburst.

However, Johns says the punters are playing the racism card because they were humiliated by an innocuous put-down which didn’t even include the word ‘Jew’ or ‘Jewish’, let alone anything more offensive.

The incident happened at The Late Show at the Comedy Store in Manchester on Saturday when Johns, who was closing the show, was distracted by a group of Israeli students in the front row talking during his set.

Earlier acts had also interacted with them, so Johns asked: ‘Are yout the Israeli students?’

He says he then added: ‘I’ve just been in the box office and there’s a group of ten Palestinians who say you’re occupying their seats.’

According to the comedian, one of the group then shouted: ‘That’s not true.’

Johns agreed, pointing out it was a joke, but was told: ‘No, it’s not true about Israel occupying Palestinian land.’

By his account, Johns said: ‘I think there’s a few people that might disagree with that,’ only to be told: ‘You don’t know anything about the situation.’

Johns admitted there was nothing he could say that would make the Israelis and Palestinians agree, ‘because if I did, I wouldn’t be here telling jokes, I’d be at home polishing my Nobel peace prize.’

However, those campaigning about the comments remember it differently.

One of the Jewish punters, Ben Friedman, said: ‘We were attacked in a disgusting and unforgivable way. Dave Johns decided that it would be funny to make racial slurs about Jews and to make sweeping generalisations about the history of Israel -- something which it was obvious he knew nothing about.’

Writing on the Facebook page, he said people walked out during the ‘torrent of abuse’ and that the phrase ‘dirty Jews’ was shouted – but did not say who shouted it.

‘Dave Johns is not a comedian. He is a racist,’ he said. ‘Please avoid seeing him and help to destroy his poor excuse of a career.’

The Comedy Store videos all its shows, and footage from the night will be used to determine exactly what happened.

Johns said: ‘They thought it would just be their word against mine, but the Store tapes all the shows.

‘It was a throwaway line and everyone laughed, it’s been blown out of all proportion.

‘These were young kids who lost in front of their girlfriends because I ran rings around them, and now they want to save face, so they’ve immediately used the race card.

‘I can’t see how what I said can be seen as anti-Semitism – I never used the word Jew or Jewish. I’m not controversial, I just talk a load of old bollocks.’

Published: 8 Aug 2007