Comment permalink

Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
Twitter uses are slamming British comedian Jimmy Carr for a quip on the platform suggesting Dunedin needs an earthquake to transform it into a beautiful place.

Carr's dark, often inappropriate humour is his trademark style, but many social media users are suggesting he's gone too far this time.

The tweet in question features four images of a puppet version of Carr, in front of four sights of Dunedin.

Carr's caption read, "Went to Napier, destroyed by an earthquake - rebuilt - beautiful town. Went to Christchurch, destroyed by an earthquake - rebuilt - beautiful town. I'm now in Dunedin.

"I'll tell you what this town needs..."

Carr's audience was split on their opinion of the gag.

Some blasted the comedian for being insensitive, labelling the joke as "not okay" and "a bit harsh".

"Earthquakes are hilarious aren't they..." one user posted.

"Aww come on man, people like your gags sailing close to the wind but don't be a f**kwit with it," another said.

"Dude, waaaay too soon. Some of us survived those quakes. Too many of us didn't. Don't joke about tragedies, especially ones you haven't experienced," another complained.

Other dedicated fans came out in support of Carr, calling the joke a "great gag" and "hilarious".

"Lol hilarious. TRUE! Dunedin needs a quake or a bomb. Maybe both. Let's bring Dunedin into the 2000s finally," one brave Tweeter posted.

Another camp of Tweeters took issue with Carr's decisive statement that Christchurch had been rebuilt.

"Just so you know, I live in Christchurch and it's not rebuilt, far from it. It is taking way too long," one person said.

Carr was travelling New Zealand as part of his world tour, hitting stages in Auckland, Hamilton and New Plymouth amongst others.

The questionable gag wasn't his first earthquake-related joke he'd posted to Twitter, having made a jibe about Napier and Christchurch being part of the "earthquake tour" just over the weekend.

Again, this first joke was shot down by users calling it "poor taste" and "offensive".​

Comments

View all

'Hitting' stages, as in supine. Is he yet to play Dunedin and did anyone tell him about our 'last minute door sales' thing?

What a wit. I don't think so - he just wants a reaction and he's got it. Been done before: 'I came to NZ and it was closed'.
'https://teara.govt.nz/en/visitors-opinions-about-new-zealand/page-4

I'm no great fan of Carr but if you don't like his bad taste humour you don't have to buy tickets to his show or follow him on Twitter. And he'll thrive on this publicity, it's what he does for a living.

True, but Jimmy is a celebrity. Celebrities are reported. Note this is Mainstream Media, not tweeter. Let's be clear. He joked that Christchurch is better off, and Dunedin might be, if we were levelled.

Bloody funny. Larf. I could have died..and there is still time.

I'm from Dunedin, and I think it's a very funny joke ...

Dunedin is a dump, old buildings everywhere, rubbish everywhere, glass on the roads and footpaths around the University.
I expect an earthquake will take down heaps of old buildings.
We had better build a new hospital before the earthquake hits us.

he's obviously being provocative.... he's from hounslow ffs

View all

 

Advertisement