This comment was first published in Common Knowledge Edinburgh and is republished with permission. David Scott raised the same issue in his UK Column News. August 21, 2023.
Common Knowledge approached Comedy Unleashed about hosting an event during the Edinburgh Festival in May, and after some back and forth it was decided that August 17th was the right date and the venue was booked.
But their original venue didn't have theater-style seating, which they felt would affect the flow of the comedy — tables would encourage audience members to chat and get in the way of the comedians — and a space with rows of seating was perfect for maintaining the concentration needed to get the laughs.
But it's a festival. Every space was occupied by aspiring artists chasing dreams and hoping for a hit. Where can you find all that stuff? Edinburgh's population doubles during the festival, but it doesn't take a local socio-political commentator to tell you that the intensity of foot traffic, spending and economic trade is such that established venues and bespoke arenas are the mainstays of where festival shows are staged (kind of like an arts cartel). So why not try a neighbourhood like Leith?
A venue combining a café and adaptable space seemed ideal at first. Leith Arches were generous enough to provide their space free of charge in their desire to support a win-win comedy night. They were able to provide the required seating arrangement, spotlights, bar staff and sound system. The prospects were good.
sour
Then it all went wrong. Leith Arches had been given a performer list, but the adverts published everyone's names apart from Graham Linehan, who appeared as a “cancelled mystery comedian”. Like most venues, we weren't asked for a performer list, we just submitted our names in the promotional leaflet and adverts.
Maybe this whole thing stems from my decision to ask Comedians Unleashed to keep Graham Linehan anonymous. I know trans activists I didn't like himYet, not being deeply involved in the gender debate, I was unaware of the amount of hate felt by many people towards him (I don't follow Graham Linehan or activists like him on social media, and I was surprised to see him doing stand-up comedy).
To be honest, it probably wouldn't have made any difference whether the venue knew he was coming – they hadn't heard of him, but that suddenly changed – when news leaked that he was going to be in Edinburgh, they had certainly heard a lot about him.
howling
“LGBTQ customers and partners made their position clear to the venue and Leith Arches cancelled the performance before they had even spoken to anyone on our side. They made an inappropriate post on their social media account, which was written by a member of their staff and not only lacked punctuation and clarity of sentences, but Preaching about inclusivity while excluding someone’s beliefsDespite having management's approval, the author had no public relations experience.
At this point, Common Knowledge and Comedy Unleashed's ability to control events was taken over by the forces of anger and the clashing armies of the culture wars. Graham Linehan, tired of being discriminated against for opinions he believed were morally correct, He threatened to sue the venue.On the one hand, they are bombarded with angry calls, tweets and online reviews, they are utterly bewildered and distraught at the prospect of losing their small business, and at the same time, they are wondering how to proceed. Doing Good Things It was a spectacular failure.
Comedy Unleashed, from our side, was completely sympathetic to the point that there was no need to burn down a small venue in the flames of anger, but they wanted to defend the right of comedians and artists to speak freely and hold their beliefs. At the end of the day, this was more important than any venue. In fact, it was more important than any festival. They defended Graham's right to hold these opinions and to make jokes to the masses in a public space.
Undaunted
We all still wanted the concert to go ahead, so Common Knowledge looked for an alternative venue and informed the venue's managers of the controversial nature of the show. They were prepared to accept the booking, but the next morning, one of the club's executives told the club's morning management meeting, MetroGraham Linehan on the cover. Eventually things got out of hand and Graham was fired again, but this time not for his opinions.
Comedians Leashed did a very honourable thing and took the second venue out of the headlines (I think they would have done the same with Leith Arches if they had had the chance) because we are looking for a middle ground and The Law of Unintended ConsequencesThey want to eradicate this problem to prevent something even more harmful than malicious online trolling.
And that's why the concert was decided to be outside the Scottish Parliament. There was no one else who could organise it, but Comedy Unleashed was determined not to cancel it. And it didn't. It was in front of a sizeable audience. Photographically misrepresented Parents As usualNearly every comedian was there, most notably Graham, who got a chance to tell jokes and express his opinions (for the record, I counted over 140 people in the audience). of 50 Pink News Claimed(I was a little disappointed to read this, because no one benefits from lies and manipulation, or, to be generous, from poor sourcing or poor math skills. And in the long run, genuine minorities have the least to gain from indulging in these tactics.)
Conclusion
Did freedom of speech win? That's difficult to say. What is clear is that the story got an incredible amount of attention. It was covered in national and international papers, but also, importantly, in local papers, where people have more opportunities to interact and talk than in other places. The issue became clear, and many influential people took a stance in one way or another, which is exactly what is needed to defend freedom of speech. Ironically, the debate about freedom of speech is exactly what is needed to defend freedom of speech.
There was also another feeling: a sense that a line had been crossed and people now wanted a different direction. It's a terrible tactic to try to block people's platform. It shows you don't believe in your ideas, you don't believe in the people, it's attitudes and behaviour that are unworthy of a democracy. If you don't like Graham Linehan, you don't have to pay to see him. That's freedom.
Graham Linehan then Interview with a British columnist.
