Lovdev Barpaga apologises for 'highly offensive' comment

Stand-up Lovdev Barpaga has apologised for making a ‘highly offensive’ joke about Jewish people during a Zoom gig.

The comedian was taking part in the online UK Pun Off gig when he completed the rhyme: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue,’ with the line: ‘Stop calling me, you stupid Jew.’

His comment stunned the other comedians taking part in the gig.

After an awkward silence and some nervous laughs, Julian Lee said: ‘What the fuck’ and later referred to the line as ‘antisemitism’, while Rob Thomas said: ‘I’m struggling with the Jew reference, Lovdev.’

Barpaga then defended the line saying: ‘It's a rhyme, it's a line in a poem’ - and then repeated it.

If this isn’t a case of #jewsdontcount I don’t know what it is. Slot in any other ethnic minority, and tell me this wouldn’t have been stopped right there. @Baddiel @RachCreeger pic.twitter.com/xSQ9BLu8os

— Ruth Bloch (@cala99) March 21, 2021

However, in retrospect he apologised for the comment, and after the show tweeted: ‘Last night I did a highly offensive, inappropriate line on the UK Pun Off show, without even thinking about what I said on air. Looking back at it now I'm an absolute idiot, those who know me, know that I'm nothing like that in person.

‘It was a cheap line that didn't deserve anything or to be said on air.  genuinely remorseful. I'm deeply and truly sorry to everyone who was offended by it.’

However, not everyone was satisfied. One Jewish Twitter user said: ‘You can’t just do racism and then a quick apology.’

Another said: ‘It was just crude racism.  It didn't just slip out. You thought it up, considered it and then said to yourself yeah some Jew Hate is what we all need.’

The official Pun Off Twitter channel also apologised, saying: 'All of us at UK Pun Off want to say we're really sorry for the highly offensive line in tonight's episode. Please accept our heartfelt apologies.’

But again the apology was rejected by several Twitter users, with one saying: 'Your panel didn't seem to find it particularly offensive. All just bantz to them from the look of it.'

Published: 23 Mar 2021