A group of comedians called the Danger Cats cancelled at least eight shows after the comedy venues that were set to host them received a series of threats ranging from arson to physical violence.
“What started as jokes has now moved into new territory,” Brett Forte, one of the comedians, wrote on X. “We’ve received death threats and so have the staff at the venues we’re scheduled to perform at. Now the three of us can weather the storm but when it comes to our friends in the industry, it’s not worth the risk to their livelihoods,” Forte continued.
“We’re talented performers and we look forward to showing you that when the time is right. Unfortunately, our opposition has decided to resort to arson, vandalism, and threats of bodily harm, so that time is not now,” he concluded.
Much of the controversy stems from jokes about Canadian residential schools, where the remains of native children were said to be buried near or underneath. The would-be revelations of the unmarked graves have yet to result in any human remains found in either Kamloops, British Columbia, or Pine Creek, Manitoba.
Yuk Yuk’s, an iconic international stand-up comedy chain, was set to host the group of comics for four shows at its Winnipeg, Manitoba, location at the end of February 2024. However, the club pulled the plug after a roast-battle joke from comedian Brendan Blacquier was publicized on Canada’s state broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The CBC spoke to the woman who posted the video clip who said she was “absolutely disgusted.”
Another mainstream news company, Global News, then went after the group for a particular piece of merchandise that was labeled offensive.
Reporter Angela Jung spoke to more offended parties who called the Danger Cats’ T-shirt “disgusting” and “disturbing.”
The T-shirts featured Robert Pickton, a man who was convicted in 2007 for a series of murders. Pickton is shown with a grin while holding a slice of bacon with the caption “Pickton Farms, over 50 flavours of hookery smoked bacon.”
The reporter sought out one of the victims’ cousins for comment, who was predictably alarmed.
On a recent podcast, the merchandizing controversy was addressed by the group’s other member, Sam Walker.
Walker said the joke is “meant to raise awareness to what’s happening to these poor women that were killed because they they were so low on the social status that many of them weren’t even noticed that they were gone for a long time.”
“This is the purpose of the comedy. If nobody talks about it, it gets forgotten. And it may be a tasteless joke to some, but for me, it is my way of being on the side of the same people that are coming after us,” Walker explained.
Walker told Blaze News that the “shows were canceled for the safety of the comedy clubs and the people that [they] work with.”
“We have no further comment at this moment,” he added.
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