A stand-up comedian has cancelled his gig at a London university after students asked him to sign an agreement ensuring that his jokes would be “kind” and “respectful”.
He says he felt unable to go ahead with the gig after receiving an email from student organisers that included a “behavioural agreement form” for him to sign before performing in order to “avoid problems”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The agreement stipulates that: “All topics must be presented in a way that is respectful and kind. It does not mean that these topics can not be discussed. But, it must be done in a respectful and non-abusive way.”
By signing the contract, performers were agreeing to avoid any material which could be construed as “racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia or anti-religion or anti-atheism”.
In an email accompanying the form, Unicef on Campus society leader Fisayo Eniolorunda said the contract had been written to ensure an environment “where joy, love and acceptance are reciprocated by all”.
Kisin said he was astonished by the request. “Obviously performers shouldn’t be allowed to go on stage with the intention of being racist or homophobic,” he told The Guardian. “But comedians play with ideas and sometimes we stray over the line, or are perceived to have done so.
“It’s vital that we’re not prevented from playing with ideas in that way or forced to sign contracts that mean if that happens, we’re held up as having broken our word.”
The Russian-born comedian said that the missive reminded him of his childhood under the Communist regime where all forms of media were strictly controlled by the state.
“This is a threat to freedom of speech and I have declined the invitation on a point of principle,” he told The Times. “I grew up under the Soviet Union. When I saw this letter, basically telling me what I could and couldn’t say, I thought this was the kind of letter a comic would have been sent there.”
The Soas student union says there is no policy requiring speakers at the university to sign behavioural agreements. It suggested the Unicef on Campus society had been “overzealous”.
In a statement, the society has apologised for what it described as a “misunderstanding” over the agreement.
“Given that Unicef is a children’s charity, we wanted to make sure it was an appropriate event for the cause,” said the society. “We would never wish to impose that guests would have to agree to anything they do not believe in. We apologise for the misunderstanding.”
-
What do heatwaves mean for Scandinavia?Under the Radar A record-breaking run of sweltering days and tropical nights is changing the way people – and animals – live in typically cool Nordic countries
-
August 17 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include voting rights of felons, misdirection on the way to the Alaska summit, and more
-
5 crime-ridden cartoons about National Guard deployment in DCCartoons Artists take on the crime of littering, the real criminals in DC, and more
-
‘With this prime minister, the next scandal will never be far off’Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis from the British and international press
-
‘The Tory party could literally fall apart’Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis from the British and international press
-
‘Secrecy over Tory MP accused of rape is damaging to democracy’Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis from the British and international press
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drugSpeed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policySpeed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UKSpeed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakersSpeed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
