Generally, allegations of serious and repeated sexual assaults are not considered rich veins of comedy. Tell that to James Corden, who inexplicably decided that now was a good time to rattle off a series of Harvey Weinstein clangers at a Hollywood black tie event. This will surely help to walk back the widely held belief that Hollywood protects abusers and minimises their actions.
Corden was emceeing at the gala for amfAR, a foundation for AIDS research, when he dropped the gags.
Straight out gate, host @JKCorden with Harvey Weinstein jokes. Too soon? Some laughs, some groans #amfARLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/nx88w5UwUe
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) October 14, 2017
In the above video, the audience can be heard groaning when Corden tells the crowd that it is a beautiful night in LA, – “so beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage”.
He continues with another not great joke. “It has been weird this week hasn’t it, watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath … it’s weird watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water.
“Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight but he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”
Look, not only is it beyond the pale that he’s joking about the biggest exposé of Hollywood abuse in decades while fresh allegations are still being uncovered… the jokes also suck. He’s really got nothing going for him on these ones.
As you might expect, the reaction from the wider online community is not particularly positive.
ALL the hard and brave work women have done this week in light of Hollywood abuse and @JKCorden belittles it all 🙄 it isn’t BANTS. Do better
— Holli Dempsey (@HolliDee) October 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/DancingTheMind/status/919517000040374272
Hollywood men: well sexual assault is terrible I have a daughter so rape is defo bad
Also Hollywood men: I have some jokes. Wanna hear them? https://t.co/rOtB5gXvNn— Kirsty Strickland (@KirstyStricklan) October 15, 2017
James Corden’s “joke” is part of the problem, no offence
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) October 15, 2017
me after hearing about James Corden make a joke about Harvey Weinstein Sexual Assault Allegations: pic.twitter.com/f8IxiV24Op
— 🔪 (@libruh0e) October 15, 2017
Rose McGowan also expressed her take on Corden’s jokes rather succinctly:
https://twitter.com/rosemcgowan/status/919525588796284930
McGowan herself is copping a bit of blowback for a now deleted tweet in which she bizarrely asked Corden whether he would feel comfortable making the same joke if he subbed in a racial slur instead of the word ‘woman’.
She has since deleted the tweet, but… pic.twitter.com/5DsOChxfv6
— first of all, bitch, … (@thejournalista) October 15, 2017
Corden has not addressed the backlash to his jokes – presumably because he assumed that nobody would ever find out about the gags he made at a chummy Hollywood black tie affair.
Well mate, it doesn’t quite work like that anymore.
