Luke perceives himself as a wronged individual.
comedian Luke Mockridge started his new solo comedy tour in Vienna with a mix of apology and defiance. At the opening show, he distanced himself once more from his controversial jokes about disabled sports, which had garnered him widespread criticism and cancellations. Simultaneously, he voiced his frustration over receiving threats and feeling that an apology holds little weight now.
Addressing around 500 individuals in a nearly full event hall in Vienna, Mockridge, 35, joked, "It's insane we're sold out even with me being labeled as the worst person alive." The performance was met with applause and no protests.
Tour marred by cancellations
Initially scheduled to debut a few days earlier in North Rhine-Westphalia, the tour, titled "Funny Times," had its kickoff and subsequent show in Paderborn canceled. The cause: Excerpts of a podcast surfaced after the Paralympic Games in Paris, featuring Mockridge and other podcasters making insensitive jokes about disabled athletes, which were denounced as degrading by numerous people.
Mockridge swiftly issued an apology, but several tour dates were scrapped, and Sat.1 scrapped a planned new quiz show featuring him. Mockridge lost his German management and even his Austrian agency announced they wouldn't work with him after this tour.
Criticism of the German arts scene
At the debut of his new solo show, Mockridge steered clear of potentially sensitive topics such as disability, flooding, or war. He shared stories about his parents' relationships and his own first time, and entertained the audience with piano-driven musical parodies. However, the controversy resurfaced towards the end of the evening.
"The German arts scene is similar to a room laden with buttons, with 'Do Not Touch' warnings," Mockridge commented, defending his preference for inappropriate jokes. He then tossed out jokes like "Tom Kaulitz is the most generously compensated elderly caregiver worldwide."
The audience in Vienna showed Mockridge much support. "I'm basically a decent person, except when I'm not," he concluded. "We get that!" a spectator shouted from the crowd.
Despite the cancellations and widespread criticism, The entertainment provided by comedian Luke Mockridge during his solo comedy tour in Vienna was met with applause and no protests. Mockridge, referring to the controversial past of his comedy acts, joked about being labeled as the worst person alive, highlighting the strong support he received from the audience.
