Dapper Laughs: Jenny Eclair and Isy Suttie among 44 comedians to sign open letter against 'entirely sexist' ITV star
Daniel O'Reilly has sparked widespread outrage with his 'degrading' jokes
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Your support makes all the difference.Jenny Éclair, Matt Holt, Katherine Ryan and Isy Suttie are among a group of 44 comedians who have signed an open letter against Dapper Laughs and his "entirely sexist and degrading" brand of 'lad comedy'.
The ITV comedian, real name Daniel O'Reilly, has come under fire for encouraging rape culture and normalising sexism, particularly in his controversial ITV2 series On The Pull.
However, despite more than 53,000 people signing an online petition to see the show scrapped, ITV insists that O'Reilly's narratives are "firmly based on treating women with respect".
"Comedy is subjective and we appreciate the content of the show might not be to everyone's taste," a spokesperson said. "We regret that any of our viewers were offended. However, as with all our shows, the series content was carefully considered, complied and deemed suitable for broadcast."
O'Reilly himself has apologised for any offence caused by his 'jokes'. "Some comedians push the boundaries in the name of entertainment," he said. "That means taking risks. But I think it's important that if we over step the mark and cause upset that we apologise."
But both O'Reilly and ITV's responses have angered others in the comedy industry, who insist that most comedians "do not believe the harassment of women or misogyny dressed up as 'banter' is pushing any kind of boundary whatsoever".
"[O'Reilly's apology] seems to be an attempt to shield himself from personal scrutiny, responsibility or recrimination by manufacturing for his readers a false sense that we as comedians are somehow all in this together," reads the letter from Rhys Thomas, Matt Roper and more.
"This whole escapade has shown, quite luridly, that misogyny still exists, that it still thrives and that we all have a responsibility to be vigilant and speak out whenever and wherever it rears its head."
The letter goes on to praise university students who have "stood up and continue to stand up against 'laddism'", as well as homeless charity Shelter who last week refused donations from Dapper Laughs on the grounds of "deep offence" caused by his jokes.
"This could be an incredible opportunity to sincerely think about and privately explore what true engagement with 50 per cent of Planet Earth's population could be like when they're not reduced to 'gash', 'pussy' or 'minge', it concludes.
"They are women. They are human beings. They are as amazing, banal, interesting and flawed as you. The door is always open to you should you ever wish to make an earnest attempt to understand that."
Comedians who have signed the open letter (in alphabetical order)
Will Andrews
Frances Barber
Sophie Black
Jason Bradbury
Johnny Candon
Jenny Éclair
Pippa Evans
Jessica Fostekew
Janey Godley
Jamie Glassman
Matt Holt
Andrea Hubert
Nadia Kamil
Suzanna Kempner
Luke Kempner
Lee Kern
Jenny Landreth
Wendy Lee
Grainne Maguire
Mae Martine
Lucy Montgomery
Susan Murray
Lucy Porter
Jan Ravens
Jo Romero
Lizzie Roper
Matt Roper
Katherine Ryan
Lou Sanders
Doug Segal
Lee Simpson
Daniel Sloss
Anne Smith
Martin Soan
Darren Strange
Rachel Stubbings
Jojo Sutherland
Isy Suttie
Nathaniel Tapley
Rhys Thomas
Hannah Warman
Tony Way
Arabella Weir
Eleanor White
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