Audience walks out on ex-minister's son in row over racism

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Jan 28, 2007 | by STEPHEN MAGUIRE

WACKY comedian David McSavage has been caught up in a huge race- row.

The funnyman sparked uproar and was booed at a show when he used the word "Paki" in a stand-up routine about Big Brother.

The show, at the Ha'Penny Bridge Inn comedy club, central Dublin, shocked some of the audience so much they walked out.

McSavage is the son of former Foreign Affairs Minister David Andrews, who as chairman of the Irish Red Cross helped raise more than EUR2million for the Pakistan earthquake relief effort.

But one tourist from London at the show said he thought he was hearing things.

"If you used the word 'Paki' in somewhere like Southall in London you'd spark a bloody riot," he said.

The man claimed McSavage, who used to be the warm-up act for RTE's Late Late Show, used the word "Paki" on a number of occasions.

"Some people might be used to this kind of humour, but it went down like a lead balloon with much of the audience.

"At least two people got up and left when McSavage was in full flow with what I would call racist remarks."

The tourist said: "He certainly doesn't pull his punches and everything was up for discussion which made for uneasy listening.

"It was childish humour. He was demeaning to waiters too and was putting on a Pakistani accent and going on _ about them.

"He might think he's not racist but Pakistani people find those sorts of references - and the term 'Paki' - demeaning and insulting. They simply find it racist."

As he was booed, McSavage, real name David Andrews, hit back at the audience and accused THEM of having race "issues".

A spokesman for the Immigrant Council of Ireland said repeating racist jokes to point the finger of blame at racists was no answer to the problem. He said: "This is merely adding fuel to the fire. Using the word 'Paki' in any context is unacceptable.

"The sooner we stamp out this kind of behaviour the better. We can't allow people to continue to use such words in conversation or in entertainment - it's not on."

Last night McSavage apologised if he had caused any offence, but claimed comedy was subjective.

The stand-up comedian said: "I was simply referring to the Big Brother situation i and all that had gone with it. "Of course I used the word 'Paki' but it was in the context of what I was talking about. "I am certainly not racist that's not where I come from. If people had a problem with it then I would suggest that it is their fears which they need to deal with.

"I certainly hope I didn't come across as a racist and I'm sorry if people picked it up that way.

"Of course I go close to the bone a lot of the time. I tell jokes about Nazis but that doesn't mean that I hate all Jewish people. I'm sorry if these people were insulted by the show but that's just my thing.

"I try to reflect life and sometimes life is not very funny in itself. But I'm happy that anybody who knows me will know that I'm not racist."

His father David Andrews was Foreign Affairs minister during the northern peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement.

He quit in 2000 and became chairman of The Irish Red Cross, where he helped raise more thanEUR2million to aid survivors of the Pakistani earthquake which killed 73,000 and left 3.5million people homeless more than a year ago.

It is not the first time that McSavage, whose brother Barry is Fianna Fail TD for Dun Laoghaire, has hit the headlines.

He was arrested for selling copies of his DVD on Dublin's Grafton Street, but the charge of not having a casual trading licence was struck out last year after he agreed to pay EUR100 to charity.

He was also arrested during the Edinburgh festival nine years ago for using the word "penis" during an outside show but a charge of obscenity was later dropped in court.