Jo Koy Calls Audience Member 'F***ing F***ot' In Chicago: Report

UPDATE: Jo Koy updated his Twitter account Thursday night with the following statement:

"I sincerely apologize for the incredibly foul word I chose to use on stage last night in Chicago. It was a moment that I regret. I realize that words can be hurtful , which is never my intent. I’m truly saddened if I offended anyone with my poor choice of words, particularly the gay community. Homophobia is not funny."

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As actor and comedian Tracy Morgan tries repairing his reputation following a homophobic rant, another popular comedian is being accused of making anti-gay comments during a performance in Chicago.

Jo Koy was in Chicago Wednesday to perform at the Vic Theatre as part of the third annual TBS Just for Laughs comedy festival. A reporter for Chicago's LGBT newspaper the Windy City Times attended the show and apparently witnessed some homophobic remarks from the comedian, who is a regular in Chelsea Lately's roundtable.

From the Windy City Times:

At one point in his stand-act he danced in a feminine fashion and said, "I made this dance extra gay since I am not gay." Later his zipper was open to the screams of several female fans in the front row pointing at his jeans. One male voice yelled, "I saw it." Koy replied, "What are you looking at, fucking faggot?"

The remarks came after Videogum reported on a previous Koy "joke"-- that sounded a lot like Tracy Morgan's. In Morgan's notorious set, he said he would "pull out a knife and stab" his son if he were gay. Koy allegedly told an audience of college students "something like if he ever caught his son in bed with another boy, he would stab them both to death."

He was allegedly booed off stage following the remarks at the college.

Comments

[Koeiseun]

11:29 PM on 07/06/2011

No truth to the rumor that he was actually responding to the reflexion of himself in an off stage mirror, then...huh???

[Rasheed Kalifani Knowles]

08:52 AM on 06/27/2011

Let me just clear this up for y'all:

HE DID IT TO FEND OFF ALL THE RUMORS OF BEING ON THE DL THANKS TO CHELSEA ALWAYS CALLING HIM GAY ON HER SHOW.

Like Tracy Morgan, he was hyper-sensitive to RUMORS...and did what most insecure people do when they fear being viewed a certain way: They attack the group that they are being associated with. It seems petty but it get's worse the more insecure they become about it. We should all know this by now.

Therefore, to all you naysayers and decriers of political-correct-ness:

KOY and MORGAN were the ones that were being 'overly sensitive'.

....morons. And I mean you.

[Mike Carano]

08:25 AM on 06/24/2011

I’m going to make an honest effort to get through this post without swearing. You remember me, Koy? The photographer who said in passing you “might be a hack?” The one you threw a temper tantrum over like a 2 year old for that one little remark and threatened to cancel all your appearances if I wasn’t fired? The one who gave you a heartfelt written apology and you REFUSED IT?! Oh looky here, the tables have turned. Except for that one minor detail that I didn’t insult an entire social demographic. Have fun with the remains of your “career.” Hack.

[Rasheed Kalifani Knowles]

08:10 AM on 06/27/2011

Sounds like the lil missy was havin 'em a lil hissy fit.

Means he knew your were right all along.

[Koeiseun]

11:30 PM on 07/06/2011

Cheers to you, Mike!!!

[T Name]

01:25 PM on 06/22/2011

I watched Chelsea Handler blow off Jo Koy's nasty homophobic behavior on her show Tuesday night. With regard to Koy, I have a tendency to think that people say what they mean (even if they have to deny it later) and with regard to the way Handler's response, I say this: I used to be a fan and watch faithfully, but if she tolerates and condones such behavior by downplaying it, as nothing, then I will move on and leave them in their 'I can say anything I want and get away with it bigoted world'. She's banked million because of fans like me, I'm sure she'll be fine!

[Rasheed Kalifani Knowles]

08:13 AM on 06/27/2011

Amen. Fanned.

[Brian C Bock]

08:13 AM on 06/22/2011

Oh, crud. I never heard of this guy before this headline. Is this how obscure comics are going to launch their careers by saying nasty things about gays and then apologizing?

[randman21]

06:26 AM on 06/25/2011

Just because you've never heard of him doesn't mean he's obscure. He's a HUGE draw in the comedy world. But don't take this as me condoning his actions. A good sign of a hack is when someone has to call someone any kind of hateful slur when they feel threatened. I was neutral on him before, now I'm slightly negative.

[Ana Cepeda]

12:26 AM on 06/22/2011

Comedy is going to get super boring and never funny if this keeps up. Do you really want comedians walking on eggshells? Do people really take themselves this seriously all of the time?
The worst thing is I don't believe any malice was intended in his remark. For the people saying his career is over, no it's not. Andy Dick slapped an audience member with his penis. If Andy Dick can still get an audience, slap him with his penis and no one made anywhere near the fuss being made over this, I'm guessing Jo Koy will be just fine.

[r henry]

11:10 AM on 06/24/2011

Laughing at yourself and playing with cliches and stereotypes can be hilarious when it's coming from the right place but there is nothing really funny about simply calling someone a "f*****g f****t". There's nothing smart or clever about it. It's cheap.

[Alex Ra]

12:27 PM on 06/26/2011

You are right that his response wasn't smart and an unfortunate choice of words, but I doubt he meant it in a hateful way. My interpretation of the event was that he was trying to make light of an embarrassing situation. I think gay people have a right to be offended by this and should speak out but those who aren't gay and are screaming bloody murder about this are over reacting and acting like pc fascist douches. Im all for equal rights and rejoiced and genuinely felt happy for homosexuals when they legalized gay marriage in New York, however, the vitriol against Koy on this thread is ridiculously overblown

[Koeiseun]

11:03 PM on 06/21/2011

" I realize that words can be hurtful , which is never my intent".....Oh....I see...he meant "f*****g f*****ot, as a compliment. What a douchebaug!

[Squiriferous]

06:34 PM on 06/21/2011

He's toast. At least Tracy Morgan used to be funny.

[RamonRivasII]

02:08 PM on 06/21/2011

My names Ramon Rivas II (www.twitter.com/RamonRivasII), I'm a comedian from Cleveland OH. I opened for Jo Koy that night, and have written a blog about the week leading up to the show, the show and the aftermath. If you'd like to check it out, follow this link

http://ramonrivas.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/just-for-laughs-chicago-and-whats-the-deal-with-journalism/

I posted a few comments on this string and they were not posted for some reason.

[egon2020]

08:07 PM on 06/20/2011

There are three misconceptions I'd like to clear up.

1. This issue has nothing to do with violating anyone's first amendment rights. Free speech is about governmental restriction of expression, and nothing else.

2. LGBT people don't tend to find homophobia all that funny. I know I don't. We also have no problem expressing our opinions on the matter. If comedians decide to respond to our reaction with apologies, that is entirely up to them. Some don't care what we think. Some do. No one is forcing anyone to do anything.

3. While historically some comedians have been wildly homophobic in their acts, the days of being able to drop a little gay hate into your set for a cheap laugh are probably over. It just doesn't play anymore. That we are standing up for ourselves and are finally being supported by the wider culture is not censorship. Comedians are free to say whatever they want, but if the audience regards their comedy as borderline hate speech they must be prepared to accept the consequences. Just ask Gallagher.

[paul87920]

04:13 PM on 06/20/2011

Sorry, I have never heard of him.

[Michael James Keane]

02:21 PM on 06/18/2011

Headline: Comedian calls audience member something that millions of people call their own friends all the time.

[r henry]

11:13 AM on 06/24/2011

You something that straight, white, underexposed, teenage boys call their own friends? I don't call my friends that and I've never heard any mature, intelligent adult do it, either. Only childish, small minded boys.

[Michael James Keane]

01:22 PM on 06/24/2011

You see, you're trying to insult me here, which is ironic because that's typically something childish, small-minded boys do. But it's not going to work because I never claimed to have used this kind of language myself. I merely observed that other people use it all the time. The only problem I have with a comedian who says something that millions of other people have already said is that he's being unoriginal.

People who are offended by this kind of thing seem to have a desperate need to be offended by something, anything. If you really want to be angry at a comedian, go listen to Lenny Bruce. He should take care of that need for you.

[Rasheed Kalifani Knowles]

08:20 AM on 06/27/2011

Good to see that straight guys now take the F-word as a compliment...a term of endearment.

Progress indeed. --.--

[JustinBeiberJr]

05:20 AM on 06/18/2011

It was nice knowing you Jo Koy. Should have stuck to some low brow migogynist dick jokes .

[BHD]

10:51 PM on 06/17/2011

Career over, we're sorry, you DO get a copy of the home game however.

[GirlInNYC]

10:26 PM on 06/17/2011

Ho hum. I watch Chelsea Lately and she takes swings at my race every chance. So what? She's a COMIC. They JOKE. Grow a thicker skin, folks.

[AnitaMan]

10:46 PM on 06/17/2011

I pity your in ability to distinguish comedy from hate

[Always Conservative]

01:14 AM on 06/18/2011

I pity your hyper-sensitivity...

[Aaron Peeples]

01:54 PM on 06/18/2011

That wasn't hate. That's not what hate is.

[r henry]

11:16 AM on 06/24/2011

I have never seen this guy so I won't say what I think of his specific jokes but I do think that it depends on where it's coming from in your heart. Someone like Lisa Lampanelli rips apart every race and demographic in her comedy but she's also one of the most open minded entertainers out there and people know that. I think it's something you'd have to take on a case by case basis. Using the word "f*****t" in a routine is not automatically hate speech but it can be.