News / TV

Jim Jefferies apologizes on-air to women: “We can do better”

The Jim Jefferies Show has pleasantly surprised since its start earlier this year on Comedy Central. On last night’s episode, Jefferies did what hardly anyone else in late-night comedy has dared to do — take the jokes about Harvey Weinstein and reflect them back upon himself. After skewering Weinstein, Hollywood culture for knowing about his openly secret perversions, and FOX News for ignoring its own history while trying to make it a political issue, Jefferies took the opportunity to apologize for himself and for men. Realizing it’s up to men to do better. Here’s his apology:

“My act is what you would call an acquired taste. But I’ve always believed that my audience understood that those are jokes and don’t represent my actual beliefs. Then came the day when a large part of America was willing to write off pussy-grabbing as locker room talk, and I started to rethink that. And if this latest news made me realize anything, is that we as men have been incredibly ignorant about what’s happening right underneath our noses. The women who are now sharing their painful experiences are some of the richest, powerful and beloved women in the country. And if they’re fearful about speaking out, just imagine how hard it must be for every other woman in the world. I was stupid to think that people like Harvey Weinstein were rare. Look at your Twitter and Facebook feeds this week and you’ll see women sharing their own stories using the hashtag #metoo. Chances are that every woman you know has experienced harassment or worse. I thought I was a pretty good guy, what with all the not raping I’ve done, but it turns out that’s not enough. It’s a start. But it’s not enough. We need to create a culture where women feel safe coming forward about their experiences. And when they do, we need to hear them. Every week on this show, I say, ‘I think we can do better.’ I know I can.”

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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