The Holocaust joke that the stand-up comedienne had the imprudence to make as she appeared on France 2 primetime on Friday outright prompted a public outrage. The profile of the 2017 winner of the French version of ‘America’s Got Talent' portrayed her as an "angel-turned-demon" with sharp, "unfiltered humor."
Many rushed at once to support the freedom of speech that they said had been violated following the critical remarks:
"If it was Gad Elmaleh, Kev Adams or others of your idols…You would have made the same fuss? Support @ LauraLaune1 and freedom of expression," another Twitter user wrote.
Some pointed to the double standards demonstrated by various social communities, referring to the recent pullout of comedian Tex, whose real name is Jean-Christophe Le Texier, from the same France 2 channel. He notoriously joked about domestic violence against women: "What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nothing, someone tried to explain things to her twice already," Tex said.
"Either we laugh at everything, or at nothing. It is this same chain that has shifted #Tex! It's two weights, two measures!"
Some remarked that hypocrisy is unacceptable when it comes to freedom of speech:
"All those who defend "freedom of expression", but who take offense at each valve, you are a danger to true freedom of expression. We can laugh at everything," one Twitterian said.
For the most part, netizens were shocked to see to what extent the limits of freedom of expression have been blurred:
"It’s a shame France applauds and laughs listening to #LauraLaune… the freedom of expression is not unlimited"
Popular French radio and television presenter and writer of Tunisian origin, Cyril Hanouna, also slammed the French broadcaster for airing the Belgian comedienne’s joke, absolutely enraged with their editorial policy:
"@ France2tv allows anti-Semitic jokes to go on air. Is it OK???" he wondered.
During the Holocaust, otherwise known as the Shoah, which lasted approximately from 1939 to 1945, the death toll among the Jewish population reached, according to most historians, six million people, which makes it one of the most gruesome pages in the history of the 20th century. Separately, even a greater number of Jews were tortured and persecuted in Nazi Germany's public institutions and in all walks of life.
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