'TV’s gypsy millionaire’ has called out Jimmy Carr to explain his reasons for a 'derogatory joke' where he suggested the genocide of half-a-million gypsies in the holocaust was a ‘positive’.
The joke, made on his latest comedy special on Netflix, has been met with a huge backlash after families who mourn the memory of their ancestors said it went too far.
In his ‘joke’, Carr suggests that "nobody talks about the positives" of the Holocaust in reference to the 500,000 deaths of Roma, Sinti and travellers at the hands of the Nazis.
Now, local businessman Alfie Best Senior, who is the father of Absolutely Ascot star Alfie Best jnr, has slammed the 'abusive' comment.
Alfie Best snr commented: “I’m quite a pragmatic sort of person and I believe a joke is a joke, but the problem is I don’t think there is anything that warrants [joking about] the genocide of the gypsies.”
Following the airing of the special, the national charity - Friends, Families and Travellers released a statement saying:
“We are disgusted and outraged to see Jimmy Carr celebrate and trivialise the Roma Holocaust in which over 5000,000 Roma and Sinti people were killed, subject to torture and medical experiments.
“It is an insult to those individuals who survived and to the loved ones who mourn the memory of Roma and Sinti ancestors. We call on Netflix and Channel 4 to review their ongoing work with someone who belittles genocide to humour.”
Millionaire mobile home park operator of Wyldecrest Parks, Alfie Best senior added: “For me, it’s been a difficult journey for what I do but it just hammers the nail home to actually tell me exactly what people are thinking behind your back.
“I know it’s in the context of a joke, but do you know how far that puts gypsies back again?
“Because if that [joke] is accepted that just puts them back behind 20 years of coming forward.
“Gypsies hide their identity. I hid mine because I knew it was ‘derogatory’ to be a gypsy, and this just confirms it.
“It confirms exactly why you don’t have more gypsies coming out.”
Alfie says that he is looking forward to meeting the comedian in person.
“When that day comes and I finally get to meet him, the joke will be on him. I wouldn’t let him leave the conversation, when he tries to talk over me and make a wise crack, I will shut him down and I will video it because I am incensed that he thinks that personally.
“I know it’s a joke but he’s a professional, he’s an expert, that’s his forte. If we step out of line, we get held to account for that. I see myself as a normal businessman and watching that one joke actually made me feel different.”
He explained: “Because what I thought is that is what people think of me behind my back and it actually made me start to think about certain situations.”
In his comedy special, Carr said that the particular joke was in the ‘career-ending’ category, and many have had varying opinions on this statement about whether it would have a negative effect on the comedian’s future.
Alfie said: “A lot of people will look at him in a completely different light and I think this will haunt him for a long time to come.
“He won’t realise it but, in every field, and walk of life there are gypsies. The amount of production work that are gypsies [for example]. I for one really looking forward to meeting him.
“I think that Netflix like any good business will eventually take it down when it gets to their ears and when that time comes it will happen.
“And I think the best that Jimmy Carr can do is not just apologise, what he should do is explain how he thought it was correct and proper to do it”
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