The comedian said she was saddened by Kurt Metzgers mocking of rape victims, which appeared after accusations against a New York comic surfaced
Comedian Amy Schumer is facing backlash for her passive response to one of her male writers offensive comments on sexual assault.
Kurt Metzger, a regular writer for the stars popular show Inside Amy Schumer, mocked rape survivors online and suggested that women lie about being victims. He recently made fun of women who report sexual assault and people who support victims, writing on Facebook: Guys I have just heard some disturbing news, this guy Jiff Dilfyberg is a rapist! I know because women said it and thats all I need! Never you mind who they are. They are women! ALL women are as reliable as my bible! A book that, much like a women, is incapable of lying!
The fake Jiff Dilfyberg name and his commentary appeared to be a response to recent reports that a prominent New York City comedian is facing multiple accusations of sexual assault.
After Metzger continued tweeting insults directed at people who speak up about rape, Schumer weighed in on Twitter on Wednesday, saying she was saddened and disappointed and couldnt be more against his recent actions. She also called him a friend and great writer in her statement.
Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) August 17, 2016
I am so saddened and disappointed in Kurt Metzger. He is my friend and a great writer and I couldn’t be more against his recent actions.
Schumer further tweeted that Metzger does not work for me and is not a writer on my show, adding: Please stop asking me about it. His words are not mine.
Metzger, however, has writing credits on 39 episodes of her show from 2013 and 2015 and was listed as contributing to the most recent season finale, which aired in June.
Schumer also faced backlash this week after Twitter users who asked her to cut ties with Metzger reported that the comedian responded by blocking them.
Liz Arcury (@LizArcury) August 16, 2016
Hey gang. Amy Schumer blocked me on Twitter for this tweet. I was such an enormous, obsessed fan. This is devastating. She has failed women.
Liz Arcury, a writer and comedian, said Schumer blocked her after she tweeted at her calling Metzger anti-woman and anti-feminism and requesting that she fire him.
In an email to the Guardian on Wednesday, Arcury said she was a huge fan of Schumer and was saddened by her response.
Amy has an incredible platform to raise women up and speak out against rape culture and misogyny. She has done an amazing job of that in the past, and my fellow female comedians and I were obsessive fans and admirers. It is such a disappointment to see that she is not only continuing to employ him on her show, but is also taking the aggressive action of blocking my fellow feminists and I who dare to question why she continues to work with him, she wrote.
Arcury said she was particularly upset to see Schumer call Metzger a friend, adding, She can say that she is disappointed all she wants, but unless she takes firm action, she has lost a fan in me and many women in the comedy community.
Representatives for Comedy Central did not respond to requests for comment, and a publicist for Schumer declined to comment.
Metzgers online rants came after news began to spread that women in the New York City entertainment scene were accusing a prominent comedian at Upright Citizens Brigade, a premier comedy club, of sexual assault. A woman reportedly warned others about the comedian in a private Facebook group on Saturday.
Following his Sunday Facebook post, Metzgers tweets mocked the outrage about the Upright Citizens Brigade allegations and calls for an investigation.
Kurt Metzger (@kurtmetzger) August 16, 2016
I’m pitching my new show! UCB SVU! Dedicated to the men and women of improv who in-house investigate rape’
Metzger, who changed his Twitter bio to say Proud cuck and rape apologist, also criticized women for not reporting sexual assault to the police. There are many reasons survivors of assault dont file reports with police, including concerns that they will be re-victimized and re-traumatized by the process and will struggle to get any justice in court.
Metzger made fun of this in his original Facebook post, writing, Jiff Dilfyberg is dangerous! So fucking dangerous that we cant go to the police to report his many rapes! That would just be tooooo rapey, and the women are too brave for that. If we ask them to even merely also post a vague account of what happened before asking us to believe that would like re-raping their rape! These women are as BRAVE as they are sore! Now for the good news!
Critics say Metzger, who did not respond to a request for comment, has a history of harassing women online and writing offensive posts that promote rape culture.
Two outspoken critics of rape jokes in comedy claimed in 2013 that Metzger subsequently harassed them online with obscene images. He faced similar allegations again in 2015.
Schumer has spoken out about sexual assault, and in a recent interview revealed that her first sexual experience was nonconsensual.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/17/amy-schumer-writer-rape-kurt-metzger