Cannes Lions

Not A Joke

MULLENLOWE, Boston / CHANGE THE REF / 2019

Film
Case Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Background

In December 2018, disgraced comedian Louis CK made a joke about the survivors and victims of the Parkland shooting. After drawing significant criticism, CK quipped, “If you ever need people to forget that you jerked off, what you do is you make a joke about kids that got shot.”

For Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was murdered at Parkland along with 16 others, this kind of “joke” couldn’t be taken lying down. Oliver decided to hit back at Louis CK with an art piece of his own with this stand-up set.

Execution

Manny and Patricia Oliver lost their son Joaquin in the Parkland, FL high school shooting last year. Ten months later, disgraced comedian Louis CK made a joke about the Parkland victims. Manny Oliver responded with this stand-up set of his own, using dark humor to prove the deadly serious point that his son is not to be used as anyone’s punchline.

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