Current Events > Olympics opening ceremony director dismissed for holocaust jokes made in 1998

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https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31859251/olympic-opening-ceremony-director-kentaro-kobayashi-fired-holocaust-joke-made-1998-comedy-act

The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee fired the director of the opening ceremony on Thursday because of a Holocaust joke he made during a comedy show in 1998. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said a day ahead of the opening ceremony that director Kentaro Kobayashi has been dismissed. Kobayashi used a joke about the Holocaust in his comedy act, including the phrase "Let's play Holocaust." "We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy," Hashimoto said. "We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country."

Tokyo has been plagued by scandals ever since being awarded the Games in 2013. French investigators are looking into alleged bribes paid to International Olympic Committee members to influence the vote for Tokyo. The fallout forced the resignation two years ago of Tsunekazu Takeda, who headed the Japanese Olympic Committee and was an IOC member. The opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Games is scheduled for Friday. The ceremony will be held without spectators as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections, although some officials, guests and media will attend.

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i guess the joke caust him his job

Lebronwon posted...

used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy

Haven't we all in the name of comedy?

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Nonsense.

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Fam_Fam posted...

i guess the joke caust him his job

Lol

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It's kind of bullshit that Japan is constantly dealing with drama over the Olympics yet there still isn't any serious movement to internationally boycott Beijing 2022. Holocaust jokes can be in poor taste, but we have an active genocide going on in the country that's hosting next year's winter games and nobody wants to talk about that. It's the 1936 games all over again.

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Man, I'm glad I was out of High School before the internet was widespread, and any off color joke I made back then died after someone heard it.

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Yeah how dare people harshly criticize the Olympics set to happen in a week rather than one set to happen next year.

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Lathissamus posted...

Nonsense.

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s0nicfan posted...

It's kind of bullshit that Japan is constantly dealing with drama over the Olympics yet there still isn't any serious movement to internationally boycott Beijing 2022. Holocaust jokes can be in poor taste, but we have an active genocide going on in the country that's hosting next year's winter games and nobody wants to talk about that. It's the 1936 games all over again.

Unlike other countries Japan was actually on the side of the Nazis in that war and did their own fucked up stuff too. Think they still deny how bad the Rape of Nanking was for example.

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Well I guess since the opening ceremony is tomorrow he's probably already done most of the work >_>

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s0nicfan posted...

yet there still isn't any serious movement to internationally boycott Beijing 2022.

Why would there be any boycotts against China? Why would you bite the hand that proverbially feeds you?

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