I wouldn’t say I like writing a post like this, but I felt it had to be addressed. The internet is a cruel place, and many people know this. But where do these so-called keyboard warriors get off in trolling a mother taking inspiration from her child?
What Happened?
Comedian Nikki Osbourne has spoken about an experience that almost made her give up on a show she wrote herself. She told 10 Daily that she experienced a moment at the start of her comedy career where she almost gave up on her show, On the Spectrum, when she was targeted online by trolls in the cruel place we call the interwebs.
One of Nikki’s sons has high-functioning autism, which inspired her comedy show, On the Spectrum. However, as she wrote it, she started receiving messages that called her a bad parent for ‘laughing’ at such a serious topic. It got so bad that she almost gave up writing it until her husband inspired her with a little nod to Finding Dory.
Nikki was forced to defend her show and choice of topic when people demanded that her shows be cancelled at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in early 2018. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ms Osbourne was forced to be defensive. She even said that her show never intended to poke fun at her son.
Fellow performer Ryan Smedley, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, defended her decision saying the following:
“The reaction seems ridiculous and over the top,”
He added:
“What we don’t need is people being banned from a performance by people who haven’t seen the show. If it’s unfunny or in poor taste, then people won’t go to see it.”
Even the Melbourne Comedy festival defended her, saying they don’t restrict the topics their performers use in their shows.
Our Thoughts And Yes, The Internet Is A Cruel Place
What pisses us off about this situation is that Nikki wasn’t laughing at her son. Instead, she was trying to raise awareness as autism isn’t a subject that comes up often enough. Yes, it is a serious topic, but she didn’t mean any offence. She knew what she was doing before she even thought about making her experience as a parent with an autistic child the subject of her show.
What is not okay is people who don’t even know her jumping on social media, saying she shouldn’t be doing a show they haven’t seen. These people who roasted her don’t know the first thing about having a child with high-functioning autism unless they have a child or know someone with a similar condition.
People quickly judge something when they don’t know everything about it. Look at what happened with the recent Golden Globes, for example. Ricky Gervais tore strips off Felicity Huffman and Jeffrey Epstein for what they did. One has served a tiny prison sentence while the other is dead. So yeah, even the Golden Globes was a cruel place.
Nikki Osbourne is an intelligent woman who takes her career seriously. She’s also a devoted mum with a child with a disability. The public should support her. Not tear her down.
Why Am I So Invested In This?
Believe it or not, I know exactly what it’s like to be trolled by awful people. My trolling experience is different to Nikki’s, but I also know what it’s like to have a disabled family member. My sister has a learning ability.
People who don’t know Nikki Osbourne should sit back and think about why she wrote her comedy show. It also has NOTHING to do with you. Also, how would you feel if someone criticised your parenting to all the parents who bagged her? You wouldn’t enjoy it, now would you? Also, she’s a comedian. You can laugh at a serious topic without being offensive. One example of this is Daniel Sloss. Also, Tina Fey and Amy Pohler did a similar thing at the 2015 Golden Globes about Bill Crosby.
I might not be a parent yet, but I certainly do NOT condone idiots like you. You were criticising a woman who is only trying to raise awareness for a disability affecting her child. One piece of advice? Keep your goddamn opinions to yourself! Also, as I stated before, the internet is wickedly cruel. Think before you type, or you’re just as bad as the trolls. Also, this is just as horrible as Meghan Markle bullying Princess Charlotte.
