Controversial Comedy Show Cancelled After Offensive Merchandise Sparks Outrage

A comedy club in New Westminster, B.C., decided to cancel an upcoming show after facing backlash over the sale of offensive merchandise by the Canadian comedy group, Danger Cats.

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy took to social media to announce the cancellation amidst concerns arising from merchandise sold by Danger Cats, which depicted a cartoon version of Robert Pickton. The merchandise bore the caption, “Over 50 Flavours of Hookery Smoked Bacon.”

The T-shirt that caused an uproar is no longer available on Danger Cats’ merchandise page but was sold out as of Monday evening, leading to public outrage.

Lorelai Williams, a relative of Tanya Holyk, who is believed to be a victim of Robert Pickton, expressed relief when the show was called off. Williams stated that the cancellation was a step forward but insisted that Danger Cats should be deplatformed in Canada to prevent further occurrences.

In response to the cancellation, an online petition on Change.org was initiated, gathering over 1,300 signatures by Tuesday afternoon. The petition called upon the comedy club to axe the event scheduled for March.

In an attempt to address the controversy, Danger Cats issued a statement on social media. They claimed to have voluntarily cancelled the New Westminster show, along with other dates in Edmonton and Ottawa, over concerns that the venue staff could be subjected to threats.

The comedy group also alleged that the uproar surrounding their merchandise led to “arson” and “vandalism,” although no further details were provided. Regarding the controversial merchandise, Danger Cats promised that the proceeds from the sales would be donated to Ukraine.

CTV News Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson contributed to this report.