Gallagher’s Birthday Bash Smashed

Officials canceled comedian Gallagher’s Sept. 30 show in Laramie, Wyo., at the  because of complaints of racist and homophobic remarks in his sets.  
with Sledge-O-Matic

The comedian, whose main shtick has been smashing watermelons with a sledgehammer, has never been the toast of high society, but enough comments came in to management that despite having sold 100 tickets, the show was called off. The performance was included on the routing for Gallagher’s 70th Birthday Bash tour. 

“We’re a public building, we’re a community building,” Civic Center executive director Melissa Daniele told the Laramie Boomerang. “There’s nothing to say other than it’s our discretion what we promote and what we feel is appropriate for the community.”

The comedian said he doesn’t feel his shows are hateful. “I’ve done more than 4,000 shows in 40 years, and this is the first time my show has been canceled for something like this,” Gallagher said. “I have millions of fans – why would what a few people say balance out the positives of millions of people going to my show?”

One joke regarding homosexuals can be heard on a 2010 performance: “There is only one kind of homosexual man and that’s pretty ones. Every homosexual that you meet is prettier than your wife and SHE knows it. Why do they need to be good looking? It’s not like they are facing each other.”