Indian-American comedian Arj Barker left mother and child out of show, sparking controversy
An Indian-American comedian has sparked controversy after asking a mother to leave his show with her 7-month-old baby. The incident in Melbourne, Australia has sparked a heated debate about the rights of mothers and disruption during the demonstration.
Indian-origin comedian Arj Barker is also known as Arjan Singh Ulakh.
During a show in Australia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival on Saturday night, Barker, known for his witty and acerbic comments, asked a breastfeeding mother and her seven-month-old baby to leave the show.
Some people went with the mother to support her, while others started teasing her as soon as she left.
Barker, a California comedian who frequently performs internationally, was entertaining hundreds of people at the Athenaeum Theater when the child’s voice interrupted his thoughts, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“On behalf of the other 700 people there who had paid to watch the programme, I politely told them that the child could not be there,” he told the national broadcaster.
Barker explained that due to the bright stage lights he could not see whether the mother was breastfeeding or not and rejected claims that his decision was related to anything other than noise.
“I have nothing against children. Breastfeeding is not the issue; it should be irrelevant. I didn’t know if she was breast-feeding because I was on a brightly lit stage,” he told CNN affiliate Nine News.
He said, “It was purely an audio issue, it had nothing to do with her being a mother – I have nothing against mothers.”
Barker defended his decision, saying it was a difficult choice to make to ensure a seamless experience for paying attendees.
He expressed sympathy for the mother’s plight while acknowledging the challenging nature of the situation.
“I can understand it was difficult and embarrassing for her and I feel bad about it,” Barker told Melbourne radio station 3AW, CNN reports.
The incident sparked debate in Australia about the rights of mothers to attend public events with their children and the expectations of performers during live shows.
The mother involved, Trish Faranda, shared her perspective on the incident, expressing her initial disbelief when Barker asked her to leave.
“I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s night, it was never my intention to go up to people and harass them or create a situation,” Faranda said.
Faranda’s experience aroused sympathy among many, with some arguing that mothers should be allowed to participate in public activities without facing humiliation.
Australian politician Ellen Sandell condemned Barker’s actions, saying, “It is hard enough for new mothers to take part in society despite all the barriers to entry – to be disrespected like this just for trying to enjoy a comedy festival is appalling.”