Laugh If You’re for Free Speech (Even When a Joke Hits Home)

The Scene: Wednesday night at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Hollywood, where comedians and supporters of the American Civil Liberties Union gathered for “Giggle Liberties,” a comedy fund-raiser to benefit the ACLU’s L.A. chapter. The group also presented its Freedom of Expression Award to talk-show host Arsenio Hall.

Who Was There: Hall, ACLU Executive Director Ramona Ripston, former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) and comics Charles Fleischer, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Siskind, Paul Mooney and Chris Spencer.

Dress Code: Everything and anything--from Bradley’s impeccable tuxedo to Goldthwait’s ripped jeans and pajama top.

Money Matters: Tickets to the show and the reception were $100. The event raised $5,000.

How To Lose Your Audience: Goldthwait was going strong until he joked, “You know it’s easy to be politically correct and a liberal when you live in a gated community.” There was dead silence from the well-heeled crowd, until he reminded them, “This is a benefit for freedom of speech. You have to laugh.”

Quoted: “My show’s a place for people to say what they want,” said Hall, relaxing backstage while the show went on. “I’ve had Lea Delaria, who’s a lesbian comic, and I’ve had Andrew Dice Clay. Face it, if I only booked people I agree with, I would have been off the air after two shows.”

Triumphs: Tom Bradley, who was never known as a wild and crazy guy during his mayoral tenure, has loosened up considerably since leaving office.

He actually made a couple of jokes about his anatomy that had the audience laughing in amazement.

Glitches: Less than spectacular turnout. A 10 o’clock show had to be canceled for lack of ticket sales. As for the comics, seven of the 10 listed on the invitation were no shows.

Exit Line: Ripston, describing the ACLU’s position on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution:

“The right not to have cruel and unusual punishments inflicted shall not extend to Barney the dinosaur.”