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Amy Schumer in crossfire after rape comments by writer on her show

 
Amy Schumer’s response included “Kurt does not work for me” and the news that her show is currently on hiatus.
Amy Schumer’s response included “Kurt does not work for me” and the news that her show is currently on hiatus.
Published Aug. 22, 2016

Amy Schumer found herself in the midst of an online firestorm this week in a debate concerning comedy and sexual assault.

This particular case concerned Kurt Metzger, a (potentially former) writer and actor for her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer, who wrote several Facebook posts about sexual assault victims.

Metzger, who has written for Schumer's show since 2013, took to Facebook after a fellow comic was banned from Upright Citizens Brigade events after rumors that he sexually assaulted several female comics, Vulture reported. UCB is a sketch-comedy and improv group that helped launch the careers of Amy Poehler, Nick Kroll and Ellie Kemper.

Metzger was angry that the comedian was reportedly ousted due to accusations rather than formal charges or a conviction. Representatives from UCB haven't spoken.

In the first of several posts addressing the incident, Metzger either satirized or ranted about the situation by claiming a fictitious character seemingly meant as a stand-in for his friend had been accused of sexual assault.

Here is part of what he wrote, edited to remove profanity:

"Guys I have just heard some disturbing news, this guy Jiff Dilfyberg is a rapist! I know because women said it and that's all I need! Never you mind who they are. They are women! ALL women are as reliable as my bible! A book that, much like a women, is incapable of lying! … Anyway Jiff Dilfyberg is dangerous! So dangerous that we can't go to the police to report his many rapes! That would just be tooooo rapey, and the women are too brave for that. … BAM! Lady Ghostbusters! Little girl looks up at us! … Don't mention it, little girl. Just knowing I got to be part of an unthinking herd of mewling progressive cattle is reward enough!"

Unsurprisingly, it sparked outrage on the Internet.

Caught in the crossfire was Metzger's employer, Schumer.

On Wednesday, Schumer finally addressed the situation in two tweets, which could easily be interpreted to mean that she fired Metzger: "Kurt does not work for me. He is not a writer on my show. Please stop asking me about it. His words are not mine."

Later, she made clear she hadn't fired Metzger, but that she's not making Inside Amy Schumer any longer (which sparked a whole new wave of social media posts).