Jimmy Carr faces backlash over ‘abortion dwarf’ joke

'Comments such as this are offensive to people with dwarfism and are incredibly detrimental to their wellbeing'

(AFP/Getty)

Jimmy Carr is facing a severe backlash after he made an offensive joke about dwarfs during his stand-up tour.

While performing a segment of his Terribly Funny show this week, which runs from May until December 2020, the comedian asked: “Is a dwarf an abortion that made it?”

Following the remark, dwarfism charity Little People UK, which was co-founded by Star Wars actor Warwick Davis, said it had received complaints from members of the dwarfism community.

The organisation promptly issued a statement expressing its disappointment that such “prejudice” could be expressed in 2019.

“Comments such as this are offensive to people with dwarfism and are incredibly detrimental to their wellbeing,” it reads.

“People with dwarfism simply want to live their lives just like everyone else; going to school, shopping, walking down the press and going to work, sometimes in highly respected professions.

“To potentially hear a member of the public repeat such a comment, after seeing a stand up show, can affect them for their entire life. This causes unnecessary distress and anxiety through no fault of the person with dwarfism, simply because they have a genetic difference.”

The charity points out that the comments are deeply hurtful to parents too, and that anyone can have a child dwarfism.

“We strongly urge reconsideration of using people with dwarfism as the subject of jokes,” the statement concludes.

“We appreciate that comedy is a matter of personal opinion, however in 2019, people with dwarfism should not have to live with the consequences of being the subject of someone else's humour.”

According to the NHS, there are two types of dwarfism, which is otherwise known as restricted growth.

These include proportionate short stature (PSS), which refers to a general lack of growth in the body, arms and legs, and disproportionate short stature (DSS) for cases where the arms and legs are particularly short.

Some people with dwarfism may suffer from physical health conditions, such as bowed legs or an unusually curved spine. However, the NHS states that most people don’t experience any other serious issues and can live a “relatively normal life, with a normal life expectancy”.

The Independent has contacted Jimmy Carr for comment.