But is that enough to warrant an apology,and a commitment that a joke like this would never be broadcast?The Projectregularly features comedians on its panel,and a number of its permanent hosts are comedians themselves. It’s made by Rove McManus’ production company – a production company that got its start withRove, another Channel 10 show that regularly featured comedians and occasionally pushed boundaries (including,funnily enough,one episode featuring comedian Scott Capurro making a controversial joke about Jesus).

It’s quite a big deal for a show likeThe Projectto definitively declare a joke like this (About Jesus? About Jesus having sex with a man? About Christianity?) is off limits because of the offence it caused. There have long been debates in the world of comedy about what is fair game,what causes offence,and who is allowed to tell what kind of jokes.Dave Chappelle’s regular remarks about the trans community,for example,have elicited numerous discussions about the boundaries between comedy and speech that causes harm.

Not all comedians agree on what the “rules” are,and different audiences will have different expectations as well. Which makes it all the more extraordinary thatThe Projectwould so clearly say “This kind of joke is clearly off limits”. What’s the logic for singling out jokes about Jesus or religion? Is there one,or is it a kneejerk reaction to social media outrage (some of which was explicitly homophobic towards Kaye)?

You might be wondering why any of this actually matters – after allThe Projectis just one show,and its ratings aren’t as crash-hot as they used to be. It’s a fair question.

But it matters because who has more power to set the boundaries for what speech is allowed and what speech is banned than broadcast media networks? Who has more power to decide what jokes comedians are allowed to tell than major TV production companies that succeeded by platforming comedians? Frustratingly,despite the significance of the decision,Channel 10 did not want to answer questions about what prompted it.

Kaye himself addressed this very topic,before making the joke – which itself was a response to the homophobic hate he receives from some Christians. “Working in filth and working in taboo subjects,it lets the audience decide what’s really offensive,” he said. “The language you’re using,or the topics you’re addressing.”

The Project’sdecision will have consequences in terms of what kinds of comedians are given air time,and what kinds of jokes,are allowed to be made in this country. And at the moment it seems like a gay man making a joke about Jesus and sex is off limits.

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