For decades, Italian-Australian comedian, Joe Avati has established a reputation as the Godfather of ethnic comedy.
His comedic chops and punchy one-liners made light of the hardships growing up as a child of immigrant parents; from dealing with classroom bullies, to finding the balance between two cultures, to navigating loving but overbearing family members and high expectations. His jokes resonated with audiences both in Australia and around the globe, and enriched people’s understandings of the unique Italian-Australian immigrant experience.
“Italians and Greeks went through so much sh.t”, Joe says, while on the phone from Melbourne. “We got called names, but so what? We thrived.”
“I used to joke that you never saw a wog on 'The Flintstones', and we weren’t around in the future either in 'The Jetsons'. And there were no wogs on 'Gilligan’s Island', and you know why? Because if there was, there wouldn’t have even been a show, because the first thing my dad would have done was fix the hole in the boat. Get over it.”
The idea of “getting over it” is very much part of Avati’s latest show, 'When I Was Your Age' which sees the Melbourne-based comedian pivot from his signature ethnic comedy style and tackle political correctness and today’s cancel culture. “Last year I did a show called 'Have Some Respect' and so I started to steer away [from the ethnic-centric comedy] and that away part was getting a lot more interest and it was really hitting home, more so than the ethnic comedy part of it. I pretty much moved away completely this time [with 'When I Was Your Age'], I mean there are still slithers of it spread throughout, but more to do about the way we were brought up and the attitude towards our parents and dealing with discipline.”
“The great thing about this show is that it’s clean, there’s something for everybody. The oldies get something out of it because it reminds them of the life they lived in the past, same with my generation and then the kids get a chance to see what it was like for their parents growing up.”
“I talk about Netflix now compared to what Netflix was, or Shazam. They’ve got Shazam on their phone and we had to remember what song we heard on the radio and then the next day go to a place called a record shop and sing the song to the guy behind the counter.”
Avati’s own experiences as a parent to a 10-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son inspired his new show and accompanied children’s book of the same name. Avati left all feelings of political correctness at the door, and once again looked and celebrated his differences which are what made him a household name to begin with.
In 'When I Was Your Age', Avati hopes to encourage others to think differently and to remember the age-old lesson that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. . . And that’s what they are, they’re just words.”
“Political correctness in comedy is like having an occupational health and safety person at the boxing – there’s just no point. It’s our job to say the things everyone thinks, but no one has the guts to say. That’s the crux of what being a comedian is.”
Joe Avati plays dates around the country from April to December including Brisbane Comedy Festival (29 April), Perth Comedy Festival (12-13 May) and Sydney Comedy Festival (18-20 May).
