Barry Humphries, the legendary comedian and satirist, passed away last weekend at the age of 89. Humphries was widely celebrated for his contributions to Australian comedy, and his death sparked a wave of tributes from around the world. However, some have criticized the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for their response to his passing.
The festival has been under fire for their decision to rename their top award, the Barry Award, in 2019. This move was made in response to Humphries’ transphobic comments in 2016 and 2018, which were widely condemned. In these comments, Humphries described gender transitions as “a fashion,” gender-affirming surgery as “self-mutilation,” and trans women as “mutilated men.”
Critics have accused the festival of snubbing Humphries without a more formal tribute on the final day of the festival. However, festival director Susan Provan denied that the festival had snubbed the comedian, and said that the festival’s response had been “unfairly” misrepresented.
“We have celebrated and continue to celebrate Barry, an incredible comedian [and] comic artist [who] took Australian comedy global,” Provan said. “We will always celebrate that he was amazing. And we really value his contribution to the comedy festival, too.”
Humphries’ longtime friend, British actress Miriam Margolyes, criticized the festival’s decision to rename the award. “I don’t think he was properly appreciated by Australia. I don’t think he was properly treated, particularly by the Melbourne festival, who cancelled him, rather late in life,” she said.
While Margolyes and Humphries “sharply disagreed politically,” she described him as “the greatest comic who ever lived.” She added, “I’m not saying he was right in his politics. I told him to his face that he was wrong. But he was the greatest comic who ever lived.”
The festival has now pledged to plan a fitting tribute to Humphries’ comic genius and leading role in creating a global platform for Australian comedy. Meanwhile, Humphries’ family has been offered a state funeral by the Victorian government.