Kurt Metzger says he no longer works for Amy Schumer, doubles down on rape comments
Kurt Metzger, a comedy writer who defended fellow comic Aaron Glaser against allegations of rape in a series of social media posts that appeared to poke fun at rape survivors, is firing back at his critics.
As Mic previously reported, Glaser was banned from New York's Upright Citizens Brigade theater after numerous women said they had been raped by the comedian. Metzger, who has written for Inside Amy Schumer, came to Glaser's defense and mocked his accusers in a series of Facebook and Twitter posts that first began on August 14.
"ALL women are as reliable as my bible!," Metzger wrote in an August 14 Facebook post. "A book that, much like [women], is incapable of lying!"
Metzger's comments triggered a fierce backlash on social media. Many fellow comedians and commentators tweeted at Amy Schumer, demanding to know why she continued to associate with Metzger by employing him as one of her writers at Inside Amy Schumer. Many additionally asked whether he was still employed at the show.
In response, Schumer appears to have blocked many of her critics.
In a series of Facebook messages to Mic sent Wednesday night after he posted an apology on the website, Metzger was somewhat vague as to whether he was indeed a show writer currently. When asked to confirm if he was no longer a writer for Inside Amy Schumer, Metzger replied, "We have seasons. Do people think I write all year? It's a 3 month job."
Metzger expressed regret about the tone he used in defending Glaser.
"I am dumb to not realize this mob would lie and say I was yelling at rape victims," Metzger told Mic, referring to the backlash on social media. "But I do care if a rape victim thinks I was mocking them, and I care if an innocent guy gets charged. The way I spoke fucked both of those things."
Yet he was incredulous that his comments received as much attention as they did, compared to the severity of the initial allegations.
"Isn't it ironic that there is more heat on me than the rape suspect?" he said. "Doesn't that tell you that I'm right?"
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Metzger issued something of an apology, stating that his original comments were misinterpreted and that he was not blaming rape survivors.
"None of my venom is for any victims of anything. I wouldn't blame a victim for ANYTHING. Hell if you are FRIENDS with a victim I don't blame you for spreading around that this guy is a rapist," he wrote in the post. "I was talking to the perennial social media mob who, without knowing victim or accused, GLEEFULLY want to be part of social mob justice. Some of whom are my friends."
However, in an interview with Mic, Metzger stood by his original position that banning Glaser from UCB sets a dangerous precedent for comedians. Rather than accusing people on social media, he said, assault survivors should be encouraged to find police and report the crime, citing an instance when he personally helped a young gay men get in touch with a police contact of his after the man had been raped.
Metzger also denied that he would automatically disbelieve a woman's claim of rape.
"Trust but verify," he told Mic. It is not known at this time whether any of Glaser's alleged victims had sought out the authorities or filed police reports.
At first, Metzger's connection to Schumer led many Twitter users to call for her to speak out against his original comments. Metzger told Mic that while Schumer initially wanted to be silent about his comments and didn't want to be "dragged into this shit," he eventually advised her to publicly distance herself from him, which she appeared to have done in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
Schumer later clarified that she hadn't fired Metzger and that he wasn't a writer for her show simply because they weren't making the show any longer. She said that the show was on hiatus while she was working on her stand-up career and other writing opportunities.
The show was previously renewed for a fifth season and scheduled to air in 2017. Metzger said he wasn't aware of next season's start date or if he'd be asked to return.
"Listen, even if I were gonna be fired it's fine. Someone has to stand up to this mob. I wish that I hadn't let my anger muddle my message but you gotta understand how upsetting it is to see people outright lie about what I said," he said.
Yet he did express regret about the tone he had used in defending Glaser.
"I am dumb to not realize this mob would lie and say I was yelling at rape victims," Metzger told Mic. "But I do care if a rape victim thinks I was mocking them, and I care if an innocent guy gets charged. The way I spoke fucked both of those things."
