The following is a letter that was mailed to the Pitch in response to the story that the Pitch did on me on August 29, 1996. I called this person to see where he got his opinions and misinformation and discovered that he was in fact an aspiring young comedian himself and had had only 1 encounter with me and my comedy at an open mic night at Stanford's Comedy Club in Kansas City. He would not tell me who gave him the misinformation about my road experiences, but he did finally apologize for sending the letter when I gave him my account of the stories he had referenced in his letter to the editor. My career has been riddled with negative stories and personal attacks from the comics who have watched me rise up out of obscurity into the bright lights of disdain.

Dear Editor,

     I was extremely disappointed in Christopher Lundstrom's laudatory review of comedian Emery Emery ("Giving a New Meaning to Freedom of Speech," Aug. 29-Sept. 4). The problem was not that it said that Emery was funny, which I suppose is true if you're emotionally stunted enough to find the word "homo" still zany after all these years. What bothered me was that not a single criticism of him was allowed to go un-spin-doctored. In the article, every juvenile insult is considered "bringing light to the issues that the world blindly takes so seriously." Oh, please.

The first time I encountered that man, he walked into the club in the middle of someone's act like he owned the place. He sat down next to- the guy in front of me; he turned the chair around and straddled it backwards, arms resting on the back, because he's a rebel you see and said to him, "Hi, fag!" (The fellow looked annoyed, but maybe I was reading too much into it.) Maybe homophobic banter is just the way he has with his friends. But laying aside the moral issues involved, can Lundstrom see that "brilliant" is not the right word for this puerilism?

Then he got up and did his act. He didn't use the word "nigger" this time (but may I say that anyone who can't see why a white person shouldn't say the word "nigger" to try to get laughs needs to have, "light brought to the issues they take so cavalierly," to paraphrase Mr. Lundstrom.) But, he did do a number that went something like this: "I prefer to f*** a woman in the ass, because that way you don't have to look at the bitch's face!" I couldn't believe it. After the show I contacted another professional comedian and asked if he'd heard of Emery Emery. My friend said, "He was almost sued for sexual harassment by a bunch of waitresses at some clubs in Colorado, but now he's just been banned from performing there instead." I'm surprised the article failed to mention the man's bad professional reputation.

I don't know why Emery gets applause for his homophobic misogyny. I don't know how's he's survived for 13 years as a professional comedian while annoying everyone who has to work with him. But then, I don't understand why people applauded the gay bashing at the '92 Republican Convention, and I'm not sure why bigotry thrives and evil triumphs. But Lundstrom seems to be saying that if people applaud something it must have moral value that should be singled out for praise. I'm not saying you should censor a racist, but I think it's probably better to ignore a woman-hating homophobe then to pay him money and assume he has something worthwhile to contribute to humanity.

I'll close with a little story I heard from another local comedian: Stanfordâs Comedy Club had a monthly amateur night. Emery is always there, and he usually does pretty well. One month, he didn't win. The award went to a local comedian with cerebral palsy, who performs from a wheelchair and speaks slowly, so it requires an audience to make an effort to hear him. His material is good and consistent though, and his jokes have structure and timing so I wasn't surprised that he won. The next time Emery performed, however, he came on stage in a wheelchair. Then he grabbed the mic and said, "I figure if you have to be in a wheelchair to get first prize around here...!" They still let Emery perform there. I stopped going. I wish more people would stop and send Stanford's a message.

I guess you could call what he does "effortlessly conquering questionable issues." I call it being an asshole. And Pitch weekly should be ashamed for praising his self-righteous bigotry.

David Ellis Dickerson Kansas City, MO
Sept 19-25

Dear Editor,

The letter to the Mail section (Sept. 19-25) was an editorial about my comedy as well as my personal and professional life. I have nothing to say about what Mr. David Ellis Dickerson had to say about my comedy. My style of humor is definitely not for everyone. What I would like to address are the many untruths and misinformation in what Mr. Dickerson said:

I have never walked into Stanford's in the middle of someone's act in an interruptive fashion. The banter I have with my friends is not homophobic. It may be construed as homo-erotic but never phobic. A phobia is a fear. I do not fear gays. Too often the catch phrase "homophobic" is used to label people who hate gays. It would seem that it was his intent to imply hate rather than fear. In this case, that was wrong.

I do not use the word nigger to try to get laughs. I use this word because it was said to me by a bigot. In order to convey to my audience how it made me feel to have someone use it so cavalierly, I simply repeat the word precisely how it was used. What I am doing is exactly what Mr. Dickerson did when he wrote to the editor and used the word nigger in his letter. Communicating.

There has never been a threat of lawsuit nor a complaint of sexual harassment leveled against me. Period. I do not annoy everyone with whom I work. I am not a racist.

And finally, the account of my appearance onstage in a wheelchair was so badly conveyed that I was stunned. The contest is for amateur level comics. I have never competed in any contest at Stanford's. The wheelchair-bound comic was Paul Shryrac. The things said in the letter are, simply put, fiction. None of the quotes have rolled off my lips. My appearance in the wheelchair was a piece I designed to make a statement about the habit this society has in judging people based on moot and prejudicial points such as religion, color and disabilities.

When it comes down to Mr. Dickerson, he just didn't get it.

Emery Emery Newport Beach, CA