Comedian Hans Kim sparks debate with 'tacky' and 'too soon' Matthew Perry joke

21 November 2023 , 16:48

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Matthew Perry died recently in his hot tub (Image: Getty Images)

Comedian Hans Kim posted a dig about Matthew Perry's death on TikTok causing a debate among fans.

The stand-up star told a live audience: "Sad to hear that the great Matthew Perry died alone in a hot tub. For a guy on a show called Friends he could have used a couple. Who knew the opening credits were his cry for help?"

After hesitant laughter from the audience, the comments appeared to have a similar energy. Many fans felt uncomfortable, marking the jest as "too soon" while others loved the 'edgy' joke and made calls for 'real comedy' to return.

Read More:Friends cast are 'in talks' to reunite for tribute to Matthew Perry at the Emmy Awards

He is remembered for playing Chandler in Friends (CBS via Getty Images)

Hans Kim made a joke about Matthew's death during a standup performance (funnieststandup/Instagram)

"I like Hans, but who else watched this like," commented one fan before adding a disappointed half smile emoji. Another added, "oh that's not..." as a show of an awkward feeling from watching the video.

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Many fans were in a hefty debate about respect. "How would Perry’s family feel about this if they watch it," asked one fan.

However, some fans argued that Matthew himself would actually enjoy the joke. After all, Matthew was known for being a light-hearted comedian. One said: "For what it’s worth, I think Matthew Perry would’ve laughed at this joke."

A debate about what made "good" comedy and the state of the world's humour ensued, too. A fan commended Matthew and wrote: "Rip Matthew Perry, this joke, would probably gave him a smile. He had a good sense of humor."

Fans were torn between the joke being "too soon" and calling others "soft" (Getty Images)

Some people believe comedy to be unhinged and without much restriction. In recent years, the trend of being more mindful and less hurtful in comedy has not sat right with some fans. This potentially offensive joke stirred the pop in that conversation and some called upset fans "soft." One wrote: "'Too soon' people are the ones who ruined comedy for the last 20 years. It’s a joke, and it was funny."

Others weren't buying it with a fan even asking if the joke was actually 'supposed to be funny.' Another said: "Besides being totally uncalled for this just isn’t even funny. Humor is so dry and tacky these days."

While the main point of criticism was that the joke was "too soon," many fans also flipped the script. They noted that with Matthew's death being over a week before the joke posted, it was simply too late to land correctly.

Alex West