American comedian Arj Barker is embroiled in a row over the expulsion of mother and baby from the show.

CNN
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What should an actor do when a baby cradled in his mother's arms starts making noise in the middle of a set?

American comedian Arj Barker was confronted with this delicate situation during a show in Australia on Saturday evening at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Midway through his hour-long concert, the comedian, known for his observational and satirical style, made the decision to evict the mother and her 7-month-old baby, prompting some of the audience to leave the show in sign of solidarity with the mother. Other customers reportedly heckled her as she left.

The interaction sparked a fierce debate in Australia over the right of mothers to take their babies wherever they please, and the right of artists to perform without interruption from infants, who some say should be left at home.

Barker has repeatedly defended his decision to ask Trish Faranda and her baby, Clara, to leave the event, which specified a minimum age of 15 for attendees.

Speaking to Melbourne Radio 3AW On Monday, Barker said it wasn't easy to make the decision to remove the baby, but he did it for the show and the audience, who deserved to see what they paid for without interruption.

I can understand that it was difficult and embarrassing for her, and I feel bad about it, Barker said.

The Californian comedian, a regular on the international comedy circuit, was performing in front of several hundred people at the Athenaeum theater when the baby's noises interrupted him. his train of thoughtBarker told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

On behalf of the other 700 people who had paid to see the concert, I politely told him that the baby could not stay, he told the national broadcaster.

Barker said at that time he couldn't see that the mother was breastfeeding, because of the theater's bright lights, and rejected criticism that his decision was related to anything other than noise.

“I have nothing against number one babies, breastfeeding is no problem, it should be unacceptable, and I didn't know if she was breastfeeding or not because I was on a lit stage,” a- he told the CNN affiliate. Nine news.

All I could see was a woman probably holding a baby and breastfeeding was never a part of it. If it was the father, I would have acted exactly the same as when the baby was making noise.

It was purely an audio issue, it had nothing to do with her being a mom, I have nothing against moms.

Faranda told several local media outlets that she initially thought it was just a joke when Barker asked her and her little daughter to leave his show.

Faranda told CNN affiliate Seven short stories that while Barker was in the middle of his performance, he stopped and said: Is there a baby here?

He then said, “I'm fluent baby and he was told to take me outside,” Faranda recalled, adding that she laughed, not knowing if he was serious.

Faranda said her baby was not crying and she began breastfeeding him to try to calm him down, but at that point she was also packing up to leave the fourth row of the theater.

“I didn't want to ruin anyone's night, I never intended to upset people or create a scene,” she told Seven News.

He was intimidating and he was standing right in front of me, she told 3AW. A witness who spoke with Nine news said a few people in the crowd heckled the mother to leave.

Faranda said she attended the show with a group of friends, and about a dozen other women, all mothers or grandmothers, and a lovely gentleman came out in solidarity with her.

The incident drew sympathy from the mother, who claimed she was just trying to have a fun evening, while others claimed it was a basic manner for members of the public, no matter how young, to avoid distracting the artists.

When asked on 3AW if she would go to one of Barker's concerts again, Faranda replied: “No, and the sad thing is that I went to a lot of his concerts before the kids , And we get lost a little when we have childrenand I was just trying to get back to something I loved before I had kids.

Australian politician Ellen Sandell said she was furious when she learned of the incident.

It's hard enough for new mothers to participate in society with all the barriers put in front of them and to be humiliated like that, because just trying to enjoy the comedy festival is horrible, she says . said on X.

To online critics who say the baby should have been left at home, Sandell said: Women have the right to participate in society when they breastfeed.

A note to men who don't understand: When a baby is breastfeeding, you literally have to be attached to them most of the time and can't be separated for more than an hour or so, she added. So if you don't allow [breastfed] babies in public places, you are actually saying that women/mothers are not allowed in these places.

A user joined the conversation on sayingI am a mother and grandmother and I consider it utter arrogance to think that your rights to bring a noisy child to a show trump the rights of hundreds of other people who have paid to see a show.

In an article on Facebook, Barker thanked his supporters for accepting his decision, with several people commenting below that the mother had acted in the right.

In full support! This has nothing to do with breastfeeding, it's an adult comedy. This isn't a Wiggles concert! What the hell was she thinking? one of his supporters said on Facebook.

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which Barker was part of the lineup for, said: “Any interaction between performers and their audience requires sensitivity and respect.

At Festival-run venues, baby-holding is usually allowed, but we ask people to sit in the back with their child so that you can leave quickly and easily if the baby becomes noisy so as not to disturb the artist and other patrons, the statement said. said.