Dapper Laughs, internet comedian and apparent perpetrator of ‘lad culture’, has been killed by his own creator.

Daniel O’Reilly’s ‘character’ has come under fire over the last few weeks, sparking debate over his misogynistic and sexist viewpoints and attitudes towards rape. Thousands signed a petition to see his television show, Dapper Laughs: On the Pull axed, with ITV quickly succumbing to the mounting pressure and cancelling a second series.

I can totally understand why people may be offended by the nature of O’Reilly’s work. The humour is not clever and it’s not hysterically funny but nevertheless, I hold my hands up and admit that I have enjoyed watching his ‘vine’ videos. I was amused. Do I now want to go out and tell a woman I’ll make her ‘moist’? No, I do not.

It is true that his idea of ‘banter’ may influence those of the demographic it appeals to but countless times I have seen ‘lads’ acting in a similar manner prior to Dapper Laugh’s rise to internet stardom. I think there are too many factors at play in the popularisation of ‘lad culture’, of which Dapper Laughs only played a minuscule part.

There has also been an outcry over his stand up material however, if you buy tickets to see his stand up show, you are making the purchase knowing what to expect. You wouldn’t go to an Adele concert and expect to hear hard-core hip-hop. Okay, it is true he over stepped the mark by telling a female audience member that she was ‘gagging for a rape’, rape should never be trivialised nor condoned, but that’s the type of ‘humour’ he uses. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.

O’Reilly recently appeared on Newsnight to be grilled about his other persona. It was an excellent platform for him to be able to apologise and although some have argued that it was not a sincere, heartfelt apology, only O’Reilly himself knows how genuine it truly was. Saying that, Newsnight is a popular BBC show which has substantially high ratings. His series, Dapper Laughs: On the Pull, attracted an average of 119,000 viewers.  What is the purpose of exposing Dapper Laughs to a larger audience? His show was cancelled and the petition won so why keep fuelling the fire by giving him a wider audience?

Let him fade into obscurity without unintentionally being promoted further. Whilst the character may be done with, it is likely O’Reilly will be offered further television work, perhaps in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother alongside the latest tabloid fodder and TV show rejects.

Corrie Smith

November 15, 2021

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