Comedian Rob Schneider faced widespread criticism over his performance at a fundraising event on Saturday night. 

The performance, described as highly uncomfortable, led the Hospitals of Regina Foundation in Canada to apologize.

According to witnesses, Schneider’s set was met with groans and discomfort from the audience, as he reportedly subjected an uncomfortable crowd to hacky material about vaccines, women and transgender people. The comedian was “roundly booed” throughout his performance. He was eventually asked to leave the stage by organizers.

“Everyone in the room groaned, saying, ‘What is going on?’ Like whispering to themselves. Not a single laugh at times,” the witness told the CBC. “It was just very apparent how uncomfortable everyone felt and how unacceptable the things he was talking about were.”

The Hospitals of Regina Foundation acknowledged the controversy in a statement. “While we recognize that in a free and democratic society, individuals are entitled to their views and opinions and that comedy is intended to be edgy, the content, positions and opinions expressed during Mr. Schneider’s set do not align with the values of our foundation and team,” it said.

The statement continued, “We do not condone, accept, endorse or share Mr. Schneider’s positions, as expressed during his comedy set and acknowledge that in this instance, the performance did not meet the expectations of our audience and our team.”

This is not the first time Schneider has faced such backlash. In a similar incident last year, the comedian was yanked offstage at a Republican networking event after making it through less than a third of his set. Reports indicate that his material included “jokes about ‘Korean whore-houses'” and that at least one lawmaker walked out of the room.

This episode has sparked a broader discussion about the importance of event organizers thoroughly vetting performers and ensuring that their values and content align with the organization’s mission and goals. 

Schneider has been criticized for suggesting that Robin Williams’ use of Parkinson’s drugs led to his suicide.

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