Parkland Dad Jokes About 'Kids Getting Shot'

Manuel Oliver responds to CK's December routine
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 2, 2019 11:30 AM CST

"You ever hear dead baby jokes? I got a dead baby. His name was Joaquin Oliver." So says outspoken gun-control activist Manuel Oliver about his son, who was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting—part of the father's response to Louis CK making fun of politically active students who survived the attack, per the Huffington Post. Oliver makes the dig in a mock standup routine that was posted Monday on YouTube: "And I thought, jokes about kids getting shot? I can do that," says Oliver. He tells the story of a boy dropped off at school, "a skinny kid wearing headphones" who says "I love you" to his dad and goes into the school, "and then gets shots to death a couple of hours later." An off-screen rimshot punctuates the faux joke.

The video wraps up with a clip of Joaquin, who died at age 17, happily telling a joke behind a drum set. "Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?" he asks. "Because he didn't have the guts!" And a message pops up on screen: "Have the guts." Again, this is a response to CK's bit mocking Parkland survivors who took a political stand over gun control, per IndieWire. "They testify in front of Congress, these kids. What are they doing? You're young! You should be crazy!" CK said a Long Island club in December. "...You’re not interesting. Because you went to a high school where kids got shot? Why does that mean I have to listen to you?" CK also quipped that joking about Parkland victims distracted people from sexual-misconduct allegations against him. (A Parkland survivor recently had news for a Fox host.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X