Bajd U Bejken hosts apologise in first interview, say show goes on

Two hosts of comedy podcast Bajd u Bejken have broken their silence over the controversial Terry Muscat joke, saying they regret making it because it hurt her and led to their fellow host JD Patrick stepping down. 

In their first interview since the controversy, Max Vassallo and PJ Xerxen vowed to continue the show and warned that too much censorship could kill an already "dying" comedy scene in Malta.

Speaking to the Times Talk podcast, they said if they could go back in time, they would remove the joke, but vehemently denied accusations of transphobia and homophobia.

They said they would try to be more cautious about offensive jokes in the future. 

‘We feel bad’

The joke that sparked controversy was performed during their live show earlier this month, when audience members were shown three nominees for the award of 'Best Anus' – model Rachel Thake, Muscat, and PN MP Karol Aquilina. 

Images then appeared beneath the photos of each nominees, with the image beneath Muscat, who is transgender, depicting a rear view of a person with a penis.

Muscat posted a video on Facebook claiming that the photo "destroyed" her and that she was filing a police report over the matter.

JD Patrick immediately issued a public apology and later quit the show, but his fellow hosts remained silent until Tuesday, when they also released a video statement offering an apology.

Terry Muscat said the joke had 'destroyed' her. Photo: Facebook

In the candid interview on Times Talk, the hosts said their intention was not to cause offence.

"We feel bad," Xerxen said." We do this to make people laugh, not to hurt them. Our main disappointment is that we hurt someone, because I started out in comedy wanting to give people enjoyable experiences. It’s a black mark on myself." 

‘We are not transphobic’

He clarified that their scripts are reviewed by a lawyer for legal content, emphasising that their joke was not illegal. 

"What we did wrong with Terry was wrong on a human level. It was ethically wrong. We hurt her," Xerxen said. "But we were labelled as transphobic, which is untrue and unfair on us," he added.

Bajd u Bejken host Max Vassallo. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Despite acknowledging the pain caused, Vassallo also questioned the notion of pre-emptive censorship in comedy.

"If we really want equality, why should we treat one group with preferential treatment? And who will decide which groups can have preferential treatment?"

Xerxen suggested a double standard in public reaction to their jokes, contrasting the offence taken towards jokes about the LGBTIQ community with the comparative acceptance of humour targeting other groups, such as River of Love, and said this contradiction might be politically motivated. 

Comedian PJ Xerxen. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

He indicated a potential shift in how they approach the transgender community, not because they believe the joke was inherently wrong, but due to public perception. 

"Probably we will ease off on the trans community going forward. It’s not because we feel it was wrong, but it seems people feel we were wrong, and we need to swallow our ego and be humble about it. We need see how we can move forward and keep making jokes without completely killing comedy. Because comedy is dying out there," he said.

Where to draw the line

Vassallo added, however, that offense does not automatically equate to being right, referencing comedians abroad who faced "cancellation" but later returned, suggesting the public ultimately recognised a lack of malicious intent.

“What matters is that we do not mean these jokes. We don’t do it to hurt people and our intention is not to stir hate,” he said.“The people who know us acknowledge that and know that we’re not evil, and in fact we added some 700 followers since the controversy last week.”

Xerxen and Vassallo vowed to continue Bajd u Bejken, albeit without JD Patrick.

"We will have to take a break though, because we have a lot of content which took a lot of time and work but which features JD and which we cannot use now,” he said. “The irony is that JD was the voice of reason in this podcast. He was the most cautious one among us, so we’ll have to see how that will unfold."

Why did JD Patrick leave?

On JD Patrick’s departure, Xerxen said: “I will tell you this but am not willing to tell you more: JD left for family reasons and external pressures. That is the truth but I won’t tell you anything more than that.”

The pair said they are still on good terms with their ex-host and would take him back immediately if he were to show interest in returning.

The future format of the show and whether Xerxen would permanently fill JD's role remain undecided.

Addressing the possibility of softening their comedic style, Xerxen suggested a "national discussion on how we should joke." 

He expressed concern that censoring jokes based on potential offence could lead to the demise of comedy altogether, using examples like jokes about weight, physical appearance, or even the character of Ġaħan, which he suggested could be seen as insensitive towards mental health. 

"If we’re going to censure jokes on the basis that someone might be offended, then we won’t be able to tell any joke. And that’s how comedy is dying in Malta," he said.

Both admitted they did not anticipate the level of controversy the joke would generate.

There were also some lighthearted moments during the podcast. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

When questioned about potential lines they would not cross, Xerxen stated they had "joked about everything," while Vassallo identified "real hate" as the true boundary. 

"Every 28 days we average 2 to 5 million views on Facebook alone,” Vassallo said. “40 per cent of our audience is made of women, so it’s not true we only appeal to misogynistic men." 

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