Comedian Jim Breuer—best known for playing the character "Goat Boy" on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1998—recently joked about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's in game cardiac arrest.
Breuer was performing at a conservative Evangelical Christian nationalist event called the ReAwaken America Tour.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after making a tackle during a game. He was thankfully revived via CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) before being rushed to the hospital.
He is now recovering at home—but his near-death experience was far from comical.
Breuer also made fun of his in-laws for choosing to get the influenza vaccine COVID boosters, his mocking facial expressions and mannerisms making it very clear he believed this decision made them stupid.
He further joked about those who choose not to vaccinate being seen as conspiracy theorists, which apparently resonated quite strongly with the crowd judging by their uproarious laughter.
Then Breuer didn't just crack a joke about Hamlin while perpetuating the latest conspiracy theory about vaccines causing spontaneous deaths. As a response to mocking people who don't believe anti-vaxxer rhetoric, Breuer said "Here in the NFL" before dropping face-first to the floor on stage.
This attempt at physical comedy was met by a roar of laughter and cheers from the crowd. He had to pause for nearly 30 seconds to wait for the raucous laughter to subside.
A clip of the routine was posted by Hemant Mehta of Only Sky:
\u201cDuring the "ReAwaken America" event at Christian hate-preacher Greg Locke's tent church, former SNL cast member Jim Breuer mocked flu shots, vaccines, and Damar Hamlin.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
Many online were horrified at Breuer's jokes, and even more were disgusted the devout Christian audience was laughing.
\u201c@hemantmehta Nothing like some \u201cChristians\u201d practicing the love thy neighbor tenant by laughing at a man having his heart stop in the middle of a football field.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta Disgusting\n\nNothing remotely to do with Jesus\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta "Ha ha, a guy had cardiac arrest and almost died, we think it's funny"\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta Covid LOVES this.\n\nInfluenza and RSV are pretty happy here too.\n\nI\u2019m only sorry for the area\u2019s health care workers and their support staffs.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@chickfrom716 @hemantmehta It's bizarre to laugh at someone who had a heart attack. I don't understand what the funny part is.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta This is at a \u201cchurch\u201d-although their Pastor does not represent Jesus. Mocking someone who almost lost his life. I wonder how many people in this crowd lost loved ones to Covid. This is why people are running from churches. This is not of Christ.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
Others just cringed.
\u201c@hemantmehta Man, that wasn't just unfunny, it was legit PAINFUL to watch.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@wasserman_hal @hemantmehta I was thinking the same thing and it made me sad. Jim has no material left??!! His plan is to do 15 minutes mocking his in-laws in a weird tone?\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta Amazing thing here is there\u2019s no actual \u201cjoke,\u201d he\u2019s just saying \u201cwe believe something and the other side makes fun of us for it.\u201d As with all things conservative, a victim complex is at the heart of it all.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
\u201c@hemantmehta This is so cringey and sad. Feel second-hand embarrassment for him and the crowd.\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1674356039
Given the venue and the message of the rest of the ReAwaken America Tour, Breuer's incredibly offensive jokes begin to make a bit more sense.
The show took place at Pastor Greg Locke's Global Vision Bible Church tent in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The event caused some pretty major inconveniences for locals and more than a little bit of concern, according to The Tennessean.
Six area faith leaders gathered for a news conference on Friday morning to denounce the ReAwaken America Tour and the Christian Nationalism preached by those who participate in it as wrong—"sinful" even.
Rev. Jason Mikel, the pastor of Jenkins Cumberland Presbyterian Church, said of Christian nationalism:
"Just like all sinful teachings, it might look interesting under some odd and strange light…But turn the light on of Christ and you’ll see the beast who feeds and devours on those who they deem as weak."
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