Jim Jefferies Doubles Down On 'Y.M.C.A.' Controversy

Jim Jefferies has promised that he won’t back down from his crude jokes despite receiving a cease-and-desist order from the wife and manager of the Village People’s Victor Willis.

Yesterday, The Music reported that the Australian comedian had stirred up controversy after making obscene comments about the Village People’s 1978 hit song, Y.M.C.A.

Discussing his perceived take on the song’s lyrical content and how they contrasted with extreme right-wing ideology, Jefferies described Y.M.C.A. as a song about “bumming in the shower.”

He commented on his At This Moment podcast, “It's about fucking in showers in a hostel, right? When you're a young man who’s been kicked out of your home, ‘There’s a place you can go, I said. Young man, when you’re short on your dough’,” paraphrasing the song’s lyrics.

“And everyone, all these right-wing people, are dancing around to basically a song about bumming in the shower.”

TMZ reported that in response to his comments, Karen Willis – the wife and manager of the Village People singer Victor Willis – sent the comedian a cease-and-desist order for what she said was an “obscene, derogatory and false description” of the track.

Willis claimed in her letter, “That is not the actual meaning of his lyrics, nor is there anywhere in the lyrics that would even remotely suggest such.”

Jefferies has reportedly been given until Monday, 17 February, to retract his “false and defamatory meaning” of the track. Otherwise, he and his co-host, Amos Gill, will be served with a lawsuit.

However, Jefferies isn’t intimidated by the threat of the lawsuit. In fact, he joked about wanting to appear in court.

Appearing on Triple M’s Beau, Tarsh And Woodsy Show, Jefferies defended his stance of calling Y.M.C.A. a “gay anthem” and said he’s always seen the song that way.

“I will concede that if he [Victor Willis] says the Y.M.C.A. is not a homosexual song, I have to take him on his word for it,” Jefferies said before adding: “But In The Navy and Macho Man are as gay as all balls.”

Detailing his hopes to appear in court, he continued, “In my biggest dreams, I hope I do get to go to court. I hope that I get to stand up there and spell out not guilty.

“Now, defamation cases, you need to have actually lost earnings to actually have a defamation case. Otherwise, it’s just someone giving an opinion. I don’t believe this is going to lose the Village People any earnings in any way.”

He backed that stance on Triple M’s Mick In The Morning show.

Stating that he rang his lawyer and asked if he had a case, Jefferies said: “I rang my lawyer up, and I said, ‘Do I have a case?’ And he said yes, and he said he’s looking forward to defending me. I hope it does go to court. I want my day in court where I can speak my truth.”

Jefferies added: “Victor Willis is the only original member. Other members have left, and they have said that it is a gay anthem. So, other members of the original Village People do claim that the song is a gay anthem. So, I might actually have some other Village People help me out in the case. [I’m] reaching out to the rest of the Village.”