The Peculiar Truth about the Comedian Who Caught Pedophiles

• Washington, DC 1995: A man testified before a Senate committee about criminal activities occurring in chat rooms on America Online (AOL). Few of the aged committee members knew much about the Internet in its earliest days, and the man’s testimony exposed shocking criminal activities thriving online.

• He wasn’t a law enforcement officer, a government employee, or a cybersecurity expert. But neither was he an ordinary citizen. He was a social activist, a political satirist, and a standup comedian.

• His name was Barry Crimmins.

• Long before The Daily Show, Crimmins’ biting political humor could cut like a razor. Imagine a youthful Mark Twain (his hero) but filled with bitterness and alcohol.

• Although he was born and raised in Upstate New York, he moved to Massachusetts in the late 70s where he became a guiding light of the Boston comedy scene. Several comedians got their starts thanks in no small part to Crimmins: Denis Leary, Louis CK, Steven Wright, Bob Goldthwait, Paula Poundstone, Kevin Meaney, and many others.

• Crimmins never apologized for his far-left ideologies, which he ranted about nightly in comedy clubs. His act was at times more of a polemic on his societal concerns than a comedy show, and college-age audiences were often bewildered and intimidated by his gruff demeanor. But every comedian respected him. He was always the smartest guy in the room. Not to mention brutally honest, big-hearted, and filled with anger.

• Crimmins backed up his political ideologies by speaking at public protests in Central America and anti-war demonstrations across the US. He hated being called a radical for what he thought were moralistic ideals and instead preferred to call himself “whatever threatens you.”

• He befriended left-leaning activists like historian Howard Zinn, Randy Credico, and musician Billy Bragg. Crimmins spoke up for those without a voice. Especially innocent children abused by members of the Catholic Church.

• After years of trolling for laughs at comedy clubs, Crimmins took the stage to reveal something personal and shocking: as a small boy he had been a rape victim. Audience members were stunned. So were his friends in the comedy scene. But it explained all of Crimmins’ behaviors; the rage, the alcoholism, the urge to protect.

• He left Boston for Cleveland. That was where he began going undercover on AOL. Posing as a small boy, Crimmins lured pedophiles on chats rooms and acquired their addresses. He then gave that information to the local authorities.

• Crimmins then badgered AOL to stop the pedophiles, but nothing changed. Dissatisfied with the company’s attitude, he took his case to Washington.

• Thanks in large part to Crimmins’ combative appearance on Capitol Hill, AOL put a stop to the child pornographers on its site.

• He moved back to his roots in Upstate New York and lived a quieter life out in the countryside. He still performed standup comedy, but more often he spoke at political rallies. So long as injustices occurred, his anger never really subsided.

• In 2004 he published a book of essays called Never Shake Hands With a War Criminal. The title referred to meeting a man he reviled, Henry Kissinger.

• In 2015 his lifelong pal Bob Goldthwait produced and directed an award-winning documentary about him titled Call Me Lucky. One year later, Louis CK produced Crimmins’ comedy special Whatever Threatens You.

• Not long after his life’s story was told, Barry Crimmins died in 2018 at age 64. He went to his grave ranting against injustice, pedophiles, and the Catholic Church.

  
  

  A PERSONAL NOTE:

• I was fortunate to know Barry Crimmins. He was the first person to hire me as a standup comedian in Boston way back in the early 80s. He held all of us to his higher principles, and I always admired him for that.