Kinison Performance Protested -- But Fans Flock To Hear Comedian

``Rape is not a joke!'' was shouted repeatedly over bullhorns and in face-to-face confrontations last night outside the Paramount Theatre.

But the fans of ``bad boy'' comedian Sam Kinison braved the shouts, whistles and jeers of about 100 protesters to enter the Paramount, where rape, ethnic slurs and just about every other sensitive topic was fair game for one of the hottest comic acts on the national circuit.

A few fans shoved their way to the entrance; some exchanged shouts with protesters, yelling, ``Mind your own business!'' Most, however, looked and walked straight ahead, saying nothing.

And no one with tickets to the near-sellout performance appeared to change their minds about seeing Kinison.

Like Andrew Dice Clay, whose appearance earlier this month on Saturday Night Live prompted boycotts by singer Sinead O'Connor and comedian Nora Dunn, Kinison has found a niche for his irreverent routines ridiculing women, gays and racial minorities. His albums often top industry charts and his performances draw large audiences.

But last night, area activists greeted his performance and his

fans with taunts of ``Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Sam Kinison, go away!''

Supporters and members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, ACT-UP!, which organized the protest, also carried signs criticizing the Paramount for allowing Kinison to perform there.

``There's a direct connection between the kind of hatred that Sam Kinison encourages and the threats on our lives caused by Nazi and supremacist groups,'' said Kate Bolland, of ACT-UP!

Bolland cited last week's foiled plot to bomb a Seattle synagogue, a Seattle gay bar, some Asian establishments and a Tacoma bar frequented by black people. The FBI has arrested three men in connection with that plot.

Bolland, a 23-year-old Seattle resident, said she was pleased with the number of protesters who showed, ``but I was absolutely horrified that so many people went in.''

``We're just hoping that they got the message,'' said Ed Hayslip, 27, an ACT-UP! member.

Peter Klotter, a 26-year-old Kinison fan, said he believes the protesters were misinterpreting the comedian's humor.

``I think he's funny. I take it for the fun that's intended,'' said Klotter, who lives in Redmond. He and a group of co-workers from Boeing also attended Kinison's performance here last year.

``Everybody has their own opinion,'' Klotter said. ``People pay to come see Sam. They don't pay to come see these people.''

Other than a few tense moments when shouts were exchanged, there were no major incidents at this year's protest, said Lt. John Carson of the Seattle Police Department. About 24 officers monitored the protest.

Buddy Williams, the theater's manager, said he has no qualms about the decision to stage the Kinison performance.

``We have no problem being the setting for performances that people are willing to pay to see,'' he said. ``It was just a regular night as far as the Paramount was concerned.''