To think that Frankie Boyle is a despicable human being?

[MiniEggsinJanuary]

Just flicked on to an old episode of Mock the Week to find Frankie Boyle. I had forgotten about him and why he was so controversial so I googled and read the Wikipedia section on controversy about him. I knew he was a racist bigot but didn't realise he also made fun of disabled children. Please tell me I am not being unreasonable to think that he doesn't deserve the fees he must get when his programmes are repeated on Dave?

[Flobbadobs]

The joke about Harvey was vile and unnecessary, ironic or not, as are some of his other jokes. However alot of his observational stuff is sharp and clever, an awful lot of the funniest bits of MTW are his.
However labelling him a despicable human being is OTT. Do we label every single comedian who passes comments designed to offend the same way? Journalists? How about politicians? Barack Obama? I posted a link further down to the LA Times site detailing a comment made by the President on the Jay Leno show. Anyone click on it? I found that rather offensive as well as brainless. Is he despicable?
Or, as I asked before, is it different?

[blindworm]

I read it, Flobbadobs. I don't see why people are objecting to Frankie Boyle making disability jokes and not Obama making Special Olympics jokes.

[threesocksmorgan]

he is despicable. I doubt if he will care, the money rolls in , thick people laugh at jis unfunny jokes. he won't care

[threesocksmorgan]

blindworm well for me it is as this thread is about FB not Obama

[blindworm]

Did you read what Obama said? Did you think that was alright?

[threesocksmorgan]

no havn't read it as I was talking about FB. that is what the thread is about I am quite sure going by what people have said, if I did read it I would calling Obama despicable..but I am not going to read something that will make me feel like shit thanks.

[Branleuse]

the joke about Harvey was funny in the context of the whole show

[DontEvenThinkAboutIt]

Branleuse. Which bit did you find funny, the bit where FB joked about his parents not wanting him or the bit where he joked about him having to be restrained so he doesnt rape his Mother?

I am glad you had a good chuckle about it. Perhaps, when Harveys brother and sister get to read about what FB said about their brother they can be comforted by the fact the joke was enjoyed by some people. In fact, I am sure they won't mind at all.

[Cherriesarelovely]

Have read some very interesting posts onthis thread and do understand the argument against censorship and FBs desire to shock through being edgy and ironic. Nothing I've read though explains why his joke about Harvey was clever or funny? Same for his later comments about Madeleine Mcann. Are people really arguing that disabled people are better off because of this kind of "humour"? I really don't see how?

[Allthenamesiwantaretaken]

Sometimes I find him funny and sometimes I don't. About 4 yrs ago I met his long term mistress at a wedding, he had just finished with her and she was upset, I believe he had a wife and child at the time, not sure if he still does. I guess that makes him not very nice in real life too.

[SolidSnake]

Successfully suing a newspaper for calling you racist means nothing! Morrissey successfully sued NME for calling him racist, you know, the same Morrissey who called Chinese people a 'sub species'

[ComposHat]

I am all for comedians challenging taboos, slaughtering holy cows, dealing with difficult topics or being offensive to make a point.

However Frankie Boyle doesn't do that. He's a multimillionaire comedian who rakes it in from writing for the Sun and playing corporate gigs, taking the piss out of children with disabilities, rape victims and gypsies. This is hardly the work of Lenny Bruce,

He's a shit and lazy comedian who goes for the softest and most powerless targets he can find, then cowers behind the defence of irony whilst revelling in the stale shock he's generated.

He has no act as such, no structure and his delivery is appalling. In a way he is playing it very safe and doesn't challenge his audience's expectations of him, giving them seemingly endless variations on his 'this terrible thing happened and I had a wank over it' gag, which the brainless bastards lap up.

[ComposHat]

Successfully suing a newspaper for calling you racist means nothing!

solidsnake As much as I hate his act, I don't think the racism claim has any substance to it. The Mirror calling him a racist was based on his use of the word Paki. which appeared in this routine about the reporting of the Afghan war -

"What gets me is our callousness as a society when we read out our dead on the news first, because our lives are more important. Other people's aren't worth as much."

He puts on a newsreader voice - "A bomb went off in Kandahar today, killing two British servicemen, three UN relief workers and a whole bunch of Pakis."

Whilst it is not an original observation or a good joke, his use of Paki is to satirise the perceived bias and racism in news reports.

Still don't rate him or like his act though

[Zingy123]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1264725/Frankie-Boyle-Downs-syndrome-jokes-provoke-victims-mother.html

Vile, vile man. He also has no manners on MTW he always pushes in to get his turn.

[MrsReiver]

He also has no manners on MTW he always pushes in to get his turn.

From what I've heard about MTW, every comedian on the show is like that, that's why some only do it once and never go back, or refuse to go on it at all.

[ComposHat]

They shouldn't mock the week, they should try mocking the powerful instead.

[Nancy66]

I agree with LaQueen - it's an act. It's performance.

It's no more real than something you'd see in EastEnders.

Some of the best comedy comes from the darkest places and I don't think people should be told what they can and can't find funny.

[Fanjounchained]

As a result of this post I've actually looked at some of his tweets and he is funny sometimes. But I just don't "get" the downs syndrome, paedophile, M McCann jokes...also what's with all the male rape jokes (or has he down these about women too, if so I may have missed them).

I can see what he was doing using the work "paki" in the joke outlined above but what cause is he championing or point is he making when he makes fun of disabled children ? And I appreciate that people have the right to laugh at this if they want to...free country and all that...but what the f**k does that say about you if you find jokes funny ?

[Fanjounchained]

should have said if you find "these" jokes funny...

[AKissIsNotAContract]

'I agree with LaQueen - it's an act. It's performance'

Fair enough, but can you explain what it is you find funny about someone acting like a disablist person?

[elizaregina]

I just see my beautiful innocent sweet brothers face - and then frankies snarling vicous mug = it makes me feel sick.

[thezebrawearspurple]

He is very funny, I've been to a couple of his shows and he always has the audience in fits of laughter. Some people take him too seriously, he's a comedian, not a college lecturer. You have to take his jokes in context (and as jokes). Wishing death on someone because you don't like or get his humour (as some here have done) is ridiculous and far more extreme than anything he has been accused of.

[MiniEggsinJanuary]

"I think the people who find Frankie Boyle's jokes acceptable or even funny must be unbelievably thick. I bet their families are all really stupid and ugly as well. In fact, I reckon they're so stupid that they think that if someone says something cruel and viciously heinous, but it's all in the name of Art, they think it's just fine. "

Ha ha ha ha ha ha, I hope no one was offended by that. It's all just part of my act.

Why is it so difficult to understand? Whatever his pretence, he still articulates these ideas and consequentlly makes them a potentially legitimate mindset. It is simply not acceptable to articulate some ideas in the media or public. I didn't believe all of what was typed above but it's still there on the page. Some people will have been offended by it. Some people will be too thick skinned to care.

[Nancy66]

When the Jimmy Savile story broke there were loads of jokes doing the rounds - some were very funny. Same with Michael Jackson.

It doesn't make child abuse any less abhorent to me, it doesn't mean I am any less glad that both Jackson and Savile are dead.

...they were jokes. They were funny. I can separate comedy from reality.