Is this OK? Is everyone a acceptable target for humour? Would more people be upset at jokes about Diana or people with disabilities?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8611275.stm

Frankie Boyle in 'not actually funny' shocker…

TBH, nasty as it is, this is more publicity than he deserves.

Frankie Boyle in 'not actually funny' shocker…

Well it would certainly come as a 'shock' to me.

The last checked, which was last night on Dave, he was hilarious.

DisabiLOLty

seems to depend on the gig with him.can be funny can be a nasty nobhead.

Well it would certainly come as a 'shock' to me.

Well that doesn't surprise me.

But then, you're hardly an arbiter of quality, are you? 'Vulgar' flatters you too much…

I love Frankie. Think he's hilarious, but it's all a matter of taste I guess.

What strikes me as a little odd is that almost without exception his jokes are going to be offensive to one group or type of person. He's that type of comic. The parent concerned no doubt was a fan I would imagine as she went to see him live. In that case it follows that at some time she would have been guffawwing loudly to a joke or two he said that someone else might have considered offensive. Smacks of raging hypocrisy to me. If you go to watch someone like him live you must anticipate surely that everybody is in play for ridicule.

I think he's ace, if you get offended by him you really need to get a life 😉

sounds like a complete cock to me! I'm sure you'd get a better laugh spending an hour with some down's kids!

if you get offended by him you really need to get a life

I don't give him sufficient consideration to be offended by anything he says. His 'humour' is not something that amuses me.

Almost everyone has had a laugh at anothers expense/misfortune, it's human nature. It's just not funny if the subject matter is close to your heart.

But isn't he Scottish?

If you think Frankie was out of order then go and see Jerry Sadowitz if you want to be really offended.
All part of the act tbh.

Talkemada – Member

"Well it would certainly come as a 'shock' to me"

Well that doesn't surprise me.

What's that suppose to mean ? ………..that I'm also a nasty **** who likes to take the p*ss ?
You could be right I suppose 😀

I'm definitely a daft **** though.

I of course meant to say : The last time I checked, which was last night on Dave, he was hilarious.

Boyle is excellent on TV, sadly his live shows are quite different. Now, I don't believe that being offended is ever a justifiable response to words or pictures, so I don't care what subject matter he goes for, but the live show is simply a desperate attempt to be as offensive as possible and the comedy is left by the wayside. Offending people is fine if there's a genuine underlying joke once you strip away the deliberate assault, or of the purpose of offence is to question people's prejudices (mock Downs if it's a device for delivering a joke that's about all of us, mock it if it attacks any shortcomings in our own views of it, but not just to go 'ooh look at the people talking funny'), but sadly there's nothing underlying his routine at all. It's just a 'look how naughty I can be' show. Which is a big shame, because he's been f***ing hilarious on MTW.

best description of his was explaining that getting a bad handjob was like someone with parkinsons trying to unblock a sink

So you go see a comedian that is well known for offending people with near to the knuckle jokes on a wide range of subjects. You sit there laughing away at the misfortune of others, but then he happens to pick on something close to your heart and you get offended. **** idiots.

Sounds a bit like all the fuss there used to be about Roy Chubby Brown – his USP was the number of times he could say **** in one show. Utterly unfunny.

ps well said Bez – hes just like Chubby in that respect that if all hes doing is trying to insult.

Repack- similar style to dennis leary

You sit there laughing away at the misfortune of others…

Nah, that's the thing about the live act: you don't. You sit there wondering how his material is so good on TV and so toe-curlingly awful on stage. At least, I did.

His support act was equally offensive but actually backed it up with humour.

Frankie was referred to repeatedly as "the most offensive man in the business" – which he probably is. But if you want to laugh, see Russell Howard instead – a cross between the manic energy and positivity of old skool Ben Elton and the surreal bonkersness of Eddie Izzard.

But if you want to laugh, see Russell Howard

That's the funniest line we'll see on this thread.

I downloaded some of his comedy 'trial' sketches he had on iTunes podcasts last year – some of his 'jokes' didn't even get a laugh.

I think the guy is a cretin and a complete a-hole.

He's not funny in the slightest

but he did jokes on tv about princess diana getting gang raped off of Arabs so what the f*ck did anyone expect?

I think he's bloody hilarious. He pokes fun indiscriminately, including at himself, I've a lot of time for him. I can't think of too many other comedians I find make me laugh out loud every time I watch them.

coffeeking +1

Excellent use of the word cretin in a discussion on the permissibility of mocking the disabled.

😉

I dunno…I know we like to laugh at the misfortune of others and in a group situation, maybe I've had a herd mentality and laughed at stuff I shouldn't have found funny.

I thought we'd all moved on from cheaply mocking the mentally disabled to be honest. It's just not very nice. It sounds from that article that the lady made him feel damned uncomfortable about it…so maybe he'll think again. I really liked him on MTW…but I can see why he took himself off. You can only do that sort of just-on-the-edge stuff for so long…problem is, you have to keep upping the ante and eventually edgy becomes offensive.

what offends some is hilarious to others……..tis life.

words of wisdom from ton! 😉

what offends some is hilarious to others……..tis life.

Funny you, of all people, should say that ton.

dd, for being the offender or the offended??

If the downs kid had been in the front row it would have been over the line, but if you are an adult in a comedy club anyone is a target.

Reminds me of that christmas card saying santa didn't like ginger kids. Thats over the line, if it had said santa didn't like downs kids there would have been outrage. But laughing at ginger kids, downs kids, black kids in the confines of a comedy club is fine, everyone knows its being outrageous for the sake of it.

what offends some is hilarious to others……..tis life.

Undeniably true. But if that thing is pointing at disabled people and laughing at them purely because their disability makes them sound abnormal when they speak, is accepting it and saying "tis life" an acceptable response?

If anyone at a place of work was to ridicule one of their colleagues simply because they were disabled or black or gay or whatever, they'd likely be fired and could be taken to court. Standing on a stage and doing the same thing doesn't justify it.

bez, life is such…………does that sound any better?

deluded – Member
I love Frankie. Think he's hilarious, but it's all a matter of taste I guess.
What strikes me as a little odd is that almost without exception his jokes are going to be offensive to one group or type of person. He's that type of comic. The parent concerned no doubt was a fan I would imagine as she went to see him live. In that case it follows that at some time she would have been guffawwing loudly to a joke or two he said that someone else might have considered offensive. Smacks of raging hypocrisy to me. If you go to watch someone like him live you must anticipate surely that everybody is in play for ridicule.

This ^

were any downs kids in the audience? hav e any downs kids be en harmed?

it's hard typing this, my stupid dog keeps jumping up. 'Down Syndrome'!!

… warm enough, will leave the coat on the hook

BoardinBob – Member

He's not funny in the slightest

but he did jokes on tv about princess diana getting gang raped off of Arabs so what the f*ck did anyone expect?

I'll tell you what I'd expect. If he isn't "funny in the slightest", then I'd expect him to appear on TV just the one time.

There doesn't appear to be much point having someone who isn't "funny in the slightest", regularly on comedy programmes.

Of course some people confuse not finding someone funny, with no one else finding them funny…..as ton points out.

There isn't a comedian in the world which everyone finds funny. In fact, there's even some people who think Tommy Cooper wasn't funny……..daft eejits 😐

Bloke goes up to the ticket office
"cad I hab a firthd clad dicked do Doddighab"
"Have you tried Tunes?"
etc.
We used to tell/laugh at jokes like that. Don't remember anyone being offended and if they had been it would've made it funnier.

There is only one way a comedian can offend me and that is by being crap. eg. Lenny Henry.

everyone knows its being outrageous for the sake of it.

But does it help to confront ignorance and prejudice surrounding such a sensitive issue? People with Downs are Human Beings; making 'jokes' about their condition is hardly what I'd call helping them to better accepted, understood and integrated into our society.

Or does it not matter, as they can't 'answer back'?
😐