Frankie Boyle suing The Mirror

[Mellotron]

Chris Morris did it very very well and no one killed him. But then hes got proper bollocks unlike Frankie who is a flat track bully.

Once again, spot on.

Quite a coincidence that most of Frankie Boyle's targets are people who can't defend themselves. Or is it that he's a bit of a coward?

 

[Pavilionaire]

When Boyle was on Mock The Week he used to make jokes about Muslim terrorists all the time, i.e. "Big Al MacGrahi" the Lockerbie bomber with the Scottish connection, also burkhas and The Taliban.

If he was a coward he wouldn't have gone near this subject matter with his usual no-holds-barred approach, but he did.

MTW still makes for good viewing but I miss the edge Boyle gave the show.

 

[Nibble]

There is some reactionary bit of flummery in an article on the internet that says Boyle doesn't make jokes about Muslims. In fact he has done, many times actually.This is where some of the posters on here have plagerised their argument from. Of course, the danger of copying other's work is that, without your own research, there is always the possibility of copying all the mistakes too. As said, I don't particularly like Boyle but that is no reason to put up with falsehoods in a debate.

 

[brakespear]

Could be interesting.

I'm not particularly familiar with Frankie Boyle's stuff, but I think "he's a comedian" or "it's a joke" is to cheap and easy an excuse. Comedians/Jokes don't have to be offensive to be funny, it isn't a pre-requisite or an obligation. It's a choice. When it comes to offensive humour, for me it has to have a point. Being offensive for the sake of it is too lazy. Offensive humour needs to be executed with intelligence. It has to tread fine lines about what exactly it makes fun of - making fun of victims of rape for instance is a no no, making fun of the attitude of entitlement or the culture of rape (when done well and in the right place) is fine. Making fun of a stereotype is fine, making fun of a person or a race is not, and so on.

I don't know if Frankie Boyle has the intelligence to walk that line, because I've never really seen his act. I don't know if he makes fun of disabled people because they are an easy target ("let's all point and laugh!"), or if it's to break down a barrier of fear ("don't mention the war!" kind of "if we ignore people's disabilities we're being good/no we're being ignorant and not accepting someone for who they are") and making jokes about them is an inclusive action to bring them into society with everyone else instead of leaving them on the sidelines because we don't want to say anything that might upset them.

I also don't know if he has any race related jokes in his repertoire, but if he does it could be interesting to see the argument. "I'm not racist, just a comedian" can be answered with a long list of comedians who have had his level of success and more without going down the route of offensive jokes (comedians like eddie izzard, peter kay, lee evans, michael mcintyre, immediately spring to mind without any great thought), and then a string of his jokes that may on the surface be about black people, but is actually a comment on the treatment of black people designed (at least subconsciously) to make people realise the absurdity of such treatment. That argument would be an interesting one, I think (as long as people steered away from simplistic "what happened to free speech?!"/"somethings just shouldn't be joked about!" arguments).

If he doesn't have any race related jokes, then I presume it would be much more straightforward.

I think this is pretty much what I wanted to say last night but couldn't quite find the words. Top post

 

[Mellotron]

MTW still makes for good viewing.

No it doesn't. And never has. The smuggest show of all time.

 

[brakespear]

Chris Morris did it very very well and no one killed him. But then hes got proper bollocks unlike Frankie who is a flat track bully.

Also, this

 

[Nathan]

No it doesn't. And never has. The smuggest show of all time.

I must admit it has lost its edge and too many 'in' jokes that just aren't funny.

 

[Worthai Seagull]

I went out with a girl who liked Frankie Boyle for a while. She was a stupid f***ing bitch.

(not for liking Frankie Boyle ...... although that would make her a stupid f***ing bitch ............ She was a stupid f***ing bitch ................did Jimmy Carr there for free)

he's crap and nasty and I would not be upset if he gets a bad cancer or (preferably AND) goes blind.

He's crap and nasty ? What you have just said is horrendous. You might as well join his club. And stay away from here !!

 

[00snook]

He's crap and nasty ? What you have just said is horrendous. You might as well join his club. And stay away from here !!

Where exactly is Frankie Boyles club?

I would like to join

 

[The Spanish]

No it doesn't. And never has. The smuggest show of all time.

once again, spot on. its painful to watch most of the time.

 

[Hamilton]

What The Mirror, and most other people have forgotten, is that Boyle is a performer, his whole offensive prick thing is an act. That's it. He's telling jokes. Crude, extreme, nasty jokes but they're jokes. It doesn't make the man himself a racist, a bigot, a homophobe etc etc.

What people failed to understand was that Bernard Manning was a performer. His whole offensive racist thing was an act. He was telling jokes. Crude, extreme nasty jokes. It doesn't make the man himself a racist. Er, hold on...

 

[Nibble]

What people failed to understand was that Bernard Manning was a performer. His whole offensive racist thing was an act. He was telling jokes. Crude, extreme nasty jokes. It doesn't make the man himself a racist. Er, hold on...

I see your point completely but disagree when it comes to Boyle. Hear me out...Manning at least had the courage of his bigoted pathetic stage act convictions and that's how he lived. I get the distinct impression that Boyle just dreams up the most offensive thing he can say, wether he believes it or not. Both are unfunny.

 

[Hamilton]

I see your point completely but disagree when it comes to Boyle. Hear me out...Manning at least had the courage of his bigoted pathetic stage act convictions and that's how he lived. I get the distinct impression that Boyle just dreams up the most offensive thing he can say, wether he believes it or not. Both are unfunny.

I see what you're saying, and I can go with that.

I think comedians have an incredible responsibility. People trust them to make them laugh without dragging their conscience through the dust.

What you're saying (I believe) is that Manning put up a sign saying "I'm a bigot" before he told the gags. Boyle doesn't do that. He invites people in and confuses them.

Now I'm sure people will say "well if you don't like it then switch off", but I think that is to over estimate the intelligence of some and underestimate the power of the mob.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I don't get the point of just turning off if you don't like him. His " victims" don't get that option, they have to live with his insults/ jokes whichever way you want to look at it. Some of his targets will deal with this better than others - but it doesn't make it ok to do it in the first place.

They are lots of ways to make people laugh. I just don't find picking on people and insulting them particularly funny.

 

[abc]

I don't get the point of just turning off if you don't like him. His " victims" don't get that option, they have to live with his insults/ jokes whichever way you want to look at it. Some of his targets will deal with this better than others - but it doesn't make it ok to do it in the first place.

They are lots of ways to make people laugh. I just don't find picking on people and insulting them particularly funny.

This in buckets. And the point I was trying to make or debate in my OP was if he wants to dish it out then he should be able to take it, his 'victims' as you put it have no choice. Smacks of the playground bully - pick on the weak who can't fight back but play with MY toys and I'll run and tell teacher!

 

[Pavilionaire]

No it doesn't. And never has. The smuggest show of all time.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[looney]

... For calling him racist.

Now I'm no fan of the media or tabloids but I also can't stand the hypocrisy of some people who are happy to have a go, offend etc just about anybody but can't take it when it's thrown back at them. Boyle (who can also be very funny it's true) has often gone way beyond what is decent (eg making fun of Rebecca Adlington's appearance) but has a hissy when someone has a go at him.

Hope the Mirror sue his arse off and more!

Racism is a criminal offense, it then becomes libel, far beyond purile name calling. Some of the no marks on here who are quick to throw the term about should bare that in mind. It a growing issue for legal action and one thats quite easy to win.

 

[looney]

I don't get the point of just turning off if you don't like him. His " victims" don't get that option, they have to live with his insults/ jokes whichever way you want to look at it. Some of his targets will deal with this better than others - but it doesn't make it ok to do it in the first place.

They are lots of ways to make people laugh. I just don't find picking on people and insulting them particularly funny.

how have his "victims" suffered? Died? Maimed? this is the kind of purile crap you get in the Mirroe.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

how have his "victims" suffered? Died? Maimed? this is the kind of purile crap you get in the Mirroe.

You are speaking for his victims there. That is not your position.

Maybe pick on someone like Adlington for something she has done rather than the way she looks.

If someone has done something wrong, then I see them as fair game. For someone who hasn't, I don't think they should face a public bullying session.

 

[looney]

You are speaking for his victims there. That is not your position.

Maybe pick on someone like Adlington for something she has done rather than the way she looks.

If someone has done something wrong, then I see them as fair game. For someone who hasn't, I don't think they should face a public bullying session.

I am not speaking for the "victims" I am sticking up for Boyle. What you see and others see are 2 different things. Many find the royals are nice people but they get stick.

The issue here, which seems to be derailed by spurious passive/agressive arguements, is that "The left" are attempting to have it both ways. If racism is a serious offence, which it is now as its enshrined in hate laws, then you cant go around making casual allegations of racism because you dont like the comedian, or whatever persons opinions. Or you are accusing the person of a degree of criminality.

BTW

On closer inspection the targets of humour usually dont care, its the "professional complainers" who are "offended". Being offended on behalf of someone else is really pathetic imo.