Poll: Frankie Boyle challenged over Down's Syndrome joke

[Zepren]

Telling Frankie Boyle to tone down is just something that's not gonna happen. The reason we love him so much is cause he doesn't give a fuck.

 

[Pearwood]

Any entertainer like him just uses shock value and negativity for comic effect, it's not like he believes the things he says so why should he be labelled as offensive? He's a comedian, if you're not thick skinned enough to deal with the comedy then don't watch it.

 

[kiwi_poo]

All people are equal (except racists, who I think are the lowest form of life), therefore everyone should be able to make jokes about everyone.

 

[UberNoodle]

That woman is free to make her own views heard. Is she free to dictate what other views can be heard? No.

 

[RobCoxxy]

...Frankie Boyle, a rather pathetic comedian who can't make people laugh with actual humour, so relies on being a beligerant, bullying asshole. Compare him to Michael McIntyre, who manages to bring the house down laughing every time without being nasty to anyone - not even politicians.

Pardon me, but that's just opinion. There is nothing funny about Michael Macintyre in my eyes.
I like Frankie Boyle's blunt observations and offensive nature. Same reason I like Jimmy Carr, who I'm guessing you don't.

 

[Caliostro]

Freedom of speech. Forbidding people from saying things we don't like is called censorship, and it's always wrong.

Besides, people who get offended at humor are idiots.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Yeah. Problem is, they don't tend to be funny.

You can make a joke about anything...A funny joke, on the other hand...

 

[Camembert]

...Frankie Boyle, a rather pathetic comedian who can't make people laugh with actual humour, so relies on being a beligerant, bullying asshole. Compare him to Michael McIntyre, who manages to bring the house down laughing every time without being nasty to anyone - not even politicians.

Pardon me, but that's just opinion. There is nothing funny about Michael Macintyre in my eyes.
I like Frankie Boyle's blunt observations and offensive nature. Same reason I like Jimmy Carr, who I'm guessing you don't.

Why do people feel the need to constantly remind everyone else that 'that's just opinion'? Of course it's opinion, it's his opinion. It shouldn't be necessary for every opinion put forth to be clearly labelled 'Opinion'. Not to mention that the latter half of the post had little to do with opinion anyway.

I need to stop saying opinion.

 

[Red Right Hand]

To be honest, Frankie Boyle is funniest when he's telling semi-sick jokes. Too often he goes for the horrific ones and I don't think they're that funny. Also, he's from Edinburgh. Dirty Bastard!!!

frankie boyle is from glasgow

Shit so he is. I always thought I saw a skit where he was mocking Glaswegians because he was from Edinburgh. Must be wrong.

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

But should somebody popular and infulential, like a comedian, be allowed to make jokes that could perpetuate a negative view of a certain group of people? Would you support a comedian making racist or anti-semetic jokes?

Ditto to this.

Just because we can doesn't mean we should - and Frankie Boyle really shouldn't have been ripping into folks with Downs syndrome like this. Still, it is only Frankie Boyle, a rather pathetic comedian who can't make people laugh with actual humour, so relies on being a beligerant, bullying asshole. Compare him to Michael McIntyre, who manages to bring the house down laughing every time without being nasty to anyone - not even politicians.

I am rather more concerned at the results of the poll and at the people defending Boyle in this thread.


Defend that as free speech. If not, explain the difference, other than the fact that people affected with Downs Syndrome are considerably less capable of defending themselves.

Fred Phelps should be allowed to say whatever the fuck he likes, and if people want to hear that then bully for them, I don't give a shit, just like Frankie Boyle should, and who are you to say whats actual humour or not? I wasn't there when we made you the lord of comedy?

It's a kind of comedy that makes a lot of people laugh, just because you can't stand for anything to be offensive doesn't mean everyone else should be the same as you.

 

[Gigano]

He should be allowed to satirize whatever he wants to. Whether it's good comedy material or in good taste is another matter entirely.

Family Guy did it as well a few episodes back, and they also had a drawn-out song to boot. So it's not like he's breaking down some kind of comedy taboo (of which there ought to be none).

 

[dagens24]

Does the idiot not know the sting of laughter; does the beast not know the sting of shame? People are tormented all the time within society for things they have no control over; intelligence, beauty, ability. Is it right? Perhapse not, but as long as it is accepted to comment on one, then all characteristics of birth, no matter how challenging, are free game. The struggles of the ugly man may be different then the struggles of the physically handicapped man, but make no mistake, they both have a handicap, and they both will be challanged.

 

[Qualko]

So, does anyone here actually have an info on what the joke was?

Here you go.

http://k3tten.blogspot.com/2010/04/punching-me-in-face-would-have-been.html

He not only made the jokes, but noticed her discomfort and then started speaking to her about it, right there in front of the audience.

We need less freedom of speech, it annoys me. Especially when it comes to the internet.

Not so much less freedom of speech, we need people to use freedom of speech with a bit more responsibility. While I like freedom of speech, freedom to be a beligerant asshole towards those who can't fight back is hardly a laudable aspect of modern society.

Also - a lot of people in this thread need to shut their pie holes frankly. The "dumb *****" never said that Frankie Boyle should be prosecuted, censored, locked up, or anything else. She pointed out that she felt sickened by his comments, which is perfectly understandable if you aren't a sociopathic teenager who is still at the stage of development when it is "cool" to swear a lot.

Well put.

 

[randomrob]

I think that as long as it is in good humour then it's fine. Frankie has a tendency to overstep the boundary between being funny and pissing people off.

 

[^=ash=^]

LEt people say what they want ... if they're allowed to make fun of those without disabilities, but not those with, isn't it essentially discriminating against those without ... haha didn't see that one coming did ya

 

[Burningsok]

well It's freedom of speech so yes he can make those jokes, but remember, say them at your own risk; you might get chewed out by a lot of people.