I do agree with you about Frankie Boyle - he crosses the line into offensiveness when 'punching down' for me and I'm not a fan.
However, to extrapolate his example across all of contemporary comedy would be the same as dismissing all 'old' comedy because some of them were racist.
I’ve always admired comedians who get laughs without feeling the need to use bad language. I didn’t dismiss all contemporary comedy, but you have to admit that there is a trend among modern comedians to be too foul mouthed.
Some of them are very talented and would be funny without the constant swearing.
@bookertease, people always associate Tourettes with swearing alone, as that's the comedy element. But it's mostly ticks and inability to stop making noises and shouting stuff per se - not just swears.
The constant swearing ones you do have to wonder if it's for the joke.
By the way, I think Frankie Boyle is one of the greatest comedians of the last 40 years. To think TV broadcasters used to give crap like Les Dennis his own shows.
@ValleyWanderer said:
I thought they/he said "bigger than Jesus"?
Actually he said they were 'more popular than Jesus' @ValleyWanderer but I took that and made a little joke. A poor one I grant you. Tough crowd.
And it was in the context of the size of their following compared with that of Jesus. Perfectly proper and correct therefore. As a superannuated Beatles freak I was disappointed (before I ‘got’ the joke) to think that anyone, least of all @Wendoverman, would stop listening to the Beatles for such a feeble reason.
@glasshalffull said:
I’m reminded of that wonderful Monty Python sketch about a football match between Greek and German philosophers.
NB For younger posters, Monty Python was a comedy group that got laughs without swearing or mocking handicapped children.
Though they did have characters with names like Mrs Niggerbaiter.
@glasshalffull said:
I’m reminded of that wonderful Monty Python sketch about a football match between Greek and German philosophers.
NB For younger posters, Monty Python was a comedy group that got laughs without swearing or mocking handicapped children.
Though they did have characters with names like Mrs Niggerbaiter.
Jokes mocking antisemites or racists are not antisemitic or racist themselves
I agree. In the case of the Monty Python sketches that I referred to, however, I am not convinced that there is any mocking taking place; rather it seems that the intention was to elicit a smile or chuckle from their audience (the majority of which they would have expected to be white, British and christian) because the audience would feel empathy with the antisemitic/racist characters.
"You're not Jewish are you?" - Audience member: "Ha ha ha. Oh yes, wouldn't that have been awful for him if it turned out she was Jewish?"
"I don't like darkies" , "Ha ha ha. Who does?" - Audience member: "Ha ha ha. Yes indeed, who does?"
Outraged language aside the joke is on the racists like the not the none o'clock news sketch about the copper arresting one man 100 times...one of them for having big lips and very curly hair.
Would you be comfortable letting your children watch Frankie Boyle?
Or your servants reading lady chatterley's lover?
I would suggest Frankie like python in its day is not for children and thus he is on the telly late at night...and his shows are for adults.
If Peppa pig started insulting the disabled i would get angry though.
Like you admitted earlier, you are a dinosaur Mr Glasshalffall. You can always whip out you Cannon and Ball videos for the basic comedy you desire. Let those without such close minds enjoy the brilliance of Frankie Boyle.
"Rock on Parry"
i do find it ironic how easily people take offence and show outrage at (admittedly sometimes misplaced) humour involving disabled people but fail to be offended or outraged about the way some (most?) are treated by our government and system.
Given the choice between Frankie Boyle and Ian Duncan Smith (for example), ask yourself which one of them would receive the most contempt from a person reliant on DLA.
Comments
I’ve always admired comedians who get laughs without feeling the need to use bad language. I didn’t dismiss all contemporary comedy, but you have to admit that there is a trend among modern comedians to be too foul mouthed.
Some of them are very talented and would be funny without the constant swearing.
Swearing is humour-neutral for me.
Anyone seen Jess Thom? The comedienne with Tourette’s. That puts swearing properly into context.
@bookertease, people always associate Tourettes with swearing alone, as that's the comedy element. But it's mostly ticks and inability to stop making noises and shouting stuff per se - not just swears.
The constant swearing ones you do have to wonder if it's for the joke.
Thank goodness we can get back to discussing football soon!
.
I guess that makes him a Sn'oap'flake !!
That’s quite good for you Chas.
By the way, I think Frankie Boyle is one of the greatest comedians of the last 40 years. To think TV broadcasters used to give crap like Les Dennis his own shows.
Why am I not in the least bit surprised to read that?
@Wendoverman said:
And it was in the context of the size of their following compared with that of Jesus. Perfectly proper and correct therefore. As a superannuated Beatles freak I was disappointed (before I ‘got’ the joke) to think that anyone, least of all @Wendoverman, would stop listening to the Beatles for such a feeble reason.
I second that!
See Jimmy Carr and the most offensive joke ever..... Worth a go on tubeface.
Though they did have characters with names like Mrs Niggerbaiter.
Bloody hell!
There are enough examples in Monty Python of stuff that could be considered antisemitic -
example, man to woman, after professing his love for her, "You're not Jewish are you?" -
or racist -
example, woman to game show host, "I don't like darkies," to which the host responds, "Ha ha ha. Who does?" -
that I don't feel comfortable showing any of their sketches to my children without viewing them first to check for questionable content.
Sound like a terrific set of chaps.
Jokes mocking antisemites or racists are not antisemitic or racist themselves
I agree. In the case of the Monty Python sketches that I referred to, however, I am not convinced that there is any mocking taking place; rather it seems that the intention was to elicit a smile or chuckle from their audience (the majority of which they would have expected to be white, British and christian) because the audience would feel empathy with the antisemitic/racist characters.
"You're not Jewish are you?" - Audience member: "Ha ha ha. Oh yes, wouldn't that have been awful for him if it turned out she was Jewish?"
"I don't like darkies" , "Ha ha ha. Who does?" - Audience member: "Ha ha ha. Yes indeed, who does?"
Graham Chapman was Jewish and was renowned for making jokes about it.
Outraged language aside the joke is on the racists like the not the none o'clock news sketch about the copper arresting one man 100 times...one of them for having big lips and very curly hair.
I think with the gameshow sketch it's an attack on the working class people who say such things and posh people who expect nothing less.
Would you be comfortable letting your children watch Frankie Boyle?
Or your servants reading lady chatterley's lover?
I would suggest Frankie like python in its day is not for children and thus he is on the telly late at night...and his shows are for adults.
If Peppa pig started insulting the disabled i would get angry though.
No, but that seems like a terrible barometer of what is and isn't funny.
Frankie Boyle is probably the finest comic working in the UK at the moment. It's OK if you can't see why.
I'd say that accolade belongs to Daniel Kitson
The fact that you and ChasHarps have praised him speaks volumes.
Like you admitted earlier, you are a dinosaur Mr Glasshalffall. You can always whip out you Cannon and Ball videos for the basic comedy you desire. Let those without such close minds enjoy the brilliance of Frankie Boyle.
"Rock on Parry"
i do find it ironic how easily people take offence and show outrage at (admittedly sometimes misplaced) humour involving disabled people but fail to be offended or outraged about the way some (most?) are treated by our government and system.
Given the choice between Frankie Boyle and Ian Duncan Smith (for example), ask yourself which one of them would receive the most contempt from a person reliant on DLA.
Absolute corker of a point from @bookertease