Should Channel 4 apologise to Katie Price?

[sp1814]

Frankie Boyle told a joke about Katie Price's son Harvey on a recent show:

http://www.independen...-her-son-2155543.html

Should CH4 apologise, or is a joke just a joke.

By the way, the link above doesn't contain the joke itself because frankly, it IS tasteless in the extreme...however, the Daily Mail published the joke in their coverage:

http://www.dailymail....abled-son-Harvey.html

[zzxxee]

agree with you whole heartedley boo
he is not funny imo, how can anyone find a person funny who makes money out of jokes about a disabled boy, incest and baby p ??????

[cazzz1975]

obviously funny to his fans though.

[zzxxee]

some perverse people with warped sense of humour !!!

[sp1814]

Cazzz/B00

I confirm - he DID make a Baby P joke (just Googled it).

There seems to be a pattern going on here. It would appear that he wants to corner the 'edgy' market...but whenever he hits the headlines, it's noticeable that he goes for 'soft targets' (Maddie MacCann, Baby P and now Harvey).

That's not 'edgy' to me...

[Ankou]

everyone has that moment in daily conversation where they want to say whatever thought has entered their mind but first must ask if it is appropriate. even free spirits become entangled in these social constraints. luckily for forensicators, i.e. humorous interpretation performers, these boundaries are somewhat muddied and can be tip-toed, or rushed, across. in the quest for laughs pushing limits is acceptable and encouraged if done smartly. yet, as with anything, there is a line within humorous interpretation. stray too far and you become a shock performer.

comedy and drama allows for performers to take risks and question what is acceptable and what is not. in the pursuit of laughter and truth, humorous interpretation performers often are allowed to utter phrases and mime actions that in regular society would cause them to be ostracized. audiences allow for some extremes due to the "unreal" context of the piece. however, push to forcefully and audiences quickly regain themselves and are reminded that certain behaviors are unacceptable. there is a line. frankie boyle crosses it often, and people like this enough to watch him/see him live.

i like/dislike him in equal doses.

[sp1814]

By the way - I should admit...I've never seen Frankie Boyle...ever.

[cazzz1975]

its gets his name in the papers and he becomes a hero for having the temerity to 'go there' I suppose.

[cazzz1975]

splitting your sides at the baby p jokes were you koode.

[B00]

Im sorry but you have to be joking koode, right?

I can't believe anyone would find joke about dead children (Baby P- thanks Sp, wasn't positive i'd heard/read right) and disabled children, even remotely funny. Would you be as amused if it was your child he was "joking" about? I think not!

[China Doll]

I find Boyle very funny, he was always my favourite on Mock the Week. I've only seen the stand up show on 4 once and I didn't think it was Boyle at his best. I imagine channel 4 are encouraging him to be as distasteful as possible because regardless of whether you hate or love his humour, you're all still talking about it which is publicity. Personally, I didn't hear the jokes about Harvey or baby P so I can't say whether I would have sniggered or found them inappropriate. I agree with ummmm that a few naff jokes, no matter how tasteless, will probably not stop me finding Frankie Boyle funny. Whether I would pay to go and see it him given his show at the moment is another story, I don't think it shows him at his best.

[Gromit]

All jokes have someone for us to laugh at, be it Irishmen, Women or handicapped children. Channel Four and the other broadcasters need to make judgements about what is acceptable and what isn't, a form of self censorship if you like.
In this case, I think they got their judgement wrong. They should not have broadcast the joke (it wasn't even funny). It should apologise in this instance.

Although I would not be unhappy for all manner of scorn be heaped on this loathsome pair, the child is innocent and should not subject to ridicule.

[zzxxee]

it sickens me to be honest that people make money on this kind of "humour"
just imagine if that was said about your child?

[joggerjayne]

Generally, I don't side with people who leap up and down screaming that jokes are "offensive".

The people to whom the joke is supposedly offensive would not, generally, give a hoot. The only people who are "offended" are the objectors who, on the whole, are just trying to claim some ludicrous moral high ground.

As an example ... when Jimmy Carr made his joke about the injured soldiers, and we should have a great team for the paralympics, he was almost lynched ... but it turned out that the soldiers themselves thought it was funny.

So, against the background of me not being easily offended by "close to the knuckle" jokes, I did think that FB's jokes about Harvey Price were badly judges, and FB made a big mistake.

It was the one about whoever loses the custody battle has to keep him. I can't imagine how little Harvey would feel if he heard that (which he will, now that it's been given so much subsequent publicity by the objectors).

So there we are ... poor judgment ... and yes, FB and Channel 4 should agree that they made a mistake, and should apologise.

[B00]

Am I the only one who's put off a comedian completely if they tell an off joke?

i remember thinking Ricky Gervaise (sp?) in The Office etc, but then I saw a live show, and his "jokes" about the war and Anna Frank really revolted me. Now i simply can't watch him at all.

[naomi24]

Frankie Boyle is an ignorant, graceless, nonentity.

[naomi24]

No, you're not the only one B00.

[cazzz1975]

I believe you are trying to claim some ludicrous high moral ground boo. ;).