Ofcom has censured comedian Frankie Boyle and Channel 4 over Frankies jokes about Katie Price and her son Harvey in his show, Tramadol Nights which was broadcast in December 2010.
Channel 4 and Frankie Boyle have argued in the past that the joke was intended to mock Price’s alleged “exploitation of her children for publicity purposes… her behaviour as a mother and her cavalier attitude towards relationships” and to be fair, there isn’t anyone in the media spotlight who can escape Frankies brutal comedic talent.
Ofcom have accepted that Katie Price and her ex-husbands have, “”consciously exposed their and their children’s lives to the media” and must expect to be the targets of humour and criticism.”, but continued, “The fact that a public figure chooses to expose some aspects of his or her child’s life in the media does not provide broadcasters with unlimited licence to broadcast comedy that targets humour at such a child’s expense.”"
I think that obviously it’s important to protect groups of people from unnecessary distress from comments made via mass media channels of communication, but there comes a point where you need to need to stop and say, well a joke is just that – a joke. It’s not like a politician standing up and slagging off a group of people with the intent of causing serious offence – a comedian…at a comedy show…telling jokes…maybe just let that slide as the bit of fun (albeit slightly tasteless fun) it is?
I think that Katie Price just used the comments to get more press coverage and attention. It was not a nice thing to say about the little boy but nobody would have taken it seriously. If anyone mentions that woman’s name she sees it as another opportunity to get publicity.
Irene
Yeh I agree. I think if you’re in the public eye then you have to expect attention from comedians, particularly if you live your entire life in the media like Katie has.
Frankie says a lot of harsh stuff on lots of different topics, but I don’t think anyone takes it more than the joke that is intended.
What is this, the Frankie Boyle appreciation society.
Lets say you have got an aggressive kid, let alone a kid with disabilities and somebody said you only married your husband so he could stop your kid from sha**ing you then I’m sorry but I don’t think you would be impressed, in fact I am sure there would be repercussions.
The fact that Katie Price’s child has disabilities; In the public eye or not, making a comment about a child with disabilities then giving it a sexual twist is just wrong, don’t care who you are.
Frankie Boyle hasn’t even got the b*llocks to meet Katie Price so he is basically nothing more than a sh*tbag on a stage taking the p*ss out of people.
Maybe if either of you two had a child with disabilities you would understand why this was so wrong and the impact it has on other people with disabilities when jokes are told but hey its obvious you two don’t have a child with disabilities (and don’t bother coming back on saying you have a child with disabilities because its quite obvious that you haven’t, shame on you both for being so narrow minded and trying to defend Frankie Boyle)
Hey dude, don’t get me wrong I’m not defending the comments at all. Just saying I don’t think jokes about a kid with disabilities is any more brutal than a mother using the same child to further her career.