The ‘comedian’ Frankie Boyle’s been at it again, and I say comedian in the loosest sense of the term, because really, this guy seriously isn’t funny. Not content with picking on kids with Down Syndrome, he’s now picking on a specific disabled kid.
Good on Katie Price for sticking up for her son Harvey and good on her for highlighting how Channel 4 appears to think disability isn’t ‘as deserving’ as racism and sex by allowing such material to be broadcast and warrant an apology.
This makes me sad.
But it seems that the media has not yet connected the dots to disability with actual people. People who have to deal with ignorance and prejudice just like people of ethnic minority or gay/lesbian on a daily basis. That having such derogative comments of disability ok-ed by broadcasters such as Channel 4 and yes, the BBC, validates the idiot on the street who think it’s OK to be insulting, because you know, ‘Frankie Boyle et al can say it, so, so can I, …and no one pulled him up on it’.
Why is it, that someone who is disabled is less worthy of protection in the entertainment industry than the colour of someone’s skin or sexual preference? Which if used in a show, would no doubt kill a comedian’s mainstream career in a flash or wouldn’t even be considered for transmission.
My theory on this, is that disability is the last minority group that can be publicly mocked and for it to be acceptable to do so, without the comedian being truly ostracised for the nature of their material. This must change.
One hopes that Ofcom will realise this and send a strong signal to broadcasters and comedians alike. Poking fun at disability is just as wrong as picking on someone because of the colour of their skin or who they choose to love.
Come on broadcasters, lead by example like you do for other minority groups.
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