Did anyone hear Jonathan Dimbleby on Any Questions repeating that infamous Michael Flynn quote “Fear of Muslims is rational” with a tone of abject incredulity?
These people cling on to their favourite soundbites for dear life and flog them to death. Is Jonathan Dimbleby the last man standing who refuses to consider the possibility that saying “fear of Muslims is rational” has a smidgeon of credibility? Rhetorical question. We know he isn’t.
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You know the feeling. Your kids (or someone else’s) are behaving appallingly, but doing it with such wit and creativity that you struggle to suppress a giggle, but you’re obliged not to laugh so as not to undermine your authority such as it is.
I watched Frankie Boyle’s American Autopsy. I don’t know why; let’s say morbid curiosity and ordinary curiosity rolled into one.
Well, I’m not immune to the humour in Frankie Boyle’s imaginative phraseology, while simultaneously marvelling at how someone so sharp can be so dumb.
Some of the btl comments on Youtube indicate that it didn’t go down terribly well, but we know what Youtube comments are like. I mention it mainly because people are wondering why the BBC has ‘let him back’.
Unconnected with this particular programme, someone on the BBC mentioned ‘gritty’ comedy, and I guess gritty is the new edgy.
Of course Frankie is a white dude and, I gather, a father. A bit jowly these days too, one disadvantage on top of another.
He started with a monologue about Trump’s appearance and general unsuitability for office and made a few derogatory comments about America. Then he threw in something disparaging about Hillary Clinton and brought on his guests.
The predictable and unoriginal banter was par for the course, livened up a bit by a contribution from Richard Osman (2.01 m.)
I found Osman’s excessive height rather comforting, as it gave his (mildly) dissenting view extra heft.
Speaking as someone with a 'nasty little voice “Goin’ peep peep peep’” I can only say I need some huge people on my side.
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| Richard Osman 2.01m |
Frankie Boyle and his friends have certainly noticed a hell of a lot of bad stuff about America. Bad stuff about Donald Trump, bad stuff about Hillary Clinton, bad stuff about politics and all kinds of bad stuff about racism, misogyny, fascism etc etc. But they haven’t noticed anything whatsoever about Islam.
That’s gritty only in the sense of ‘irritating if it gets in your eye’. As humour, this was feeble and kind of emollient. Think of people oleaginously soothing each other’s preconceived prejudices.
I think I’d prefer edgy, if I could find any.
