Frankie Boyle slammed for joke about ‘raping and killing Holly Willoughby’

23 comments
  1. The comic, 49, referenced a game about ‘killing and sh*****g people’, which included TV star Holly, when he performed at Latitude Festival last weekend.

    Allegedly, Boyle told the crowd: “I’d obviously kill her and rape her afterwards. I’m joking, I’d rape her first.”

    The controversial comedian defended the comment yesterday when he was asked about it at a book launch.

    Boyle said: “Can I just say, my routine about raping and f*****g Holly Willoughby was part of a very long routine about whether or not it’s okay to do a joke about that, and I look at it from both sides, there are pluses and minuses.”

    He also described how comedy is in “the eye of the beholder” and he believes he’s a “mainstream comic”.

    The Mirror has contacted Frankie’s representatives for comment.

    Holly, 41, has in the past spoken up for sexual abuse victims, and has also revealed her own experience of up-skirting when photographers crouched on the floor to take photos of her.

    A spokesperson for feminism campaign group FiliA said: “There is nothingfunny about male violence and seeking cheap applause at the expense of traumatising women speaks of low-quality material.”

    Frankie sparked outrage in the past with jokes on Rebecca Adlington’s appearance and Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey.

  2. >Boyle said: “Can I just say, my routine about raping and f*****g Holly Willoughby was part of a very long routine about whether or not it’s okay to do a joke about that, and I look at it from both sides, there are pluses and minuses.”

    Would be interested to know the findings.

    Would also be interested to know where the data comes from. After all, Frankie is well known to be left wing and progressive. Just leaving it here that his usual haters tend to be the right wingers. Maybe even the same ones who insist it’s ok to… [insert ‘anti-woke’ bollocks here]. If he’s annoyed anyone on the left/progressive side with this, it only serves to show he’s an equal opportunities enrager

    It is a pretty offensive joke. Coming from a non-comedian, it’d probably just be offensive and that’s all. From a comedian, on stage, the intent is pretty obvious to me. Especially one whose politics are well known to be very dissimilar to the expressions being made in the joke. Let’s not repeat the pug nonsense

  3. > Tory chair of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee said rape is never funny

    Context is key.

    If we found out that Jacob-Rees Mogg raped Boris Johnson with a ping pong bat every time his poll numbers went down I’d find that fucking hilarious.

  4. I recommend reading Stewart Lee’s book:- “How I Escaped My Certain Fate …”
    He goes into great detail about how jokes are funny or not.

    We need these people. Now that real life has gone beyond satire.

  5. So he’s done a routine and I’m sure he’s made sensible points during it. And how is a comedian then going to finish that routine to get the biggest laugh? By saying the most shocking and opposite thing to the point he’s just made. Can’t really see what the big deal is.

  6. I do actually like Frankie, but I think he was at his best when on panel shows like ‘Mock the Week’. And lets face it, it’s not the first time he has targeted actual people in his humour, there was the Katie Price’s son incident many years ago. His style of humour is often very funny, but sometimes it comes across as no more than bullying and been nasty for the sake of it.

  7. This sub definitely has it’s favourites for when it comes to offensive jokes and comedians and will really jump through hoops to defend.

  8. I don’t particularly like Frankie Boyle, but the idea of anything not being ok to joke about is way too close to comedy being dead. If you don’t like him, don’t watch him.

  9. Not everyone has to laugh at every joke. If you don’t get it or don’t like it that’s fine and valid. Life goes on though.

  10. I used to find Frankie Boyle funny, but I just kind of find him a hypocrite now. He’s very vocal about the things he finds offensive, but is happy to make fun of children with downs syndrome. In that instance I also found it surprising that the guardian were scoffing at ‘daily mail style outrage’. It feels like a reversal of what their stance would usually be, if FB wasn’t the one making the joke. Also I’m not keen on jokes that directly target the personal appearance of others. Do it in any other setting and it’s bullying, do it on stage in front of thousands and it’s comedy. I don’t think there’s any need to target an individual in that sort of way. It’s low effort stuff that any school child, lacking in empathy, does on a daily basis.

  11. I am loving how this sub has now determined that context is vital to the understanding of a joke, which is correct I might add.

    Just a shame they didn’t think that was the case in the Nazi Pug incident, a joke that really was far less offensive than singling out a specific individual. But I guess the rules are different if you are with the politics of the person charged.

  12. Really weird he’s joking about raping specific people at this moment and talking about it at a Waterstones. In totally unrelated news, make sure to buy a copy of Frankie Boyle’s new novel Meantime where he can explain why rape is ackshually hilarious.

  13. I support his right to make the joke.

    But it must be pointed out that he has become a fucking hypocrite who calls other people out for making jokes now so fuck him.

  14. For fuck’s sake. Joking about raping and killing women is not acceptable.

    For those defending this reprehensible speech – how would you feel if he were talking about your daughter, sister, or mother?

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