ThisisBigBrother.com - UK TV Forums - Frankie Boyle sues The Mirror for libel after they brand him a 'racist'

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- - Frankie Boyle sues The Mirror for libel after they brand him a 'racist' (https://www.thisisbigbrother.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214009)

Quote:

Originally Posted by the truth (Post 5552308)

why do u all dwell on this trivial drivel, yet ignore the FACT 25000 plus people died from blood clots picked up in sub standard nhswards in a year? that 25000 is just the tip of the iceberg. clearly the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of innocent brits in british hospitals is less important to you than the foul mouthed drivel of a bigotted comedian? crazy

He won the case by a unanimous verdict thankfully. I'm glad to see common sense prevailed whilst sticking a massive middle finger up to the humourless, misguided and tabloid-worshiping fools who are offended on other people's behalf and think they have a right to tell other people what can and cannot be shown or said in the bounds of comedy. My only issue with this case is that the payout should've been more.

I also hope this sparks a trend of more people suing these abhorrent tabloid newspapers so that they become defunct.

Quote:

Frankie Boyle awarded damages of £50,400 over Daily Mirror 'racist' label

Frankie Boyle has been awarded £50,400 in damages after a High Court jury ruled the Daily Mirror had libelled the comedian when describing him as a 'racist'.

The jury also found that the claim Boyle was 'forced to quit' BBC2 panel show Mock The Week was defamatory, and awarded the comic a further £4,250.

Writing on Twitter, Boyle confirmed he would donate the damages to charity.

The 40-year-old, from Glasgow, launched action against the tabloid's publisher Mirror Group Newspapers over the July 19, 2011 article.

During a week-long trial the stand-up comic said he 'despises' racists and that the newspaper had 'misunderstood' the context of his jokes.

He said the accusation of being a racist went against 'everything I've tried to do in my work, to do in my life'.

'If I take this on the chin it sets a very serious precedent. I think the idea of taking racism down to this casual level is a very serious thing,' Boyle said.

Lawyers for MGN said the description of Boyle as a racist comedian who exploited negative stereotypes of black people was either true of an 'honest comment on a matter of public interest'.

Jurors at the High Court disagreed, saying the racist description was defamatory.

Writing on Twitter after the verdict, Boyle said: 'I'm very happy with the jury's decision and their unanimous rejection of the Mirror's allegation that I am a racist.

'Racism is still a very serious problem in society which is why I've made a point of always being anti-racist in my life and work and that's why I brought this action.'

Source

And it's nice to see that Frankie will be donating his damages to charity.

Quote:

I'm very happy with the jury's decision and their unanimous rejection of the Mirror's allegation that I am a racist. Racism is still a very serious problem in society which is why I've made a point of always being anti-racist in my life and work and that's why I brought this action. I am giving my damages to charity.'

..Hahh..nice one Jack..I still don't think he's funny but I don't think he's a racist either..

"be donating his damages to charity."

Great PR

..I don't think the charities care whether it's PR Arista..they still get the benefit of the money..

Quote:

Originally Posted by arista (Post 5559748)

"be donating his damages to charity."

Great PR

he could just keep it,

Quote:

Originally Posted by kizzy (Post 5560253)

He is a hypocrite.

in your opinon!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kizzy (Post 5560253)

He is a hypocrite.

:sleep:

And you're going to dispute an official, unanimous verdict in a court of law?

You might not like his humour, fine. But he isn't a racist, that's an absurd, defamatory and offensive claim and to honour it just because you don't like someone's work is just laughable and also quite childish.

His work and jokes are anti-racist, it doesn't take a genius to work out the underlying message. To take these jokes seriously and believe that they have actual racist tones to them...

Quote:

He gave jurors an example of a joke about Britain's involvement in foreign conflicts in which Mr Boyle answered a phone and said, "Department of N----- Bombing"

Quote:

In one joke from Tramadol Nights, which was shown to the jury, Boyle said: "Basically, we are murdering a load of shepherds. What gets me is our callousness as a society when we read out our dead on the news first, because our lives are more important. Other people's aren't worth as much."

He then adopted a newsreader's tone, saying: "A bomb went off in Kandahar today, killing two British servicemen, three UN relief workers and a whole bunch of pak*s."

...is seriously alarming, delusional, really quite silly and I can't fathom how people could be so oblivious to the obvious anti-racist message.

Common sense wins.
Nice to see for once in this society that seems so desperate to be offended.

Glad to see he won this case. Hes a bit of an unfunny douche IMO a lot of the time (though I have giggled occasionally at tramadol nights when my dad had it on :blush2: ), but I wouldnt say he was racist.

I'm glad he won his case he is not a racist he is a comedian who walks a fine line with his brand of comedy, where NO Subject is off limits. His subject matter is controversial but that is the essence of humour, there is humour in all human interactions they may be unpalatable to some in which case turn off , don't listen or watch. But the humour is still there and a vast number of broad minded people can enjoy this sort of dark humour without branding the person delivering the material as responsible for it.

And as a footnote I personally find Frankie Boyles comic timing and delivery superb, easily the funniest comedian on Mock the Week.

Glad he won as its a victory for freedom of speech and freedom of comedy expression.

I didn't say he was racist, I said he was a hypocrite...
IMO, fall asleep all you want :gunther:

Quote:

Originally Posted by kizzy (Post 5560356)

I didn't say he was racist, I said he was a hypocrite...
IMO, fall asleep all you want :gunther:

I quite like gunther

http://www.gunthernet.com/image_gunther.jpg

Youtube video