I don't go seeking after Frankie Boyle but I sympathise with the position he's in. Channel 4, like the BBC before them, hire him because he's outrageous and then fire him because he's outrageous. It's as if they're gleefully egging him on to let fly with the barbs but as soon as one of them lands on a group they perceive as "vulnerable" (one of the weasel words of our time) they hastily compose their features to indicate disapproval and ask him to step into the office.
It was the same with Russell Brand during his time on Radio Two. You hire him because he goes a notch further than Jonathan Ross and then fire him because he's gone two notches further. That's the nature of the beast. If you tell somebody that their appeal lies in their outrageousness you must expect them to aspire to outrageousness, which can be quite easily measured by the number of times they cross the line, rather than humour, which is a lot more subjective. And harder.
Chris Evans also springs to mind,seem to remember him being in trouble with T.F.I. Friday and his dismissal from the Radio One Breakfast show as well. He seems to have calmed down a bit these days, but not sure if I would ever like to meet him.
ReplyDeleteWhilst we're on the subject of DJ dismissal, I'd almost forgotten that Johnnie Walker was sacked from Radio Two whilst he was doing the drivetime show, but later reinstated after a wave of public support.
David, I think that Evans and Walker were not sacked for something they said. Evans absented himself far too often, after pub sessions, and eventually demanded a four day week. Walker - if memory serves - was arrested for possession of cocaine.
ReplyDeleteThat said, if your point is that the audience care far less about these transgressions than do the guardians at C4 and the BBC then I am in agreement.