When Does Humor Go Too Far?
Tonight I write this post about an important issue that has really been irritating me these past few weeks.
Being me, I just can’t leave it be and found myself needing to raise the issue here on the blog.
So, what is it that’s eating me?
Well, sometime ago, last December to be precise, a certain “so called” comedian publicly made fun out of someone less fortunate than himself live on TV. Frankie Boyle went all out and shamefully made Katie price’s disabled son Harvey the butt of his incredibly vile “Jokes”
So, why have I brought it up now?
The story has yet again been brought to the publics attention through the media as a result of Katie’s new show, ‘Katie, Sticking up for Harvey’ which has been aired on Sky living. I haven’t seen the show, unfortunately I don’t have access to the channel, however I did read a recent article at the, ‘Mail Online‘
This was the headline that drew me to the story that I found myself reading with an open mind.
Now, I’m not your biggest Katie fan, I don’t really watch much of her stuff unless my sister is about, not because I don’t like the woman, just because I’m not really interested In her world. However when I have seen the show and its had scenes with her son Harvey as well as her other children, she comes across as a loving mother. Now I know she’s no angel and gathering from this article she isn’t claiming to be one, yet the comments I have read from the wider public left me a little dumbfounded. It’s my opinion that many missed the point completely. It all came across as some kind of “We hate Katie Price Campaign!”
One thing I continued to read over and over again was, “Of course Katie didn’t write this she’s to thick” Come on guys… a) does it bloody matter who wrote the article, it still clearly makes the same important points and b) have you all forgotten, the woman cannot be that “thick” she has made herself a tidy sum of money that will see her children through education and beyond. This brings me onto my next point. Sadly many comments showed a certain amount of resentment, with many asking how can she possibly understand what its like to raise a disabled child purely because she has a nanny! I’m sorry but I feel many parents of disabled children myself included, ask for the outside world to look at us without ignorance! Is Katie price exempt from this? “Stop Milking it” was another comment… “Oh god I hope that person never has to raise a disabled child, the pure cheek and ignorance of such a comment” Sadly I expect Katie expected such comments, still this doesn’t make it right.
Although I’m aware of people having their own opinions, I found it quite shocking how some even felt it was Ok to condone Frankie Boyle’s sick remarks (to sick for me to repeat).
Just because Katie price doesn’t have to worry about getting funding for her child’s school placement or getting the council to part with the cash for respite, doesn’t make her any less of a mother to her child, it doesn’t mean she loves him any less then you or I love our children. Most importantly It doesn’t give scum-bag comedians the right to pick on a disabled child like Harvey, surely it doesn’t right?
To read comments stating Harvey should be hidden and it’s Katie’s own fault for having him in the lime light clearly highlights that we still have some way to go with raising autism awareness. I for one commend Katie price for standing up for her disabled child and speaking out for him! Would I have done the same? Hell yes, I’d done it in a heart beat!
As for both Fankie Boyle and the TV bosses who defended him…. You guys should be utterly & totally ashamed of yourselves! Disability discrimination shouldn’t be happening especially by those in the public eye, its nothing less then disgraceful and I don’t know how you can sleep at night!
When did it become OK to mock disabled children based on who they’re parents are?
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I’m disabled. I don’t care. Growing up, the kids were vicious, but that’s how I fit in.
At least I go to school, S said, referring to my special classes.
S told me the only way I was going to get some was to hump a dead corpse. K agreed, so did C, even though C was bullied too. C wasn’t socially allowed to make fun of me because for him, it wasn’t funny to them. There would be awkward silence.
At school, they pretended like I didn’t exist until we got home. One time K did stick up for me.
I love humor, but there is indeed a limit. Especially, when you are joking about defincienies were people are self conscious about. You are going to make them worry more and think “Why did they joke about that? Isn’t it that noticeable?”. Sometimes, joking, can send a hidden message that you want to be rude too. Placing a “LOL” or “J/k” in the end of a sentence, will make you think that person didn’t mean any harm but they did so to prevent futher confrontation, they would but these abbreviations in the end of their sentences.