Frankie Boyle Gets Support For Paralympics Comments From Comedians Adam Hills And Russell Howard

If Paralympians Can Laugh At Themselves, Why Can't Frankie Boyle?

Frankie Boyle managed to create his usual furore last week, with his Twitter comments about Paralympic athletes being judged by many as offensive, and well beyond the borders of good taste. Read more here...

Frankie Boyle - witty or wince-some?

But, amid the sound of fury, have emerged a few voices standing up for Boyle, and his right as a paid comedian to have a pop at other members of society.

Russell Howard has spoken out in support of Frankie Boyle

Russell Howard, Boyle's former co-star on Mock the Week reflected that there are "far worse things in the world" than Boyle's remarks, reports Digital Spy.

More authoritatively, Australian comedian Adam Hills, who was born with one foot and is presenting Paralympics round-up programme The Last Leg on Channel 4 during the Games, has told the Sun: "In all honesty there is a degree of seriousness with the Olympians that doesn't exist with the Paralympians.

"I'm not saying they don't take their sports seriously, because they do. But there is a joy there."

Adam Hills fronts The Last Leg on Channel 4

He also pointed out that Paralympians often make comments about each other, that could be deemed insensitive...

"Paralympians can be offensive, too," he said. "Just because you're disabled doesn't mean you can't be offensive towards another disabled person."

But does that make it okay for a non-disabled person to make the same kind of cracks? That's two votes for Frankie Boyle, plus the comedian's own circumspective defence of his remarks...

"Nobody thinks it's a good thing to laugh at the disabled. But it is a genuine problem that we're not allowed to laugh with the disabled."

Is that what he's doing? The jury's still out...

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