Be informed

Still reeling from the election result, I turned again to comedy to try to manage the situation. I have not been a great fan of Frankie Boyle (below left) in the past. I have found his comedy a bit close to the bone and unnecessarily offensive. Until last night.

His latest show, Election Autopsy, helped me understand why offence is necessary. It was not a belly laugh, but it was funny. And there is one scene where a Conservative voter, in the audience, shows herself to be crass and is only mildly embarrassed. If at all. Rather like the Tory leadership, I thought.

However, this was not just about the Conservatives. Boyle’s position is one of non-voter advocacy because, ultimately, the system is broken. To vote would be to endorse, or at the very least, patronise the system. His audience and guests did not wholly agree with him, but it was as informative as any of the leaders’ debates I witnessed in the campaign.

The best ‘joke’. “Some of my best friends are racist. First of all they are black…and they have got a point.”

For readers in the UK, the show is for a short while available to stream on the BBC website. I recommend it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02qs82x/frankie-boyles-election-autopsy

The exceptional contribution of Akala on structural racism in the UK is embedded in the Guardian newspaper’s review of this show: http://tinyurl.com/off94bx

By contrast, I started watching Rory Bremner’s equivalent, Election Report. Everyone loves an impersonator. He’s not bad. Some of his observations were also cutting. And in the spirit of BBC balance, aimed at all parties. However, unlike Boyle, Bremner accepts the system and makes fun of it on its own terms. So, whilst one may chuckle along with it, one is left feeling underwhelmed. With Boyle, I felt emboldened.

Bremner’s programme is also available on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05vjft9/rory-bremners-election-report

Pics: Channel 4 through Wikipedia

BBC screen grab