Frankie Boyle launches written attack on Mark Watson
Warning: this story contains very strong language.
Frankie Boyle has launched an attack on fellow stand-up Mark Watson (pictured) after discovering Watson has written a blog criticising his controversial choice of material.
In April 2010, Watson published this blog post on his website, in which he gave his reaction to the then topical story lead by the Daily Mail about Frankie Boyle's controversial on-stage argument with a mother of a Down's syndrome child, and his thoughts on taboo comedy in general. As part of this blog, Watson wrote:
"Frankie apparently remarked that it was his last tour, and he didn't give a fuck what people thought. All in all, quite unpleasant."
After listing possible defences for Boyle's jokes, Watson added:
"... they don't entirely address the issue of whether, in the 21st century, a rich, successful and physically healthy man should be able to make tons of money by taking the piss out of Down's Syndrome, and pass it off as entertainment. Even though I'm part of a comedy industry which will argue, till it's blue in the face, that you can say whatever you like, I'm not convinced that it represents progress if we're allowed to say things like that."
Eight months later, Boyle appears to have just come across Watson's blog. Today he posted the following in the comments section underneath the original blog:
"Hi Mark. Just saw this. Amused to see moral grandstanding from a notorious sellout. You are commenting on a joke you didn't see, and don't quote, so presumably you don't even know what it was? Amazing. I'd hate for you to pass through life with no self awareness, so let me point something out. You built up a certain indie credibility over the years with your stand-up. You then sold that credibility to sell cider. Why don't you leave the discussions of jokes to people who have heard them and stick to pushing booze on teenagers? In a country of alcoholics. Yours, Frankie x"
Boyle, who has recently been under fire for making a joke about Katie Price's disabled son in his Channel 4 sketch show, then posted the following very strongly-worded statement on his official Twitter feed:
"Amused to be sent an attack on my work by Mark Watson. A sellout who takes money to advertise booze to his teenage fans. A cunt."
Mark Watson has swiftly responded with a new blog post:
"Frankie Boyle has read the blog I wrote about the Down's Syndrome thing and taken offence. He penned a less than pleasant comment on this site and dropped my name on Twitter. I've now had some pretty colourful opinions from his fans.
I'm about to go away for the weekend so I just want to say I hope this will blow over. I'm not keen to start a fight with FB whom I respect and like. I'm sorry to have angered him but this is only a blog. I was trying to address the subject of taboos in comedy rather than attacking Frankie. I didn't think he would give a shit quite honestly. And maybe he doesn't really but his fans do."