Sledging With Sister Frankie

Today was the 'mental patient' scandal. Asda marketed a fancy dress with an image we've all seen from horror movies, forgetting that this is Britain in 2013 and patients with mental problems cannot a) be referred to as mental patients and b) the otherwise abstract association with bloodstained white outfits is currently considered offensive.

The comedian Frankie Boyle tweeted "ATOS examiners have killed a lot more people than mental patients".

Somewhat uncharitable, I thought. I braved a positive upbeat tweet back and soon Frankie replied...

"I'm sure sufferers will appreciate advice on dignity and worth. From some bigot with 12 followers"

So at let's call it "half-time", in this "debate", Frankie Boyle decides to call me a bigoted loser.

Loser because I have 12 followers (which in my book is 12 too many). And bigoted because, well I don't know... erm because he wants to bully me with a little name calling, I think.

So a controversial comedian whom I have (previously) liked and worked very hard in the past to get tickets to see (and succeeded), uses twitter to call a follower/stranger (who knows quite a bit about mental health) a nasty name. Uses Twitter to call me a bigoted loser.

That's Frankie Boyle.

It's sad isn't it?
Preserving freedom of speech for himself, resorting to name-calling, and using the thunderbolt of the celebrity tweet/troll to do it.

It's tough to talk truth to power. Because when he has thousands of loving followers, he is the power.

One or two of his fans joined in.. suggesting I'd been "owned" by Frankie or adding a sinister "hahahaha" (not a good "hahaha").

Nice isn't it? 

After all if Frankie did it, it must be okay.

I have one of his recent books in the room next door. I shan't read it now, but I think it mentions the concept of kindness (a concept many decide to discover when they hit middle age).

He doesn't have that quality. Though he'd like to think he does.

I've defended him in the past when he delivers a joke. 

But there was no joke.

There was just nastiness.

He just uses weapons even though he doesn't know their power, doesn't know when to deploy, doesn't know what harm it does and doesn't understand the complex subject he comments on. He doesn't have his wings. And on his page he calls himself a "Truth Diver". Maybe the nitrogen bubbles got to him.

So be careful with this Twitter.

If I did this every day, that sort of stuff would hurt.

It would tie a band around your brain like a belt and keep pulling. It would cause lives to be lost.

Frankie Boyle would have to power to do this. 

He is a well-known name. In fact, these are the only people who should use twitter. They have plenty of time on their hands and that's where a lot of nastiness grows from. Just engaging with it today has stolen a lot of time from me although has been a worthwhile social experiment.

If you have to engage with minutiae, it can make your head shrink and crunch so make sure you draw some contrast. You need to re-expand, reinflate, open your squeezebox. I turned on the TV and watched a bit of Horizon looking at the secrets of life on the planets. That's enough to put things in perspective. Chunk up. Chunk down. It's all very well testing the water, but don't forget to sniff the morning air.

I did add another tweet helpfully pointing out areas Frankie might look to improve.
In the last 10 minutes alone, it's been re-tweeted to 700 people. (Who needs your own followers?)

So sorry Frankie.

Twitter is like the Hokey Cokey. 

If you have to do it, put your left foot in and take it out again. 

If you must, put your right foot in and take it out again.

But really, unless you are selling, it's best not done at all.
I'm putting my feet up.