Poverty Porn - a new term : Grimsby Residents Angry
 

Many are using that term
for watching benefits street on Ch4HD


Now people in another location
are trying to stop the next Ch4HD Poverty Porn Docu

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/me...y-9073054.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/incomin...grimsby-gt.jpg


Sign Of The Times

I haven't seen Benefits Street yet, Arista...I am still unsure as to whether I want to, particularly as my daughter described it as "Shameless...but it's actually real"...

I adored the first few series of Shameless, but I don't even know what I might think about its RL counterpart. When I moved back to this country 7 years ago, I was in a social property and was bullied ridiculously for being "posh" and burgled...4 times in 2 years. I think it may bring back some feelings I don't want to experience again.

Yes many are avoiding it.

But In Grimsby they want Ch4HD docu team stopped

It's a horrible kind of programme to make that appeals to the lowest common denominator. I don't need to watch this to know that a few people will try and take advantage of the welfare system, but for every programme like this, they could make a thousand following people around as they try to find work.

But who wants to watch people sending off CV's and waiting for rejection letters? Doesn't give us all that smug sense of self worth as watching poor people drink cider and smoke weed.

I have watched parts of the last couple of episodes of this Benefits Street, it's just the same as the Scottish one they made 'The Scheme' it's a completely unfair representation of people that receive benefits.

They have chosen certain people to take part that are what I would class as worst case scenario, people watch this kind of thing then lump anyone receiving any benefits into the one category, I know there is a lot of people that are like the ones from this programme but then there's also a lot of people that are nothing like them and are actually trying hard to find a job and better themselves and then some that have been made redundant through no fault of their own and rely on benefits to get them by until they find other work.

My son looked for work for 10 months after finishing College, he found it devastating. I hate the fact that people are pilloried for being disadvantaged, but at the same time, I find long-time, living on benefits people repulsive. Utterly repulsive.

I want to add that this seems like the worst kind of voyeurism to me. I find it worrying that people find a need / reassurance to put themselves above / against others.

There but for the Grace of God go you.

So what is the answer? I'm sure if you asked 90% of people that are out of work, they'd agree that it's repulsive, but what are they supposed to do in areas where work is scarce?

Yes but get More Viewers
than ever before for a Docu

I haven't watched any of benefits street, but I watched all of the scheme fairly recently. I didn't think that really showed people in a terrible light. I expected it to, but I actually found a lot of the characters (like Marvin) really interesting, and it was handled fairly well.

Yes but for many
Life Is Unfair

I only watched it once last week, and though I can understand criticism of the way it portrays people on benefits it did raise some important issues, like that big group of Romanian men who had come over here on false promises thst there was good work waiting for them, but then found theyd sold into what is effectively slavery and are threatened with violence if they try and call the police or leave

Haven't seen any of it but I find the whole culture of taking advantage of disadvantaged people for television to be morally bankrupt - another example being The Undateables. Nice idea in theory to try and help people with disabilities and social problems to try and find someone to be with; but it just comes across as mocking them and making light of their problems - I mean the title "The Undateables" is horribly offensive for starters.

Yes but now Ch4HD are busy scouting other places (for More Docu's)
I hope they do one near you.

So you can give us a Smile

I agree, I think many people that watch it, watch it for its "Freak Show" value. There's a lot of this voyeuristic mentality prevalent now, depends how clever they are in justifying / marketing it unfortunately.

:suspect: do you think Channel 4 would want to mock me? :laugh:

Yeah this is spot on.

My mum was telling me about the last series they did in Manchester and how they set up particular situations to make them seem worse... like paying the men to go and buy cheap cider and so on