To wonder if Joey Essex Towie has learning difficulties?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Apologies if this is well known, I don't really follow it. Just watching Celebrity Juice (I know) and they're obviously taking the mickey out of this guy Joey. Now I don't know if he really is as dense as he's making out to be or whether its an act and he's know for pretending to be like that, or whether he genuinely has learning difficulties?

He just correctly answered the question 'how many sides has a rectangle got' and 'what country borders Wales' and he seemed genuinely thrilled that he got the answers right.

Is he really that daft or does he have learning problems? I genuinely don't know. And for some irrational reason am now concerned.

[HeySoulSister]

as a person he seems lovely....Ld'S or not

and the mothers day episode was very touching,but imo,should not have been aired

[MrsReiver]

He was a successful club promoter before TOWIE started so not all of his achievements are off the back of the program.

I think he seems like a really nice chap.

[Owllady]

it isn't okay to make fun of either
I don't think it's okay to depict a whole county in that way either though. Idle stereotyping etc

[Bessie123]

I guess people think it's ok to mock because these people are ignorant and lazy - they don't want to know anything and think it's fine to have such limited knowledge. JE's girlfriend didn't even know what the word 'foundation' means, ffs. She was using the word, he asked what it meant, and she glossed over it. There have been quite a few series now, they cannot help but know they are highly ignorant and they think that is fine. It is actually completely

[mrsjay]

he is just really unaware of anything that doesnt involve tan women and drinking oh and look reem ( is that the word ) bless him he is a bit thick

[yaimee]

Oh I just love him, he's so charming. Even if he isn't very academically intelligent, he certainly seems emotionally and socially intelligent. And he's funny too.

[nancy75]

I would imagine learning difficulties or not the fact that his mum killed herself when he was a child probably had a pretty negative effect on his education.

[ComposHat]

I guess people think it's ok to mock because these people are ignorant and lazy - they don't want to know anything and think it's fine to have such limited knowledge. JE's girlfriend didn't even know what the word 'foundation' means, ffs.

This ^^
I loathe wilful ignorance.
I don't have a problem with people not having super-high IQs or possessing limited qualifications, but that doesn?t stop you learning (in the wider sense of the word) or just generally being curious about the wider world. Okay, not everyone is going to be Nobel Prize winners, but surely most of us have some capacity and interest to uncover stuff and generally become more aware?

I do get annoyed when people take a perverse pride in knowing nothing outside the sphere of their own experience and have no wish to learn anything.

The wilfully ignorant (and programmes like ?The Only Way is Essex? that celebrate it) should be condemned and mocked.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

If he is not acting then yes, he does come across as being of sub normal intelligence. I have no idea if he has any specific learning problems or difficulties. That is his private business. The 'character' he plays is entirely loveable though. He seems like a lovely, highly enertaining guy and I hope he continues to do very well for himself.

[Madeyemoodysmum]

Yabu. Joey is a sweetheart. He has a big heart, so what if he doesn't know everything. He has charm, looks and will do well if he carries on in the grounded manner he is in now, he is only young and lost his mother in tragic circumstances.

You lot are being mean mean mean.

[Fargo86]

Why do people watch this programme? What is the appeal?

[mrsjay]

what compos hat said is what I think although they have much better words that I do I said he is a bit thick not mocking his intelligence mocking that he has no knowledge about anything outside his own world and tbh it gets on my wick

[timidviper]

Absolutely agree with ComposHat. I am sick of the media portraying ignorance as glamorous and intelligence / education as uncool. Children are encouraged to learn by parents and schools (hopefully) but then get this constant media drip, drip, drip of it's cool to be ignorant.

I have science based qualifications and was endlessly exasperated by the "it's cool to be crap at maths, physics, etc" when DD was at school.

[StorFetHamster]

Also he didn't go to the best school kr anything (I went there! Moved from Sweden to the area at secondary school age). And it's hardly Essex too, Chigwell is right on the border with London (literally...we lived in the house next to the welcome to Essex sign!)

[lborolass]

I've never seen towie so can't comment but I have ofetn wondered if Essex is his real surname, how lucky is that?

[KitNCaboodle]

I would rather my son have his lack of knowledge and, according to this thread poor education, but seemingly kind and caring nature than the education but disgusting attitude of someone like Spencer from MIC.
awaits bashing for watching such tripe

[Bessie123]

But having a good education and wanting to learn doesn't mean you have to behave disgustingly. I don't understand why you would make that connection.

[Bessie123]

And, tbh, I am a bit that you would be happy for your child to be so ignorant as that towie lot - why would anybody want that for someone they love?

[KitNCaboodle]

I'm saying that I would rather my son be kind natured than clever. I don't want it for him but not do I want him to disrespect women.

[TheYoniKeeper]

Lovely thread

My mum is a social worker for learning disabled adults & usually they have an IQ of well under 60. (Basically, a low IQ affects your ability to learn, understand etc & if it's low enough you're classed as having a learning disability).

Being 'thick' if you want to word it horribly can actually translate to having mild learning difficulties, so it's a very derogatory way to describe someone who seems to have 'issues'...as you don't know how much it's put on & it's offensive in general.

Not that it matters in this case, poor bloke.

[wonderstuff]

It worries me that there is a trend to celebrate ignorance, which seems to have emerged since big brother (is it post-modern?) To live in a small world with limited knowledge seems to be a bad thing. I find the paralelle trend, to mock those who have limited talent/education/IQ equally disturbing - X factor seems to get huge ratings using this 'laugh at the mentally ill' technique.

Surely it would be better, more civilised to celebrate achievement and knowledge and sympathise rather than laugh at those who don't do well.

I did watch some of Celebratey Juice - it seemed he had leaning difficulties, it wasn't obvious if he was being laughed at or if he was laughing with the others. I switched over, I found it uncomfortable. Though I am happy to watch Karl Pilkington - I find that very funny, clearly there is a line, and I guess it lies in different places for different people.

I teach secondary pupils and am a bit sad at the people they hold up as role models - but maybe thats because I'm old and a bit of a geek?

[TheYoniKeeper]

But hey ho, if you get off on idiot-bashing and it makes you feel all big & clever then bash away

[WTFisABooyhoo]

"Why is it ok to make fun of someone who is "just" thick, but not ok to make fun of someone with learning difficulties? Surely it's pretty unpleasant either way?"

i have always wondered this. i have heard people making fun of my cousin for things she says and more often wears when out in public. then when i have interupted them and said she is autistic, they say "sorry, i didn't know". well what the hell difference does knowing make? you shouldn't be making fun of people for not being as smart of you regardless!

why is it ok if she's 'thick' because she's autistic and not ok if she's 'thick' for no obvious reason (should she wear a sign on her back to let people know teh reason for her 'thickness'? )

[Bessie123]

The point is the lack of interest in the world, their limited horizons and their complete disinclination to learn anything that is not fake tanning, suspect fashion choices and vajazzling. They are shallow and ignorant and happy to be so. I do think that is fairly contemptible. Fair dos, they've not murdered anyone but they are also pretty nothingy and proud of it.

On the other hand, I hypocritically love towie watch towie religiously

[wonderstuff]

It is weird - and it leads to having to label everyone who doesnt conform, because that seems to be the only way we can make allowances and accomadate difference. It would be good imo if we were able just accept that not everyone is the same and have some empathy with that.

We are supposed to be a tolerant country - is it worse in other cultures, or is it that although we accept some difference there are others we are poor at undstanding?