Benefits: Too Fat To Work. Fucking really???

[Mountainygirl]

I just spotted this in the TV guide. Channel 5 have obviously hit on the perfect formula- bring everyone's two favourite folk devils ('fat people' and 'benefit scroungers') together, for a brand new series, which I am sure will be a balanced and fair portrayal of these people's lives....

TV seems over run with this shit atm. Everyone goes on about how sexist/racist telly was in the 70s, but honestly, in years to come, people will be totally gobsmacked about how in 2015, it was almost universally OK to rip the absolute shit out of poor people.

Meant to post this in Chat....

It's fucking scary,that these programmes are made and even scarier that thick people watch and believe them.

It's propaganda.

Yanbu!

Fucking livid about this. If hate crimes increase as a result of this programme and others like it will channel 5 be stumping up some of the cost of dealing with it!

The Mail is going to love monstering every unfortunate person featured. I wonder if the victims have any idea of the pile of shit that is about to descend on their heads?

Why are they victims?

The mail have done it already www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2818222/Almost-12-000-deemed-fat-work-given-54m-benefits-Number-claimants-obesity-related-illnesses-doubles-five-years.html

Thing is, people watch it, so producers will keep producing it. I can't be arsed watching it as most of the time it makes me angry. I always wonder why you'd want to air your 'dirty linen' in public to go on these sorts of things

I dont watch these shitty programmes either. Lower ratings will mean they stop making them

Total propaganda! Also see benefits, life on the dole made by channel 5, where one woman & her friend were described as besie benefit mates. Grr!

YNBU. This is becoming discriminatary now against the poor. Still awaiting to see a programme about tax evaders . There's no chance of that though, they're only brave enough to pick on the down trodden.
It is an absolute and uttering shuddering thought that seemingly the rights of criminals are protected more than benefit claimants eg. We never hear of convicted criminals going hungry do we, nor do we ever see TV channels making programmes being detrimental to criminals and if we do I fully apologize but I've never seen it.

They're desperate. People don't watch that much broadcast telly any more. TBH only the older people I know really watch it like we all did in the 90s, where you just watched whatever was on after dinner.

Agree about the demonising of the poor - and I'm looking forward to these programmes due to be aired on BBC2 soon. Here's what the blurb says:

'From exposing the jaw-dropping luxury in which the richest one percent of society live, to exploring the impact such lifestyle extremes have on contemporary Britain, this will be a fascinating and thought-provoking season of films for BBC Two.'

Not that they'll get anywhere near the audience figures of the obesity benefits programme, though. Sigh.

There must be a market for it, or programmes like the wouldn't be made.

I certainly won't be watching it though. It's hardly going to be an honest piece of journalism, is it?!

As much as people don't like it there are people out there who are like this.

The programme may not be moral, it may be harmful, but if it's happening it will get picked up on and turned into a programme.

There is also a show with the doctor from Supersize v Super Skinny with people on benefits v workers Low brow trashy journalism.

I always wonder why you'd want to air your 'dirty linen' in public to go on these sorts of things

Money. The participants are paid. Plus sold a very different over view of the finished programme i expect.

Well that bit of propoganda worked a treat on you before you'd even seen the programme. Efficient!

propaganda^

It's like that fella who came from Romania and was telling us how he sends his money over to build his house and how benefits are easy to claim here etc.

No amount of editing could have creayed that reaction yet people go on about it being manipulative and propaganda.

Surely he knew how the general public would see that. Why do it?

I was just gong to say ,the propaganda seems to be working...

Agree with usual I am despairing atm of all this shit

I am starting to feel more and more that the media is the puppet of the government. It doesn't feel any different to Nazi portrayals of Jewish people in the 1930s.

I remember seeing a programme (may have been Dispatches) portraying Royal Mail in a really grim light - all layabouts and thieves (I worked for them for years and new the workers to be great - really nice people)- and I said to my DH 'I bet they are trying to prepare the public for Royal Mail to privatised.' Low and behold I was right. Now we have TV like this whilst the gov are announcing the beginning of another 5 years of cuts including to people on benefits. And let us never forget that the majority of people on benefits WORK - their wages are topped up as the pay from their companies is too low to live on.

It's all evil and fucked up and it makes me really really angry.

KNEW not new

I am heartened that so many MNs are against these awful programmes and yes DM readers watch them and believe it all.........Channel 5 seem to have more of them than any other channel.