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AIBU?

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Original poster

And was this taken out of context? - The One Show

29 replies

molyholy · 16/10/2015 09:47

I was having a flick through the channels last night and can't shake this angry feeling off. I work for a tenants organisation and seen a quick thing on The One Show last night. Dom was doing some house thing and he said to the fella 'forgive me for saying this, but you don't look like the type who needs social housing'.

So what are people in social housing supposed to look like? 2 heads? one eye lower than the other? Baldy???

Now I must admit, I didn't see much more, but to enforce this stereotype on national TV, is just so wrong. The demonising of people in the regulated rented sector HAS TO STOP. But that is the BBC, peddling Tory agenda as per This country is obsessed with owning your own home as the be all and end all. Why???? It's not the norm throughout Europe. It is not frowned upon. People want to own, fine, but believe it or not, there are people who CHOOSE to rent.

OP posts:

backwardpossom · 16/10/2015 09:49

Was it not said in an attempt to challenge the stereotype?!

Disclaimer: I didn't see it.

Original poster

molyholy · 16/10/2015 09:52

I do hope so backward

OP posts:

OurBlanche · 16/10/2015 10:02

I think the response was something along the lines of educating the viewer as to the wider than you might imagine scope of social housing - encouraging people to check out their own possibilities.

specialsubject · 16/10/2015 10:05

entirely agree, OP. Although good luck accessing social housing as we keep being told there isn't any!

not a good week on the one show - caught a great moment earlier when the discussion turned from the cake-baking crap to obesity rates and the importance of not getting fat. With which we agree, of course.

unfortunately one of the guests was Nick Frost, not known for his low displacement. He said 'well, this is awkward, isn't it?' . Roll credits...

EponasWildDaughter · 16/10/2015 10:07

That would annoy me.

Was the response adequate ourblanche? Did the message about negative stereotyping get over?

backwardpossom · 16/10/2015 10:08

The One Show is a ridiculous programme.

OnlyLovers · 16/10/2015 10:12

I think that's appalling. 'the type' . What the fuck?

That's quite funny about Nick Frost and the obesity item. Sounds like he handled it well.

ImperialBlether · 16/10/2015 10:19

I was watching the news the other night when the reporter said "Two women have been given permission to take their husbands back to court (or similar) for even MORE money in their divorce settlement." There was a definite emphasis on "more". Really shocking considering the men had lied about what they were worth.

ExConstance · 16/10/2015 10:22

"My old man's a dustman he lives in a council flat, he wears Armani trousers and he shops at Habitat......" springs to mind. I have a friend with a real cut glass accent whose granny lives in a castle who has a council flat, no such thing as social housing type.

OurBlanche · 16/10/2015 10:34

I was in and out at the time but as far as I remember the piece was about a Bristol initiative taking empty commercial spaces and turning them into homes. The workers were professionals and community volunteers on £10 an hour.

The man was a Dr and he was made redundant and was giving his time for free. He hoped that, when the rebuild was complete there would be enough units for him to rent one.

The rebuilds are eco and ethical and not for resale at profit - I looked it up:

www.aeobhousepeople.org.uk/

It was a short but interesting piece! I think it was in the last 10 minutes of the show, should anyone want to use the catch up thingy

SoupDragon · 16/10/2015 10:38

Surely the point was to show that all sorts of people can find themselves needing social housing. It's not demonising people who rent at all.

SoupDragon · 16/10/2015 10:39

believe it or not, there are people who CHOOSE to rent.

Of course there are. How many people are there who choose to be in need of social housing though?

OnlyLovers · 16/10/2015 10:42

Surely the point was to show that all sorts of people can find themselves needing social housing.

Fine, but to say that there is 'a type' who needs it is to say that there's a certain kind of person who lives in social housing, and that you can tell who by looking at them.

BetLynchsBeehive · 16/10/2015 10:43

A stupid comment; there is an assumed given that there is a "look" to a particular "type".

"Why are you looking for social housing?" would have covered it.

OurBlanche · 16/10/2015 10:44

That was my take on it. The Dr had found himself in a position where he couldn't easily afford to house himself and daughter. His life had taken an unexpected turn... It didn't say of he was a medical doctor, or what job he had been made redundant from, but he had obviously found it hard to get back into work.

OurBlanche · 16/10/2015 10:48

But that is Dom Wotsits style of talking, he was being polite and enquiring how the man, a doctor, had found himself in need of housing help. The intention was to highlight the reality of high rents, the btl situation in Bristol. Given the information that came immediately afterwards the message was even a man who, to all intents and purposes, has a good standard of living can find himself priced out of the market.

OP did indeed hear only a snippet and so her quote is, as she suspected, out of context!

I think there is too much being made of it. It was an interesting piece and the project deserves more airtime.

SoupDragon · 16/10/2015 10:54

"Why are you looking for social housing?" would have covered it.

I disagree that it would have conveyed the point that all types of people can need social housing and that you can't tell by looking. By drawing attention to the fact that he doesn't meet the stereotype, they make it obvious that the stereotype is bollocks.

shrunkenhead · 16/10/2015 10:56

The best one was Tuesday's edition when Suralan, clearly bored and didn't want to be there, "discreetly" checked his watch!

BetLynchsBeehive · 16/10/2015 10:57

The type of crass comment merely allows people to think it's a normal thought process.

BetLynchsBeehive · 16/10/2015 10:59

It conveys that this person (this lovely individual who looks just like one of my friends!) is the exception to the rule but normally there is a type and it looks a certain way.

SoupDragon · 16/10/2015 11:00

Not to me it doesn't.

BetLynchsBeehive · 16/10/2015 11:01

It's in the very words.

OnlyLovers · 16/10/2015 11:17

I don't know why some of you still can't see how saying someone doesn't 'look like the type who xxx' is offensive and stereotyping, even after all the posts trying to explain it on here.

ouryve · 16/10/2015 11:27

If he was trying to get the point about stereotypes across, it would have been better for him to say "Some people might suggest that you don't look the type."

Dominic is a seasoned presenter and must surely have prepared his questions beforehand. There's no excuse for him making "clumsy" attempts to get a point across. Unless, of course, he actually does have a fixed idea in his own mind about the "type of person" who would use social housing.

OnlyLovers · 16/10/2015 11:28

EXACTLY, ouryve. Thanks for articulating what I couldn't.

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