To think channel five is obsessed with people on benefits?

[Tetrimino]

It seems there is an gradual increase in the production of shows that essentially showcase the life of those on benefits.

I'm not sure how they get away with producing these shows or why those who 'star' in them remain so willing when the obvious tone of the show is to create anger in those watching. I am guessing there is a generous financial incentive to be so transparent.

With the benefit cap starting next week, once again the spot light will be on the struggle to survive on low incomes.

It's like the slum tours of the 19th Century.

It is. I can only suppose peoples need to feel richer, superior and better than others has found another outlet. Human nature perhaps.

I agree and it seems the main aim is to portray all people on benefits as no hopers who have chosen a life on benefits. There are a huge proportion of people who claim benefits for a short period of their lives, when a partner has walked out, for short periods of bad health or during a spell of unemployment. These sorts of people are never represented.

The general tone of such programmes is scornful and derisory. Most people in this country claiming benefits are not chain smoking, uneducated folk with dirty houses and eight children running about the streets.

By making people look down on the poor ,people dont mind when they cut benefits.People like that wont know how hard it is until one day they find them selves unemployed

my man works full time yet its not enough we are on benefits if our benefits were cut how would this help us.Not all people on benefits are lazy

It is, but I think it was ever thus and not necessarily linked to the current state of affairs.

I wouldn't even mind if the programs just showcased losers. God knows we have enough programs such as Jeremy Kyle for that. It's the focus on all the problems stemming from 'benefits' that gets to me.

I agree with Roseteapot, it does propagate the idea that benefit claimants are lazy and gives people even more reason to have a bad attitude towards anyone who receives benefits.
Not everyone on benefits needs to get off their lazy arse and get a job, some are hard working families that just cannot earn enough to support themselves, or disabled people that don't have a choice.

Lots of working people are also on benefits e.g. Housing Benefit WTC, so Where are we.

I've heard the media term it 'poverty porn' before. It's an obsession and I imagine there's an agenda behind it as roseteapot and others have alluded to. Generating scorn and anger for the poor is benefitting some.

Yep, it's awful. It was way worse when Desmond owned it (also owns the Daily Star and porn magazines) but now viacom have bought it most of the really trashy stuff has gone.

I think there's only "...On Benefits" and "Benefits by the Sea" still on there now, whereas 3 years ago it was every night.

I have also noticed the way they use "benefits" as a superfluous adjective on these programme. "Jane is going to the shops to get her benefits groceries" it's astounding

There is one presenter who is really condescending about the people featured, most of whom are trapped in situations, the one about jaywick showed how really hard it was to get a job, i dont think it nice to be having a laugh at their expense, having lost my job a few years ago I am now one of the workers who still have to claim tax credit to keep a roof over my head, why dont channel 5 do documentarys on the tax evaders instead of poor bashing!

most people in the country would look dodgy on TV compared to sanitised actors amd presenters, so it works well as telly but exaggerates massively how rough slightly tlrough behaviour is Its bad.

It's awful, Jeremy Kyle is of the same ilk in my opinion. These shows exist to make the people on them come across in the worst light possible in order to perpetuate the myth that everyone on benefits are lazy, work shy, that they 'churn out' kids as a lifestyle choice. They never look at the bigger picture, the fact that many people on benefits are also in work and need them in order to keep a roof over their head.

It works in the governments favour as people are more than happy to see benefits being cut left, right and centre in order to stop these 'scroungers'.

People like to watch and judge.

If it's not judging lifestyle we'll judge their dancing or baking.

I've watched a few of these benefit programs. These people need a fecking hand up, not a pointed finger. There should be more resources available to help people better themselves.

It's to make the demonisation of the working classes so much a part of the status quo that when they bring back workhouses, we'll be adequately desensitised to the plight of the poor, so we won't kick up a fuss.

It's the age-old story. The powers that be work to cast a certain group as the 'other' in order to mistreat them. They use popular culture as a vehicle to convince the majority that what they're doing is not insidious. Hitler did something similar before the Holocaust.

Cao are you saying the government have some input into the production of these programmes?

I think a lot of the people who watch these shows aren't so well off themselves. Perhaps they feel that they are being sneered at, so want to see people worse off than themselves. They never show the hard up, working families who are in poverty. Oh, and it's never benefits, they're called 'handouts'.

Not all programmes are about lifes losers, there was a series recently where three families were given a years benefit in one go. Eventually they all came off benefits:

One family started a party business and purchased equipment and exotic pets. Another the man passed his driving test and bought a van and started car-boots and the wife went to a hair salon for the first time in years and had a proper colour and style - it boosted her confidence and she got a job.