Britains Hiidden Hungry on BBC1

[Darkesteyes]

Tonight at 10.35.
Its about people who have had to use food banks. I just thought id flag it up on here for anyone who would be interested in watching it.
Ive only just spotted it in the TV guide.

'what a shame that scum bag abused the whole system. i think they need more stringent checks.'

Don't worry they have got more stringent checks on benefits already and we have read all about scroungers in our newspapers, and the public want more stringent checks too. This programme helps the call for more stringent checks.

'Mm I don't want to be judgemental but I noticed Kelly's 4 or 5 dogs and they didn't look underfed'

If it weren't serious politics, then it would be almost funny. The programme would probably have attarcted lots of anti-Tories who believed that the BBC would give the Tories a bashing, but at the end they are all confused about most of the people shown. It's almost top quality propaganda, a BBC forte.

I will admit to momentarily hoiking up my judgey pants when I saw Kelly's wide screen TV and pack of dogs.

And I was at the church remembering the "poor". Can't remember what the exact slogan was, now. And I'm very at why Kelly agreed to go along with going to the church or being filmed.

Yes, Charlotte was brilliant. I was so pleased when they said she was going to study to be social worker. She'll be ace. Yes, she did make an effort with her looks for the camera. A bit of blusher, mascara and lip gloss can last a long time. Although she looked to see what was in the fridge - if I only had two onions and a drop of milk left, I would know it. I think that was staged, but hey.

Darren is beyond words, I had no idea people like that actually exist.

"The programme would probably have attarcted lots of anti-Tories who believed that the BBC would give the Tories a bashing, but at the end they are all confused about most of the people shown"

Um...yes, like me!

'wide screen TV'

Daily Mail and Sun buzzword alert! They pushed every button. Masterpiece. Probably win an award somewhere and a medal from Central Office.

I am from an evangelical Christian background and DD's Church has a Trussell Trust foodbank, which is why I was interested in the programme. I must say I really cringed at the "Help the poor" T shirt. I suppose they were trying to drum up more support by getting someone along who had benefited, but what about "don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" and "let your good deeds be done in secret"? It left me with a bad feeling. I am glad that Gavin admitted they needed a rethink on how they gave out help.There were several shots of him looking just a tad too smug.

I got the feeling Gavin loved, loved, loved the ego boost of being superior to others the poor he was delighted with his membership if church cult and made Kelly uncomfortable not being part of his gang.

I think he got off on the power of who he would help or bend rules for.

Interestingly, when he found out about Darren, his first response was "is this being filmed?"

I bet Gavin was swiftly removed from his role this morning.

' the "Help the poor" T shirt'

They are only following the example of government messages and aid organisations and charities and BBC charity appeals. Unfortunately, because they are Christians rather than just government charities, quangos and celebrity fundraisers, anything they do gets a negative connotation.

Savile was lauded by the BBC for his charity work. He even got a knighthood. But poor old evangelicals just get stick.

Gavin was shown as a bumbling incompetent. Darren should be made to pay back all he stole from the food bank, although realistically I know that is not feasable.

Charlotte though, was amazing. Wow, what an emotionally mature young woman. I am sure she will make an excellent social worker.

"Is this being filmed?" was a strange response. I wondered what he would have said if it wasn't being filmed!?

Actually he looked a bit stunned. Perhaps he would have been more emotional and was trying to hold himself together for the camera.

Aw Charlotte.

There is one with a baby who is looking pretty fat. She can't relaly be that short of food. Also her baby is bottle fed. Breastmilk is free. Bottle feeding is expensive.

Are we really at the point of judging a woman for not breastfeeding? Really?

Must admit the houses we saw looked more modern than mine (although perhaps that was intentional). We were married over 25 years before we got rid of the last of the secondhand furniture we had when we got married. Different times I suppose.

I reckon the whole thing was staged. How could Darren not have known it was being filmed with big cameras in his garden!! It was all an act and the fact that he was "chosen" to meet the mayor etc.

My dil's sister is a TV producer for BBC and she says so many of these "reality" shows are completely staged. The fact that they filmed for 6 months says it all really. She says they just take bits from here and there to make up a story and put it all together so it looks authentic.

I noticed this in the "Choir" (Gareth Malone) sorry to change the subject, but he went and had a chat with someone who was inthe Water Company choir. He was digging a hole in the road and Gareth was chatting to him and asked him if he had kids and said "yes three" - fast forward a bit and this same bloke has to drop out of the choir because his wife is ill following childbirth and Gareth was devastated and shocked (even though he knew anyway because thatwas why he had chatted to him while the bloke was digging a hole) and then Gareth goes round to see the bloke and surprise surprise they both pull up together and have a brief chat and Gareth says how sorry he is he can't be in the choir.

It's like when he asks them to call out songs and there are 3 or 4 songs mentioned and "they" decide on one and wha de ye know, Gareth has the words and music all ready to give out.

Once you start looking at these so called "reality" programmes you can see it is all a big con. I like the programmes where they take secret cameras in and then you really do get "reality TV"

Sorry to change the subect.

Good grief, those people used to work, they once had money, they once had plenty of food. Any one of us could be a few steps away from circumstances that would put us in their place. Can you not see that?

Agree, NanaNina, you've got to look critically at all of teh programmes that are put on, even soaps. They are nearly all about selling messages to people, often political.

' I like the programmes where they take secret cameras in and then you really do get "reality TV"'

Even these programmes have to be edited, and what is put in and left out sends the final message.

I don't know what is covered in media studies courses, but maybe it is exactly looking critically at the media. Maybe that is why media studies is given such a bad name on the media.

Yes of course I can. I have spent 30 years of my life as a social worker and have seen hundreds of families who are living on the margins of society, having to choose whether to heat or eat, no hope, no future, just existing a miserable life on benefits.

The point I am making is that I think the BBC staged that programme and made Darren the focus of the problem, and then it "turned out he was a con" and this will play straight into the hands of DM readers who are already against what they see as "scroungers" and will believe now that anyone who wants a food parcel is a con. Well I think there's a good chance of that happening anyway.

Bet the Tories loved it - backing up their notions of benefit "scroungers" and cheats (Darren was working while claiming benefits) supposedly, though all that would be staged too I reckon. No one would allow themselves to be filmed if this was true...........I just think we think it's authentic because it's on the TV.

Spot on, Nana. There is also the subtext of the people at the foodbank were all workers or striving to be workers and that the noticeable absence were those people on longterm benefits as if they have it easy and don't need to go to the foodbank because their benefits cover their food needs and they don't go hungry. It plays right into the hands of benefit cutters.

There must be lots of vulnerable people truning up at foodbanks - people who are desperate. But this film chose to show us strivers and con men. It was a joke on the public.