BORN TO BE DIFFERENT is back on.

[TheOriginalFAB]

This Thursday at 9pm on channel four.

Good God - I wasn't going to add to this furore, but your last post is the most deluded, self-congratulatory drivel I've ever read.
"I made an intelligent, well-wriiten, witty, succinct post" How humble of you. . A pity that you are the only one who thinks that.

And as for comparing this to the people who attacked a paediatrician because they thought he was a paedophile...words fail me. It must be because I'm not "sophisticated".

I can see how you were trying to avoid this furore, but with two strong, inarguable points like those, duty must have forced your arm...

Nope, not duty, just an uncontrollable urge to tell you what a self-satisfied fool you are. I guess you consider yourself a maverick that nobody understands.

To make the point clearer for you, I am sick of being told how my original post was terribly written, like its my fault. I disagree. I have admitted where I thought I've made a mistake, such as picking on perhaps the least problematic of these voyeuristic shows with BTBD, but I refuse to accept that my original post was poorly worded or easily misunderstood - therefore I must accept the blame.

The post was clear. it was obvious what I meant.

You are the only one who thinks your post was well written. I think that makes the majority of us right.

Celie, I have been accused of calling sick kids freaks. Despite proving I did no such thing, it is clear many here are just going to hate me anyway. This is not about being a maverick.

but of COURSE it was easily misunderstood, you were talking about an entirely different style of programming. had the OP been bringing our attention to 'the girl with five heads' on channel five, it might have been a good point, but she wasn't, so you were plainly talking out of your backside. it's not a good point if it's on the wrong thread talking about the wrong tv show.

^^ this is why I like aitch

TheOriginalFAB, the majority of people here sure were wrong when they were convinced I was calling kids freaks, weren't they. And rather than accept they made a big boo-boo and apologize, the safe-facing thing for them is to force me to say the post was poorly-written. No dice. The 'majority' are just too proud to admit when they got it all wrong and accused an innocent person of ridiculing special needs kids. Pathetic.

You were disgusting in the extreme and continue to be so. Plenty of people would apologise if they had misunderstood you. They haven't because your post was crystal clear.

Aitch, even so - is it not still OBVIOUS that I am attacking shows that could be considered voyeuristic. That post again (look away if easily offended!)

"They should just call the show "Roll Up & See The F! (But Pretend It's About How Brave & Noble They Are)"

That comment only 'works' as an attack against the motives of the channel. It makes no sense as me calling children freaks. The first 'They should just call the show' is a dead-giveaway I am referrring to a dishonest title. Again, if this is obvious to anyone, it's because they are unsophisticated readers or just didn't care as long as they could chase around a newbie for a crime they clearly didn't commit.

Why should it be called that? The families ARE brave and noble, the show is good

Why would you think that way? I don't understand why anyone would think that for even a minute

Catsmilk

Now I am just laughing.

At you, not with you.

Just to be clear.

Witty and succinct.

scaredoflove, I asked you to refer to my previous answers and links for your answers. You didn't did you?

Some shows pretend to be about the brave, uplifting story of some unfortunate person, whether they are disabled, fat, disfigured, crippled, ugly, mutilated, etc.

Many people are suspicious that the real reasons these shows are commissioned and are successful is not because of a nation of caring empathic viewers. but a large number of viewers who just enjoy staring at the people who look different.

Understand?

The Channels are aware of this. many of the shows they do are hard to defend in any other terms than 'fucking hell look at this one we found!' It's a common view, as my links illustrated.

Do you see? It doesn't make anyone on the show a freak. It makes the people who make these shows look like they only care about the money they can get from getting gawping viewers looking at 'medical marvels' without really learning anything.

I don't think I've ever watched a programme you describe about anyone with a disability or disfigurement

I may have seen that type of show where the people have inflicted certain things on themselves (weight related or tattoos for eg)

I'm not sure what sort of shows you watch and I still don't understand where you are coming from and neither do the majority of people commenting

Whatever your views, this is a show about disabled children, tactfully filmed

You really can't see how your comment and continued comments are extremely offensive

Oh bloody hell, I wanted to come on here and talk about Shelbie and her family and the others - they must be 9 by now?
I'm going again....

Piste, there is a thread here to discuss the show.

Ah, scaredoflove, you are a challenge. yet I will try one more time as you again ignorantly say anything I have said it 'deeply offensive', like a little phrase someone once taught you...

You might watch a show called The World's Fattest Man, right? I believe one of the channels had such a show on recently.

Back in the past, in Victorian times maybe, there might be what we now call a 'freakshow' - though they would probably have called it 'Medical Marvel's & Nature's Miracles.'

Can you see the similarities. Do you see, as I just said in my last bleeding post.... that I am not calling anyone a freak. Yet the proprietors of these shows are trading on the 'bizarre' for ££££. They are not helping those featured in their shows. And the audiences may pretend they are viewing for their education, or to sympathise, but there is often a baser, uglier reason than that - which is why we must be careful to not let 'freakshows' become popular again, no matter how many TV doctors for hire and so-called experts they use to disguise what they are.

And if you can read that, and truly comprehend what I have written, and still think I have written anything offensive... then you are living proof that the problem with my original post is not that it is offensive, or badly worded.... the problem lies somewhere else entirely, scaredoflove.

There are 2 types of people who may watch this programme. People who are genuinely interested in how families with a disability 'cope'; and those who just want to gawp and stare (and the thought of that makes me feel very uncomfortable). However, you can't control the voyeurs, and it's probably more educational for the general public to air the documentary.

FWIW, my ex was approached for a documentry on his life with a disability. After agreeing in principle, it became clear that the producers were after some pretty intimate stuff. And ex did describe it as them trying to turn his fairly ordinary life into a freakshow. He told them to naff off.

Catmilk, you did not use the word noble in your OP. You used the word normal.

Oh Damn - Have I missed it? Was it on last night?

anyone know if its being repeated and if so on which channel. My Iplayer is not too good thanx to crap Internet.

Ohso, it isn't on until Thursday, C4.

Celie, I meant to use the word normal in my repost too. don't know how noble got in there - though they both kind of work.

lockets - I am describing all 'shows' that seek an audience to see the 'different' from time immemorial - and I am trying to use a different word for 'different' when possible... Are the kids in BTBD less 'bizarre' than 'different?' Yes. Is it the same sort of show - ARGUABLY.

Also if this discussion must go on, could someone address the point I made elsewhere - even with the best reasons in the world, is it right for parents to let their children, disabled, SN or not, have their childhoods turned into entertainment/education/whatever it is... Isn't that also exploitative of a human who can give no meaningful consent to his or her most private moments being 'great TV'?

seems to me like you are changing the goalposts here, catmilk. you stuffed up, making a valid point in a coarse way ABOUT ANOTHER PROGRAMME. if i went onto the Britain's Got Talent thread and complained that my fave contestant on The Apprentice had been chucked out, i'd just have to face the fact that i'd be On The Wrong Thread, not moaning about how everyone is too stupid to understand me.

the fact is that BTBD (and what a milquetoast title that is, btw, could hardly be less 'roll up, roll up') gives a really good insight into day-to-day life with a disabled child in the family, and as the parent of two (afaik) NT kids it IS rather humbling and perspective-shifting to watch a programme of this quality and integrity. And it HAS to be quality, don't you see, or the parents would back out and the project would fail.

Regarding the child's ability to give permission, since you mention it now - that's a fairly interesting point and one that i think the show will increasingly answer. some of those parents are making life and death decisions on a weekly basis, perhaps they have reasoned that their children will benefit more from the attention that a programme such as this will bring (would you want to be a neighbour/school child causing trouble for them? a doctor being shite and snippy on camera?)

however, in the second show, which i have already watched, it is becoming apparent that the children are making their voices heard wrt their treatment and tolerance levels, and it may be that they will drop out. for the moment, given that most parents are still agreeing to be filmed, it seems reasonable to assume that they are pleased with the show, do not feel exploited in any way and are happy to continue.