Goggleboxers mocking University Challenge contestants again

[SeekingClosure]

Only just caught up with Friday's episode and ugh, they're making fun of the contestants again. Some of the goggleboxers seem to have a problem with people being clevererer/different to them (mainly the brother and sister, the hairdresser and his mom, and Jenny and Lee) and their behaviour comes across as really mean and bullying imo. I know that the female captain had already experienced abusive trolling after her first appearance and it angers me to see the same behaviour shown on a popular program, normalising it.

Gogglebox ran a campaign in one of their breaks criticising the online trolling of people in tv adverts recently. They don't seem to see the irony in this.

Not cool. Why don't we rate intelligence more in this country?

Exactly! We need those kinds of people ffs. The sneering at clever people and 'we've had enough of experts' attitude seems to be increasing everywhere.

I thought exactly this when Danny Dyer mocked them during the charity Gogglebox episode.

It's awful and mean. Very playground.

I can't watch Gogglebox anymore because of some of the families (hairdresser and Mum, brother and sister), they are really mean and it is uncomfortable to watch. Its a shame because I really like the Siddiqui family. If they got rid of some of the nastier people I could watch it again. But mocking University Challenge contestants just because they are clever isn't right. Whenever they show them watching BBC4 documentaries the same people mock the presenters and show (there was a maths one which I remember watching and finding fascinating) which they were nasty about.

It says a lot more about them than about the clever people - maybe that's the point?

It's the utter ignorance and stupidity of some of the Goggleboxers (in particular the glammed-up girls with strong regional accents) that makes you wonder what on earth our education system was doing when they were at school. You can bet there's a lot of people laughing incredulously at the things they come out with.

I agree with you - it's so spiteful and mean. And yes, it does make them look thick, but not everyone will see that. All they'll see is that some people are picked on because of the way they look and the way they talk. I love Gogglebox usually but I wish they wouldn't keep trying to get cheap laughs on University Challenge.

No idea how some of them came to be on the show. Some come across as having no redeeming features whatsoever.

I always wonder why a 20 something year old wears bow ties, berets and has a Biggles moustache. I never see this type of attire/look when I'm in my city centre.

I'm so glad you posted this. I love Gogglebox, and its human side, but I really dislike the moments of unkindness. I hate the thought that a University Challenge contestant finds them self being mocked so cruelly. Probably after enduring years of this at school already. Why can't people just tolerate a bit of difference?

I'm so glad others feel the same as I do. It's not nice to see on TV as so called entertainment and one of the reasons I have stopped watching Goggle box.

that makes you wonder what on earth our education system was doing when they were at school

The school can't nurture the seed if it hasn't been planted at home.

Additionally, school exists to equip children with the ability to read, write and otherwise function within the subjects taught by the curriculum.

Blame the school if the kid doesn't know about the water cycle, or Shakespeare. Not if they turn out to be a little shit. That's on the parents.

Clevererer?

Are you referring to my typo Tippexy? Is pointing out obvious typos a thing now?

My DP and I have (for a looong time) played a game when watching UC called guess the age. They all look much older than early 20’s most of the time. It mainly passes the time until we scrape one right answer between us.

I'm so glad others feel this way am too
We've stoped watching gogglebox because some/most of the families are so unpleasant. I love the siddiquis and couple (I can't remember their names but she keeps calling him Natty and their chair matches their wallpaper). But most of the others are just not very nice or interesting and some, like the UKIP family, are absolutely unbearable.

I do agree with you. However it seems like double standards to be upset about Goggleboxers commenting on the contestants whilst criticising the Goggleboxers for being ‘stupid’ and uneducated...

I think they can be quite mean about a lot of different programmes and people on the telly. It's OK not to like everything.

Whether they go too far in any particular comment is subjective.

I think there is considerable confirmation bias at work in this thread - both in picking up on only one specific programme and then in attributing reasons

I gave up on gogglebox because I felt that the people were pretending to be stupider than they were.
The mum from Essex (not sure if she’s still in it) seemed like she had been given notes to ‘misunderstand’ everything. Same with the girls from Leeds, that particularly annoyed me because I’m from Yorkshire and the northern accent = thick stereotype really irritates me.

I think you make a good point OP. Have you written to or - modern day equivalent - tweeted the programme makers? Of course there will always be some families you like more than others I'm finding the show less enjoyable to watch now. I still miss Sandy and Sandra!

Complain to the producers ! They select the participants, probably encourage their behaviour and edit all the comments !

I agree. The programme used to be really warm and funny but it's not so nice now.

I felt really disappointed when they made comments on the contestants' appearance.

Surely the finger should be pointed at the editing team ? Anything that's mocking shouldn't have made it through to the final cut for airing ?

I agree that editing bears some responsibility but if the unkindness wasn't there in the first place it couldn't be included.

Viking I don't think anyone has commented on the Goggleboxers disliking programmes. We've said we don't like the unkind and personal comments being aired as entertainment.

However it seems like double standards to be upset about Goggleboxers commenting on the contestants whilst criticising the Goggleboxers for being ‘stupid’ and uneducated...

That's because the Goggleboxers are being twats. One isn't a twat when calling out, let's take it to the extreme for the sake of clear analogy, someone being racist or displaying other bullying behaviours.

I don't think this thread is bullying...it's a moral check and balance.

What do you expect? Gogglebox is about people with no brains watching TV for a TV show because they have no other use in life.

Of course they are going to be mean about people with intelligence, it's not like they could answer the questions with them. They are too stupid for that.