Dragons Den: Touker Suleyman

[ABoyCalledBasil]

I start by saying that I don't really like Touker Suleyman so this isn't coming from a place of fandom - but it seems to me that his treatment by the other Dragons is coming very close to bullying. It seemed v much that way to me tonight - Jones has always picked on him and now the young tech guy is joining in too.

Apparently psychologists say that a common way for any group (work or social) to bond is to join together against a joint "enemy" - in other words find someone in common to slag off. It's why in any social group there is a 'weakest link' and if they leave, the next weakest one becomes the least popular. It's also why in work groups often everyone slags off the manager and actors slag off the director.

Seemed to me the young one was joining in with that as there is a precedent of picking on Touker as the least popular.

Like I said, I don't really warm to him but it seems more and more prevelant and I don't like seeing bullying or something moving towards bullying presented as entertainment or endorsed.

Yet to watch the episode you're referring to, however on the whole I find Touker is often taken out of the old boys club and difficult to digest as a result.

Peter Jones OTOH is plain rude, condescending and smug in every episode I watched, to the contestants and fellow dragons alike. I cannot stand him and I'd never work with him, no matter how much money he has.

I agree.

@Roussette that's a good point. Taking all of the episodes into consideration I think he comes out worse. Especially when he's getting angry at the contestants. Sometimes I'm expecting his head to explode like a cartoon Elmer Fudd 😂 Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits

I thought it was well weird that she included her dad, I'd be like "I don't even know your dad!"

I thought “oh, is her Dad a business owner and entrepreneur?”. But he’s a retired engineer. Still, she credited him with her gift for business and he’s really into camper vans so I’m sure they’ll get along fine

Well done to Touker investing in those baskets tonight - they were really nice.

Those bears tonight will surely never pass the basic due diligence checks? She essentially stolen the Care Bears only stuck their emblems on their feet instead. It was blatant, one of them even had the rainbow. As soon as Hallmark spot this it’s toast.
I sat there waiting for one of them to question this and not a one of them did. Can only conclude it was a vanity project for them all.

I'd forgotten that Care Bears existed @NailsForBreakfastTacksForSnacks

It's a good lesson that if you leave something long enough, everyone forgets about it and think you've invented something new.

I don't think Care Bears can stop this though because it's just an idea of mood bears and there is no protection for an idea. copyright etc protects the form not the concept. These bears are differently designed so all that is the same is the idea really not the actual bear design.

Well, they invested £4k each - that's like chucking 50p into a charity box for a person of average income - probably set up mainly as a feel good end to the series.

As a pp says that one probably won't actually happen, it was a bit ridiculous really, they barely bothered with questions

I really dislike him. He doesn’t deserve to be a dragon in the first place.

https://moodbears.com/

Looks like they are going ok. (Removed huge picture from link because they annoy me, but Google if you don’t want to click on random unillustrated links).

She wasn’t asking for much investment and she seemed genuine. Hope she does well out of it. Might be useful for counselling etc, or just as a cute bear.

Well, they invested £4k each - that's like chucking 50p into a charity box for a person of average income - probably set up mainly as a feel good end to the series.

@PlateBilledDuckyPerson yes it was so obvious it felt really ...............um not sure of the word I want ................ maybe laboured or faked.......

I mean for all of them £4k is probably what they'd donate to charity or something.

@drpet49 I can't stand him either. He's unbearably smug. It's like all he values in life is money and social media. Urgh.

Worth noting as well that the clip of the giant bear being hugged was used for the opening credits - I too smell set-up.

I think weirdly the only Dragon who was rude in the final episode was Sara Davies when she said sth like 'not a chance I am going to invest in you'....it reminded me of Dragons Den of old and not in a good way.

It is all filmed upfront though not week by week. They can show the order however they choose. That's why they always wear the same clothes.

Oh she is awful! I knew of her in a professional capacity many years ago. Theo is a really nice in real life. Kirsty Henshaw... not so much. She lets her mask slip on twitter often.

I ended up buying Fussy deodorants after seeing their pitch when one of them jumped out of a box! I think this was about a year ago and we're still with them. The dispensers are expensive and it costs £16 every 3 months for 3 deodorants which you use in the dispensers, the point being to cut down on plastic waste. I do like them but it's an expensive way of buying deodorants. I can't remember whether they ever got a dragon, I'm guessing they did!

Loving the Kirsty Henshaw gossip, DH and I still quote Theo saying "you're pretty amazing aren't you" to her on the show, we found it so cheesy and funny at the time that we often say it now.

I love those little memes you pick up from tv shows and films. Me and my DP have collected quite a few. You have to remember sometimes that other people haven't a clue what you're talking about. It's like a secret language 😂

I thought the Care Mood Bear lady seemed a little unhinged.

And no offence, but the bears looked crappy and were very garishly coloured.

Agree, they weren't attractive at all. I don't understand the 'mood bear' concept. I understand if you like teddies, buying a teddy might make you happy, but whether it has 'happy' printed on it is neither here nor there.

My guess - the production company sent someone to scout for a 'feelgood' business that all the Dragons could make a token investment in at the end of the series, and bear woman was the best they could come up with.

@PlateBilledDuckyPerson

Agreed. Her explanation wasn't convincing at all.