Did Anybody See How to Live a Simple Life And Is As Angry As I Am?

[jodevizes]

I have never been so close to throwing my TV out of the window than I was last night watching the new series called 'How To Live A Simple Life'. How bloody easy it would be for anybody who had a charming vicarage in Sussex, with a pile of land to plant in, close to the sea where you can fish and have a bunch of people who are quite happy to pay for your petrol and give you food. Especially as you are happy in the knowledge that the huge fee you are being paid, is being thoughtfully slipped into you bank account.

I noticed that all his equipment he used was new so that had been bought prior to starting the 'simple life', even the axe he used for cutting wood was brand new.

This smug, sanctimonious, ex-advertising whore is mocking all the people who are existing on the bread line, hardly knowing where their next meal is coming from.

I can just see the rest of his smug parishioners telling him how 'brave' he has been. BAH

mmmm. nice to see a bit of 40 plus male tooty on the screen though lol

sorry-should say totty, but tooty sounds good too !!

There are at least three more of us, here.

I think he was trying to better understand St Frances of Assissi's philosophy and how it differs in modern Britain?

Yes, everything seemed handily laid on yet I think Peter Owen Jones was beginning to feel a little humbled with the experiment.

dp and i were sitting on the couch like this:

[shock

progressively veering towards:

and by the end downright:

what a twat of the highest order... of course we'd all keep chickens if we were given them for free, the material to build a run for free and the chicken food for free!

and wouldn't it be easy to live without money when you have a gorgeous house to live in, bills paid by CofE and people ready and willing to buy you petrol and beer?

I notice he didn't want his poor darling wife to have to endure his 'poverty' though.... because of course most us have the choice of not involving our families in our financial problems

lighten up, its only an experiment, after all years ago everybody helped each other out in some way or another (so my grandmether told me years ago).yes he may live in apriviliged part of the world, but it shows exactly what a community is, and should be all about.

I posted on exactly this theme last night too. Utterly pissed me off.

Sorry lifesabeach, it is not an experiment, it is TV program. A very cynical, preachy TV program where a man is making oodles of dosh whilst telling us how hard it is for him to live without money. All the while his family is living it up on some of his earnings. Unlike the rest of us who have to deal with very little money all the year round.

It is an insult.

Judging by the size of the Church at Assisi, Francis wasn't short of money either.

I've just spotted this thread, after writing on an old thread about this guy.

I enjoyed the message of the programme - I think there might be something in it - living a life where you don't feed the ego. I got fascinatd by this man though. He seems to get a lot of attention and adoration from his parishioners, like a kind of guru character. I was wanting to know where his x wife and 4 kids were?

You see these kind of people when you go to festivals. Acting like they are some kind of travellers living on nothing with their raggy looking very articulate children. Yes, they can practice alternative ways of living because they are invariably middle class with good jobs that they do from home. They dont know what the breadline is. And believe me, they are very cliquey. All seem to be in their own gang, they wouldnt invite you to join in their ceilidhs and share their home made mulled organic wine! These kind of programmes are so patronising.

I am just watching episode 2 and I am enjoying it (huddles down and waits for something to be thrown at me).

kittya well said could not agree more.The programme itself made me want to puke quite frankly, I quickly flicked back to Gene Hunt.

And he said that he is on a wheat free diet and refused the naan bread at the Indian restaurant, but then tucked into a McDonalds hamburger!

I didnt watch the programme but I know exactly what you mean. If anyone wants to see what a real 'simple life' is like I suggest watching Victorian Farm if it is repeated as it was a much more realistic representation of the sheer back breaking grind of rural living growing your own food, making your own clothes, fuel, tools, transport, etc.

Programes like this one, River Cottage, and others in that genre are entertainment but unfortunately now also inform public debate on food, energy and economi policy in a way that is that totally unrealistic.

The simple truth is the UK has never been self sufficient in food or other raw materials. Mass famine was common place in this country 200 years or more ago. We have to import some of our food as we are an urban population that can never hope to live a 'simple life'. There is not enough land.

For 'simple life' read subsistence poverty which millions of peasant farmers live in world wide. No thanks.

I may be wrong but I think the "message" of the programme wasn't that it was great to be a subsistence farmer. The underlying message (at least what I thought it was) is that "things" and materialism don't bring happiness but community and fraternity might. The subsistence thing was just one of his coping tactics for having no money.

I agree with community and fraternity. We have far too much materialism in our lives too which is why we have far too much debt in this country.

However, surely 'a simple' life involves giving up material things and definitley does not include living in a 'charming vicarage worth £1 million in Sussex - even if we till the land around it by hand.

It is earning the £1 million to buy the house and land to begin with which is the tricky part and that realistically will usually involve commuting and working in a high value added job in a nearby city for about 25 years. That unfortunately is a material life.

i considered posting something about his..because what got me is all he did was replace his materialism..

with travel..
standard materialisitc behaviour = consuming stuff, aquisition of nice things

travel materialism = consuming people, places different things every day...

i notice after a bit doing some farming he got bored and hit the road again...which was what he did before - touring (was it Papua new Guinea?) as his mission.

interesting account from the Telegraph - he is separated from his Mrs, and paid part of the fee in child support.

do you think CofE placed him in a backwater parish to keep him out of harms way? and teach him some humility?

this blog has some insightful comments

"i considered posting something about his..because what got me is all he did was replace his materialism..

with travel..
standard materialisitc behaviour = consuming stuff, aquisition of nice things

travel materialism = consuming people, places different things every day..."

What an interesting thought..I hadn't seen it like that but that is very inciteful.

actually i think the best point made, was if you really wanted to get into the Franciscan ethos, joining an order for a bit would be the way, though that would involve a reasonable amount of self-abnegation....

obviously not something he is into?

We couldn't afford a hovel in that bit of Sussex, though it is really really beautiful....ok, not a hovel, but couldn't find anything smaller in that bit

Dh told me off for watching it because he knew i was just watching it it to yell 'twunt' at the screen for a bit. We then watched the West Wing instead.

and "However, surely 'a simple' life involves giving up material things and definitley does not include living in a 'charming vicarage worth £1 million in Sussex - even if we till the land".

mmm...... a good point. I suppose if he had given all his goods away it may have been a more realistic experiment. But I don't suppose one could have realistically expected him to do that. I don't think I could have done that.

what is self-abnegation?

i talk about travel materialism as someone who really really loves travel, and appreciates how very easy it is not to want to buy yourself a new dress when you are in a different place every day, and have to carry everything with you! A mind on adventure holiday does not need 'things' because it is always entertained.

the smugness mentioned above by some living a rootless existence is a consequence of not recognising this. being able to live such a life often depends on living from savings, or the generousity of the rooted populus.

what is self-abnegation

a denial of the self, a rejection of self-worth and a recognition of ones smallness in the universe.

going on a programme entirely centred on you and talking in colourful terms about ones own life would not be a good way to self-abnegate.

I suspect many (including me) could do with a bit of self abnegation.

If nothing else the message gave me food for thought A sense of community and fraternity probably is the key to happiness. Made me realize I should get out more - seriously.

I don't think a life of 'begging' is the way forward though. It was quite interesting though to see this guy asking for food and shelter - not an easy thing to do, and a bit cringing to watch in places.

He's definately got sex appeal - I wonder why he split with his wife?