The Great British Benefits Handout
Discussion
I'm surprised we've not had any comment on this new short series. I thought there was a thread on the News and Politics forum, but I can't find it with the search facility.
Yet another of Channel 5's programmes where we get to laugh at the lifestyle and incompetence of the underclass, but with a twist. They've been asked to sign-off benefits and given the equivalent annual sum of £26k in cash, and told to show some semblance of self-discipline and intelligence. Some hope. There are 3 families involved, and at the close of last night's show, one had done nothing at all, apart from paying-off Brightside, one had investigated opening a second-hand shop but got baffled by the complexity of a start-up, and one had such advanced plans that they'd spent all but £9k in the first week.
I was hoping that the older couple, who wanted the used furniture emporium, would at least spend 50p on a supermarket own-brand bottle of bleach for their bog. Planning to knock through walls in their house would be best reported to the council first, IMHO.
The man who wanted to begin a kids party enterprise had big plans, too big. Do you need some sort of licence to keep a raccoon? What about liability insurance? Did he actually have any bookings?
Last family - single mum, helping her kid with homework at the breakfast table. Maybe it could have been done the night before?
I'm as bad as most people watching this stuff. I criticise, yet still tune in. I reckon it's the modern equivalent of the Victorians going to laugh at the inmates at Bedlam.
Yet another of Channel 5's programmes where we get to laugh at the lifestyle and incompetence of the underclass, but with a twist. They've been asked to sign-off benefits and given the equivalent annual sum of £26k in cash, and told to show some semblance of self-discipline and intelligence. Some hope. There are 3 families involved, and at the close of last night's show, one had done nothing at all, apart from paying-off Brightside, one had investigated opening a second-hand shop but got baffled by the complexity of a start-up, and one had such advanced plans that they'd spent all but £9k in the first week.
I was hoping that the older couple, who wanted the used furniture emporium, would at least spend 50p on a supermarket own-brand bottle of bleach for their bog. Planning to knock through walls in their house would be best reported to the council first, IMHO.
The man who wanted to begin a kids party enterprise had big plans, too big. Do you need some sort of licence to keep a raccoon? What about liability insurance? Did he actually have any bookings?
Last family - single mum, helping her kid with homework at the breakfast table. Maybe it could have been done the night before?
I'm as bad as most people watching this stuff. I criticise, yet still tune in. I reckon it's the modern equivalent of the Victorians going to laugh at the inmates at Bedlam.
Edited by nicanary on Wednesday 10th February 09:25
nicanary said:
I'm surprised we've not had any comment on this new short series. I thought there was a thread on the News and Politics forum, but I can't find it with the search facility.
. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=157...nicanary said:
SHutchinson said:
Benefits porn. The sole purpose of it is to make slightly better off people feel smug of an evening.
That's why I like it. Seems Channel 5 have discovered a whole new demographic.SHutchinson said:
We're all different I guess. I watched it and couldn't help but feel sad that some people had clearly just been set up to fail. I don't think I'll tune in again.
Me too, seems pretty senseless to just hand over a load of cash and get their hopes up, just for the sake of entertainment. On top of that, to not give them any guidance is rather cruel and a waste of everyone's time.Possibly not that different to dealing with some of the hopeless offspring of the wealthy!
Mercury00 said:
So what happened with the family who couldn't be bothered to clean their bathroom? I switched it off when they bought a PS4 instead of a toilet brush. I hope the mother at least had a shave.
I think she might have done before seeing the letting agent but I was halfway through a bottle of wine at that stage so my memory might be slightly blurred.Agreed about the toilet brush v PS4. Shows that occasionally cousins do marry.
I'm beginning to get the impression that Tony and his missus are a little bit ...well...for want of a better word.....er..... simple. They behave like kids with no clue. He really doesn't know what he wants to do or how to go about anything at all. Getting a van, yes, but what are you going to do with it? Can't do boot sales with no stock.
As for the party man, well he's going to be skint in the next 2 months. He's got some bookings, but a few hundred quid won't pay the rent. council tax, food, utilities etc.. His wife is rightly scared. Doesn't help when he buys a C4 Picasso for the business which clearly won't be big enough to carry his bouncy castles and animal cages.
As for the party man, well he's going to be skint in the next 2 months. He's got some bookings, but a few hundred quid won't pay the rent. council tax, food, utilities etc.. His wife is rightly scared. Doesn't help when he buys a C4 Picasso for the business which clearly won't be big enough to carry his bouncy castles and animal cages.
audikentman said:
That's what I was thinking, looked alright now, but once it matures it'll start kicking off big time. Hope he's got good public liability insurance, forsee a daily mail article where one of his animals mauls a kid in the near future if his business last that long.Sterling work on the other guy buying a van when he doesn't have a driving license though.
nicanary said:
I'm beginning to get the impression that Tony and his missus are a little bit ...well...for want of a better word.....er..... simple. They behave like kids with no clue. He really doesn't know what he wants to do or how to go about anything at all. Getting a van, yes, but what are you going to do with it? Can't do boot sales with no stock.
.
Quite clearly these two have a mild learning disorder and shouldn't be part of the programme. .
DSLiverpool said:
nicanary said:
I'm beginning to get the impression that Tony and his missus are a little bit ...well...for want of a better word.....er..... simple. They behave like kids with no clue. He really doesn't know what he wants to do or how to go about anything at all. Getting a van, yes, but what are you going to do with it? Can't do boot sales with no stock.
.
Quite clearly these two have a mild learning disorder and shouldn't be part of the programme. .
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