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Since Benefits Street hit the screens on channel 4 there has
been uproar amongst the public, many complaints have ranged from ‘poverty porn’
to ‘old Victorian freak show’ and channel 4 aren’t backing down. They have
defended themselves and the program itself by telling everyone exactly what it
is, it’s a documentary and its real life, what’s there to apologise for?
If Britain is really that uneducated that it believes that
everyone on benefits mirrors that of James Turners Street then clearly the
issue isn’t channel 4’s documentary, but rather a lack of social class
understanding and the way the world works. Many have argued that the program portrays everyone
on benefits as those who are shown on the program and that channel 4 is mocking
the residents of the street. I think what’s really important here is to clarify
that channel 4 and the production company ‘Love Productions’ have worked
constantly with the people on James Turner Street for 2 years and have gone in
depth into their lives and really researched these people. It hasn’t been a
camera crew turning up for a few weeks, getting the dodgy bits and then
buggering off.
Throughout the complaints there has been a high volume of
Labour supporter’s and MP’s who have really shown their disapproval of the program.
Now, we can all judge and say that it’s the peoples fault and yes to a degree
it is. However, these people are earning more money on benefits than they would
if they were working because of these ridiculous 91% tax rates that would be
slammed on them if they were to get a job. I am in no way supporting the fact
that they do not work but the Labour government has let people do this and earn
more on the welfare system and now there’s a price to pay. What needs to happen
is change, and if anything this program will do something about it or at least
push MP’s further in the right direction. This is because a lot of viewers who
are watching this program have never seen this depiction of the British in this
way before. Don’t you think it is right that it’s shared with the country,
rather than hiding it?
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Despite the complaints, the program racked in 5 million viewers
last Monday which is the highest they’ve had for any program this year! And I’m
sure more will tune in tomorrow. There are
stories of single mums, thieves, immigrant workers and just your ordinary
families and how they cope on benefits. It could be a love hate watch; you hate
it so much that you just have to see what happens. Channel 4 has delivered once
again and the program is what it intended to be, a good watch. Moreover for my
last point, many have also argued that this is a poor representation of the
working class. This statement could not be further from the truth. The program
films the ‘non-working class’, and it by all means doesn’t even represent that –
it’s just one street. Just one street,
where the majority of people are on Benefits. This is something which people need to
understand.
Do you agree?
I know that this is a really irate topic at the moment so I
would really like to know your opinion. Thanks for reading, J
