Shame

The latest in The Sun’s Ministry of Food pieces is depressing beyond belief. Young single mum on benefits- another Northern stereotype ticked off.  Headline:

Shame of Mums in Jamie’s Crusade

This is the one that you know is going to come off worst on TV. Guaranteed to get the heads shaking.
I’m not going to go into details- I haven’t got the stomach for it. One of these girls could be on her way to becoming a national laughing stock. Even though there’s a “happy ending” scripted- we all love to remember the bad bits best. Jamie’s pulled her up onto his white charger and shown her the way forward. How fulfilled she will feel in six months is another matter.

Does being able to knock up a chow mein really turn your life around? Does the whiff of soy sauce summon a flock of whistling bluebirds; eager to fly away with your problems?

In reality TV land it does.

Don’t think it over- buy the book and sign up for chubbyfacebook.com and it could happen to you too.

And of course- you can laugh about those scrubbers from Rotherham. All the rest of them are just like that you know. They should stop their benefits / take their kids away / put them on rations and vouchers.

These girls were carefully chosen. Maybe because they are young- they are more forthcoming. The X-Factor generation know you need a tragic story if you are going to be a face on reality TV.

The most striking thing about the piece is the picture. It is far more obvious in the paper than online.

How many times do you think they took that snap before they got the sponsor’s name and web address smack in the middle of the two girls? How much would an advert that size cost normally? Price of a kitchen in a Rotherham shop?

And remember- this is the spoon fed positive coverage. Wait till the negative stuff starts.