Dole Models
There’s a strong feeling in tv-land that people won’t watch programmes about serious issues unless they feature celebrities. Perhaps they have a point. I might not have tuned into Rich, Famous and Jobless last night without the magnetic cachet of a star presence.
The premise was that the well-known and the well-heeled can only understand poverty by taking four days out of their lovely lives to sample a spot of unemployment.
The first thing I learned was that I clearly don’t have my finger on the pulse of popular culture. I recognised only two slebs: Diarmuid Gavin, the horticultural hunk best known here for his creative ways with a trowel; and Larry Lamb, recently murdered in EastEnders, now resurrected through the magic of reality telly.
The other two were new to me: Meg Mathews, ex of an Oasis brother; and someone called Emma whose claim to fame only registered when I heard her surname(s): Parker-Bowles. She’s Camilla’s niece.
The foursome were dispatched to jobless hotspots around Britain, but not before they’d handed over their worldly goods - a pair of £8000 earrings in Meg’s case. In return, they were given four days’ worth of jobseekers’ benefit money - the princely sum of £39.00.
Diarmuid hit the ground jobseeking and quickly nabbed a house-painting job; Meg charmed her way onto a market stall. But both were penalised under government rules restricting benefits to a 16-hour working week.
Camilla was the surprise package. I had tagged her as an early leaver. But she knuckled down to a part time job in a pub and made a big impression on the locals with a cheery bar-side manner. Extra respect is due to her, as serving pints can’t be the easiest of asks for a recovering alcoholic.
Meanwhile, Larry Lamb was taking it easy at the supermarket. He fell upon a bag of teabags at just 28p, and engaged in merry banter with other customers. No sacrificial lamb, Larry seemed to view unemployment as a bit of a holiday.
But we all got a reality check when Fiona, who usually lives in the bleak apartment Larry was occupying, turned up to collect her mail. Fiona isn’t part of an experiment to find out what it’s like to be jobless. She really is jobless. Explaining how she survives on £64.30 a week, her face crumpled: “I eat lots of toast.”
The series concludes tonight, and I’m anticipating plenty of celebrity hand-wringing, along with indignant outbursts of the “something must be done” kind. Then they’ll go back to their million pound mansions and obscenely expensive earrings, while Fiona prepares for another night in front of the toaster.
The premise was that the well-known and the well-heeled can only understand poverty by taking four days out of their lovely lives to sample a spot of unemployment.
The first thing I learned was that I clearly don’t have my finger on the pulse of popular culture. I recognised only two slebs: Diarmuid Gavin, the horticultural hunk best known here for his creative ways with a trowel; and Larry Lamb, recently murdered in EastEnders, now resurrected through the magic of reality telly.
The other two were new to me: Meg Mathews, ex of an Oasis brother; and someone called Emma whose claim to fame only registered when I heard her surname(s): Parker-Bowles. She’s Camilla’s niece.
The foursome were dispatched to jobless hotspots around Britain, but not before they’d handed over their worldly goods - a pair of £8000 earrings in Meg’s case. In return, they were given four days’ worth of jobseekers’ benefit money - the princely sum of £39.00.
Diarmuid hit the ground jobseeking and quickly nabbed a house-painting job; Meg charmed her way onto a market stall. But both were penalised under government rules restricting benefits to a 16-hour working week.
Camilla was the surprise package. I had tagged her as an early leaver. But she knuckled down to a part time job in a pub and made a big impression on the locals with a cheery bar-side manner. Extra respect is due to her, as serving pints can’t be the easiest of asks for a recovering alcoholic.
Meanwhile, Larry Lamb was taking it easy at the supermarket. He fell upon a bag of teabags at just 28p, and engaged in merry banter with other customers. No sacrificial lamb, Larry seemed to view unemployment as a bit of a holiday.
But we all got a reality check when Fiona, who usually lives in the bleak apartment Larry was occupying, turned up to collect her mail. Fiona isn’t part of an experiment to find out what it’s like to be jobless. She really is jobless. Explaining how she survives on £64.30 a week, her face crumpled: “I eat lots of toast.”
The series concludes tonight, and I’m anticipating plenty of celebrity hand-wringing, along with indignant outbursts of the “something must be done” kind. Then they’ll go back to their million pound mansions and obscenely expensive earrings, while Fiona prepares for another night in front of the toaster.