I think with something like X-Factor, Love Island, or the Apprentice it's essentially a competition with a prize and associated fame at the end, the person signing up for it often does so in the knowledge that there will be elements of difficulty and ridicule along the way, because it comes with the territory of being a competition.
The difference with Jeremy Kyle, is that it takes difficult life changing family disputes (DNA tests, etc) often with damaged or less educated people, whilst at the same time deliberately causing as much upset as possible in order to cause shock and drive views. For example, when they get someone on the show who's been 'prepped' to cause as much verbal abuse or violent threats as possible, that they bring on from the sidelines simply to cause an affray on stage.
I think it's a cruel show, I think it sets out to cause cruelty to individuals under the guise of 'help', along the way making a lot of money - which boils down to basic exploitation of desperate, poorly-educated and troubled people/families.
I get the argument; 'If you don't like it - don't watch it' but to me that ignores how people really behave. You only have to go back to that New Zealand mosque massacre - where even people in this forum were admitting they'd watched the video, even wishing they hadn't - they still watched it, because some people seem to want to automatically tune in and watch others suffering.
They're poor because of their really **** life decisions, and I say that as someone who was brought up and lives in an area where those type of people live. They aren't to be pitied, they steal, they're antisocial, they do jobs on the side while claiming benefits, they claim job seekers while not actually looking for work, they have kids simply so they get a bigger house and more child support. They don't need protection they need a kick up the arse and less people feeling sorry for them.
It's also funny that politically they're the type of people who are hated the most because they're more likely to support groups like the EDL and BNP. I used to work at a local pub, I've just seen the reality
I dare say *some* of this is true, but not everybody can 'make it' not everybody can have a £100k a year job and succeed at life, there always will be people at the lower end who have to scrounge through, who simply don't have what it takes to succeed in the same way as others.
To allow 'open season' on them, simply because they're not at the higher end of society, to me seems cruel, seems exploitative and unnecessary - we should know better.
