Thanks to a sneaking suspicion that The Tories are going to get in to power, people have gone class-mad. For a while, the whole class thing has been on the back burner as the buoyant housing enabled loads of people to shift from working class, to something that seemed much more middle class. Then, people started thinking about ‘those middle class gits’ in the blue corner and everyone became confused again. Then, a credit crunch happened and everyone went from feeling ‘kinda middle class’ to ‘kinda poverty stricken’. Class, is back on the menu. So we had John Prescott looking at the class system (well, he looked at the class system and the show itself did its best to make Prezza look stupid) and now, we have Rich Kid, Poor Kid (Channel 4, Thursday, 13 November, 9pm).
UPDATE: To read a review of the programme, go here.
Like most TV shows now, the programme title has to be all Ronseal. There’s no room for being clever now. This show has to do exactly what it says on the tin. There’s not a hope they could’ve called it ‘Down and Out in Modern Britain’ or ‘Young, Classless and Free?’ Nope. It has to leap out in the digi-listings. I’m almost surprised they didn’t call it ‘Horseys and Coarses’ or ‘Chavs and The Haves’. Still, I’m guessing they might be a little too cryptic as well.
Anyway, this show is from Cutting Edge and looks to explore the gap between rich and poor in the UK. Handily, the producers have found two teenage girls of similar age who live on the same street, one born without, the other with plenty. Alice and Natalie live just a stone’s throw from each other, but never meet, and their experiences of life are very different. Like, durrr. Anyway, could be interesting, could be lazy and sloppy. Well worth a punt though.
Join TVScoop on Facebook for exclusive competitions and gossip
Also, on Friday morning, she came into school and was in tears within the first 10 minutes. I feel so, so sorry for her and you all shouldn’t judge her at first glance.
Please believe me; she is such a lovely, amazing, kind person.
Well i have to say I found the program extremely interesting and I learnt alot about the people of London … I was scared of Natalie most of the time and found Alice to be open, honest and attractive, I could see me and Alice getting along very well x x x
I think it is terrible how people are reacting to Alice. There is one reason why she acted like she did and that is because of her ridiculously sheltered upbringing. The only experience of meeting less well of people than her is being mugged which bred with the attitudes of her parents is certainly going to breed ignorance and a feeling of superiority. In no way am i saying what Alice said is ok, i just think that she cannot be blamed and she wasn’t a bad person, showed by her comments at the end, just terribly ignorant and prejudiced. She is definitely not a “bitch” and she came to some very promising conclusions at the end.
To JD: Obvious troll is obvious
To Sophie: I lol’d at that
the documentary was so biased and not objective, I mean talk about setting Up Alice to look the bad girl, yes her comments were bad, but take her circumstances and the attitudes of her mother you would not blame her. Natalie was saying about how poor people mug those with mroe money cos they are poor, condoning or justifying it?!
I think the producers of the show were thoughtless to the repurcussions for this 15 year old girl once this was broadcast. They showed where is lived also and having criticsed coucnil estate people, she has hundreds on her doorstep who will have seen this and knwo where she lives. the kid is 15 give her a break, she needs her eyes opening and i think the documentary did portray her progress in this, but her mother was so snobbish and her attitudes stunk, so of course her daughter is just a product of her mother.
How unfair the interviewer was pushing Alice for un pc comments and provoking her, that sint what responsible balanced journalism is about, so how was this documentary remotly fair?
I hope everything settles down quickly for Alice and she can just get on with her life without this haunting her and getting thrown in her face constantly.
And Natalies mother? My god give up the fags and get a job – your little boy had no bed! even putting a few quid a week aside woudl have eventually brought him one, not fags or pet food.
Hold tight Alice if you read this, the dust will settle. And Alice and Natalies mothers? Look in the mirror
Joanna
…yeah, sure! I bet her mum is too.
Alice really should have thought more before she said those things but I think the main problem is that she is young, she has lived in a middle class bubble and hasnt had contact with enough people who are outside of that bubble. I don’t blame her for thinking that people that live off benefits are lazy, that is what it seems like, they just get money for doing nothing, what Alice doesnt know – because of her bubble life – is that there are reasons that these people can’t/don’t work. It is such an ignorant middle/upper class view to blindly state that everyone can work their way up and have the same amount of money as them, it does happen, but only to a very very very small amount of people. I think Alice has taken on views of her parents and her bubble and when she leaves home to go to university I hope that in her halls she has a wide variety of people there from different backgrounds and she is taught a few lessons about how the UK really is.
Alice, whilst initially vile, was in fact merely immature and impressionable, a product therein of her socially inept and judgmental climate, I hasten, her father seemed to have a little more nous about him, but to think that my child might ever be taught by the likes of her mother, fills me with great dread. Her mother ought to be truly embarrassed. What a fright. I cant fathom such ignorance. But I could write an essay on the utter disgrace and excuse of a human Alice’s mother appeared to be. But I shall not waste my time, I think she did herself a great disservice publishing such intolerable thoughts and people will see her for exactly what she is, and I give the Great British Public credit enough to realise she was representing herself, alone, and I hope to goodness her sort are few and far between.
I was moved by Nat-Nat’s character and think she really deserves a break. She can hold her head up high. I was so impressed by her spirit.
she’s really nice really…
You can’t really blame Alice for her views on ‘poor people’, she only takes on her mother’s opinion. Yes, she is stuck up, and yes, she isn’t a very nice girl, but that is not her fault, it’s her mother’s.
Alice’s attitude towards people who are less privaledge. As for he remarks on state schools and council estates i am disgraced. See shouldn’t judge everyone from their background or w/e. On the other hand I do understand where she is coming from because she has been made to think it is, from what she has seen and her parents obviously brought her up to think in that certain way. I go to a State school but I do not live in a council house, and i’d say i’m quite well-off theirs a reason why i choose not to go to private school that is because everyone ends up like snobs like her. The poor kid was a better person, she was beautiful in the inside and thats what mattered as for the rich kid, she is the most, disgusting, ugly, self-centered person i’ve seen in my like. Even though the rich kid had a good life the poor kid seemed much happier than her.
This is for Anna. The girl who is suposedly ‘rich’. Firstly i would like to say that i got to a state school in which i am doing extremely well in. Infact i am an A* student! Wealth is transient whereas humility and love for ones family is solid. Natalie has portrayed intelligent opinions which has touched everyones hearts but yours. Alice on the other hand has shown disgusting inhumane views that can only infuriate those who aren’t rich. Alice’s views are also dickensian and show that she is easily brainwashed. I would prefer to be a state school pupil and be empathetic to those who are less fortunate than myself rather than be a bigotted snob! I think that the divide in our society is perpetuated by people like you and i would hope that in my lifetime people change their views and become more sympathetic to the less advantaged.
Florence – Age 15
Alice’s Mum and dad ovbiously earn a few. And theres nothing wrong with that. It’s just the fact she thinks she is better than everybody else because of the fact she’s rich. She said people that go to a state school should die? Why should they.. I’d really really like to sit down and talk to her about everything. She’s not right in the head.. The things she is coming out with weren’t fair! She’s giving people the image that every person who has a lot of money speaks like that. The stuff she was saying ?! Where does she think she is.. She reminds me of the Aga Saga Woman of the catherine tate show i know that sounds stupid but the longer she stays like that the more of a habit it’s growing into. I actually have hate for her and hates a strong word! and also i have never seen OR spoke to her but i hate her.
when i first saw alice , i got a big erriction .
last night when i wet the bed i was thinkin of all you twats that comment on her and i would like to give you all a verry..VERRY good christmas.
*rolls eyes*
Okay, why are people in here so furious with Alice??? I don’t get it… And what’s even more laughable are the people who are going “Oh, a decent kid will never talk like that about a poor person!” Seriously??? Do you really think other rich people don’t talk like that when they think of the poor? Some are actually worse.
I work as a housekeeper, well maid really, at a rich person’s home and let me tell you what they really think about us. Some of them are even worse that Alice’s family and routinely make jokes about the poor people. But keep in mind, they do take extra care not to mention anything like that out in the public. It’s like racist people, if you talk to them and you’re black or brown or whatever; they’ll be really nice to you; but inside, they’re hating your skin colour so bad that they’re wishing they never set their eyes on you. I work at their house, and yet to them I am nonexistent. They do not appreciate my presence, they are not mean to me… it’s just that they pretend I’m not there. They think that all their household chores get done magically, they only speak to me if they need something and at the end of the week, my wages gets automatically deposited in my account by the banks system; but yeah, apart from that, I’m just a no body. Because I’m a no body, its easier for them to express their feelings, their inner most thoughts.
I applaud Alice here for being honest knowing full well that the whole world would be watching, and even then she spoke out her mind. So, people, you should be admiring Alice instead of hating on her.
*rolls eyes*
Okay, why are people in here so furious with Alice??? I don’t get it… And what’s even more laughable are the people who are going “Oh, a decent kid will never talk like that about a poor person!” Seriously??? Do you really think other rich people don’t talk like that when they think of the poor? Some are actually worse.
I work as a housekeeper, well maid really, at a rich person’s home and let me tell you what they really think about us. Some of them are even worse that Alice’s family and routinely make jokes about the poor people. But keep in mind, they do take extra care not to mention anything like that out in the public. It’s like racist people, if you talk to them and you’re black or brown or whatever; they’ll be really nice to you; but inside, they’re hating your skin colour so bad that they’re wishing they never set their eyes on you. I work at their house, and yet to them I am nonexistent. They do not appreciate my presence, they are not mean to me… it’s just that they pretend I’m not there. They think that all their household chores get done magically, they only speak to me if they need something and at the end of the week, my wages gets automatically deposited in my account by the banks system; but yeah, apart from that, I’m just a no body. Because I’m a no body, its easier for them to express their feelings, their inner most thoughts.
I applaud Alice here for being honest knowing full well that the whole world would be watching, and even then she spoke out her mind. So, people, you should be admiring Alice instead of hating on her.