'Celebrity' status glorifying everything that is wrong with Britain.
After the greatly anticipated launch of 'Celebrity Big Brother' (CBB) last night, I think it's safe to say viewers were more than a little disappointed at the programs idea of a 'celebrity'. Guests included former Made In Chelsea star, Stephanie Pratt, Ricci Guarnaccio from Geordie Shore, Angelique Morgan- no one has a clue who she is!- and infamous 'White Dee' from Benefits Street.
Although I do not watch Celebrity Big Brother, 'White Dee' being crowned a 'celebrity' really ground my gears. Having earned herself the title 'Queen of Benefits Street', the woman has a don't-care attitude, with no motivation for life. Instead, she prefers to sit around sponging off the hard working tax payers- at least, she used to- and she see's no problem with this. Furthermore is her blatant racism to differentiate herself from another woman, who is black, with the same name. 'White Dee' and 'Black Dee'. Does anybody else see this as a problem. If I had a black friend called 'Flo' and decided to call her 'Black Flo' not only in our own time, but over television too, you can be sure that I would be called a racist, and probably get into some trouble. But 'White Dee'? She gets nothing. Surprise surprise. Now, on top of this, our country has decided to name her a 'celebrity'.
The queen of Benefits Street, a celebrity. A woman who is known for sitting around, doing nothing with her life and being paid for it by UK tax payers a celebrity? That is the biggest joke in the UK this year. As a country, many of us sit around complaining about 'benefit scroungers' who take our money for nothing and use it to live better lives than the tax payers do half the time. And now, now we are glorifying a woman who did this exact thing!
How can we expect to even attempt to progress in regards to trying to solve the problems with benefits when we call a well known 'benefit scrounger' a celebrity? She may not be allowed to claim benefits anymore (thank you David Cameron!) but you can bet your bottom dollar she will gain way more money than she deserves from her 5 seconds of fame in the Big Brother House. You can be sure a book will follow- "White Dee- My Troubled Life".
Programs like Benefits Street only opened our eyes even more so to the benefit problems that Britain is dealing with. Not only that, but it glorifies the life a 'benefit scrounger' lives, as well as making it seem easier to sit and claim a part of tax payers income than to go and earn your own money. Really, it sends a pretty negative message to the viewers, especially the younger viewers.
Some benefits are worthwhile- if you're genuinely injured to the point you can never work again, of course you will need some financial help. If you're a single mum who can't earn enough through her job, and doesn't have the time to get a second job whilst balancing a career and childcare, of course you need some form of financial support. But if you are fat and lazy, having kids at the rate of rabbits and not even attempting to look for a job, yes you may think you need some form of financial support, and yes you probably do. But you don't deserve it. Why should a hard working tax payer, who can barely support their own life style, support yours too?
Celebrities are always role models to people, because of the high status they are given, from both members of the public and the media. Making someone like 'White Dee' a role model for people of Britain is not something that should be allowed. If people look up to someone like her, the benefit problem will not get better, ever. It will only get worse, with even more young people leaving school and deciding to try and claim benefits rather than go to work.
We shouldn't make benefits look easy. We shouldn't make benefits look desirable. They should be viewed as a desperate last resort. They definitely shouldn't be seen as a way to gain 'celebrity' status. We don't want to raise a generation of "White Dee"'s.
Love from,
Florence Grace
Although I do not watch Celebrity Big Brother, 'White Dee' being crowned a 'celebrity' really ground my gears. Having earned herself the title 'Queen of Benefits Street', the woman has a don't-care attitude, with no motivation for life. Instead, she prefers to sit around sponging off the hard working tax payers- at least, she used to- and she see's no problem with this. Furthermore is her blatant racism to differentiate herself from another woman, who is black, with the same name. 'White Dee' and 'Black Dee'. Does anybody else see this as a problem. If I had a black friend called 'Flo' and decided to call her 'Black Flo' not only in our own time, but over television too, you can be sure that I would be called a racist, and probably get into some trouble. But 'White Dee'? She gets nothing. Surprise surprise. Now, on top of this, our country has decided to name her a 'celebrity'.
The queen of Benefits Street, a celebrity. A woman who is known for sitting around, doing nothing with her life and being paid for it by UK tax payers a celebrity? That is the biggest joke in the UK this year. As a country, many of us sit around complaining about 'benefit scroungers' who take our money for nothing and use it to live better lives than the tax payers do half the time. And now, now we are glorifying a woman who did this exact thing!
Programs like Benefits Street only opened our eyes even more so to the benefit problems that Britain is dealing with. Not only that, but it glorifies the life a 'benefit scrounger' lives, as well as making it seem easier to sit and claim a part of tax payers income than to go and earn your own money. Really, it sends a pretty negative message to the viewers, especially the younger viewers.
Some benefits are worthwhile- if you're genuinely injured to the point you can never work again, of course you will need some financial help. If you're a single mum who can't earn enough through her job, and doesn't have the time to get a second job whilst balancing a career and childcare, of course you need some form of financial support. But if you are fat and lazy, having kids at the rate of rabbits and not even attempting to look for a job, yes you may think you need some form of financial support, and yes you probably do. But you don't deserve it. Why should a hard working tax payer, who can barely support their own life style, support yours too?
Celebrities are always role models to people, because of the high status they are given, from both members of the public and the media. Making someone like 'White Dee' a role model for people of Britain is not something that should be allowed. If people look up to someone like her, the benefit problem will not get better, ever. It will only get worse, with even more young people leaving school and deciding to try and claim benefits rather than go to work.
We shouldn't make benefits look easy. We shouldn't make benefits look desirable. They should be viewed as a desperate last resort. They definitely shouldn't be seen as a way to gain 'celebrity' status. We don't want to raise a generation of "White Dee"'s.
Love from,
Florence Grace
Whenever celebrities embarrass themselves, it reminds us that they are real people after all, or may secretly make us feel just a tiny bit glad if we were a teeny bit jealous.
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