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Poverty porn……love it or hate it?

(16 Posts)
Sago Fri 05-Jun-26 13:45:59

I lingered for a little too long on an Instagram post, it’s a family called the Austins, 5 children under 9 the husband is working, wife not working but suffering with ADHD, MH problems and autism

They were in a 2 bed council flat with rabbits, hamsters and heaven knows what else.
The whole flat was a pigsty, so she sets about cleaning it and films content for TikTok, Instagram etc.

Apparently she gets paid a lot through sponsorship and product placement.

They are now in a new larger property that is somehow in a similar state so she is now mucking out this property for content.

Alllegedly she has been reported to the Police, social services and the DHSS many times.

I keep getting the posts despite me not subscribing to them, I clearly watched one or two and now the algorithm thinks I’m a fan!

I don’t understand the need to see how people live, I feel as though it’s intrusive and rather condescending.

Are you drawn to such content or do you find it distasteful?

AGAA4 Fri 05-Jun-26 13:51:09

I have enough in my own life without watching other people's.

Aveline Fri 05-Jun-26 13:59:42

It is profoundly distasteful. I wouldn't waste time watching it.

Cossy Fri 05-Jun-26 14:05:48

The only one I watched with gusto, was “how clean is your house” haha Sometimes ( but not always) it made me feel better about my own poor housecleaning!

I feel quite uncomfortable watching “reality” TV.

Some is clearly totally contrived, some feels quite voyeuristic, and I loathe the shows “Rich House, Poor House” etc etc. I think that these shows are just awful!

Cossy Fri 05-Jun-26 14:06:49

Bit like Katie Price aka Jordan and her “Mucky Mansion” 🤮🤮

MT62 Fri 05-Jun-26 14:09:50

Oh there is a lot of that stuff on YouTube with that kind of content.
It’s becoming quite boring.
I do follow a guy ‘operation Sicily’ he’s doing up a derelict villa.

Fallingstar Fri 05-Jun-26 14:11:51

I don’t know what this programme is but would certainly not watch it. I did once watch one episode of a programme - it could have been the Rich House, Poor House that you mentioned Cossy - the basic premise being that a rich person goes to stay with a poor person or vice versa and there is plenty of emoting and getting in a tizz when the rich person is with the poor one. With mouth dropping open at having to shop in Lidl and buy the cheapest pasta etc.
Puerile.

AGAA4 Fri 05-Jun-26 14:12:29

I don't watch much reality TV but did watch a few How clean is your house.
I'm certainly not the greatest at housework but how can people be that dirty. The toilets! Yuk!!

Cossy Fri 05-Jun-26 14:37:48

AGAA4

I don't watch much reality TV but did watch a few How clean is your house.
I'm certainly not the greatest at housework but how can people be that dirty. The toilets! Yuk!!

Ah so my floors may not be the cleanest, with four dogs in our house currently, but our bathrooms and kitchen sparkle! Cleaning the loo is so quick!

Tuliptree Fri 05-Jun-26 14:41:58

I would stick pins in my eyes before I watched programmes like this

Maremia Fri 05-Jun-26 14:49:43

I enjoyed watching the Queen of Cream in The House Doctor.

MissAdventure Fri 05-Jun-26 14:55:38

I'm a nosy enough person that I enjoy seeing how others live.
Not fhe rich and famous, just normal, everyday people.

I wouldn't parficularly go out of my way to watch people living like pigs, though.

Labradora Fri 05-Jun-26 15:31:56

MT62

Oh there is a lot of that stuff on YouTube with that kind of content.
It’s becoming quite boring.
I do follow a guy ‘operation Sicily’ he’s doing up a derelict villa.

That's a bit different though MT62, isn't it ?
Someone doing up a derelict villa sounds quite interesting and very constructive.
I'd rather watch paint dry than watch what is being described in the Post.

AGAA4 Fri 05-Jun-26 16:02:34

Four dogs Cossy Lucky you! I don't even have one.

Sarnia Fri 05-Jun-26 16:05:37

Reality shows and posts leave me cold and the celebrity ones like Katie Price are even worse.

M0nica Fri 05-Jun-26 17:10:47

In the Mail today, someone called Angela Brick, who made her career producing/commissioning all those reality shows that involve sex. 'Married at first sight' and worse.

She has rather belatedly had her Road to Damascus moment and realises how tawdry, manipulative and generally unpleasant these shows are and how it damaged the contestants, many of whom were chosen because they were already thoroughly mixed up.

However there was one point, which is in her favour, that she didn't make and that is that these shows would not have been made if there had not been thousands if not millions of people ready to watch them.

I know all GN members are sueaky clean and never watch these demeaning reality programmes. I for one, have never watched one, but plenty of people do.

I am not against reality programmes. There are plenty that are enjoyable and do not demean vulnerable people. I love Location,Location, Location for one, as well as University Challenge. DD and I also appeared in one many years ago, The Great Antiue Hunt with Gilly Goulden, We didn't win, but somewhere I have a singularly ugly commemorative plate, although it may have gone to a charity shop when we moved.