Terrible Misfortune

There was a Charlie Brooker Screenwipe end of year special this week And if you read this entry before Saturday 29 December, you can see it here. Alternatively, find it on YouTube.
Anyway, Brooker took a well aimed swipe at The Jeremy Kyle Show, and you can’t really fault him for doing so. He concentrated on a paedophile special in which the audience just seemed to shout at two unreconstructed paedophiles who were shown only in silhouette on a TV monitor.
I didn’t catch that beauty, but this week I was unfortunate enough to see a few seconds of Wednesday’s show. Kyle has been out and about in a big tour bus, visiting people in their homes rather than taking them before the baying crowd in a TV studio. The first story – the only one I saw – involved two separated people and their child. The man or the woman – I forget which – weren’t doing their parenting bit, or were being stopped from doing so. To be honest, it doesn’t matter, because I was too busy drawing breath after Kyle introduced the father, and then said: “I know this week’s been very difficult for you, because you’ve just buried your third child. But we’re not talking about them. We’re talking about…”
What???!!!
The man has just buried his child, and then he’s going to take part in this monstrosity of a programme. It defies belief. It really does.


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