To be shocked by Jeremy Kyle

Anniebach I am sorry if I upset you - it certainly wasnt meant that way. All I was trying to get across was that I was happier with people who were themselves than the ones who put on airs and graces.

I used to work with the type of people who appear on JK and I remember, at first, being shocked because their attitudes and behaviour was completely outside my own experience. BUT I do think it's really important to understand that not everyone thinks the way I do. I look at them and I can see all the education they didn't have, the lack of learning from their own parents about decent behaviour and what's appropriate; the lack of basic life skills, the lack of understanding about how they're sabotaging their own lives, the depression, anxieties, addictions, etc. All of this is preventable if we, as a society, decided to invest in them but no government ever will - it's cheaper to just pay them benefits and leave them to it. Let's not misunderstand this issue - successive governments have made choices to leave them be - despite knowing better (but, sadly, those people don't and never will).

I stopped watching a few weeks ago when JK shouted at a woman with obvious learning /intellectual disabilities. The lady had had a baby but her mother brought the girl up as her own (mum was really the grandma, iyswim). JK treated her appallingly.

Terrible show!

I used to watch this regularly for a while in the early days of this programme but found it too upsetting to witness but magnetic at the same time. I stopped watching it years ago. They have such sad dysfunctional lives and often need real help. These people are being played by the TV company for no other reason than increasing their profits. I always wonder how Mr Kyle can do this job every day for years and not be affected by it. But he obviously thrives on it, I find that very strange.

Anniebach - well said.

Dragonfly i was a coal miners daughter , were you surprised we used handkerchieves not our sleeves,

When I watched Matthew Wright's programme from time to time, in the morning around the same time, I inadvertently switched on to Jeremy Kyle once or twice and for a nano second I found myself transfixed, it's just so awful before I hastily switched channels. I don't understand why anyone would put their life up for scrutiny in this way. I'm convinced the audience who invariably have a "you need to sort yourself out" comment sit in judgement to feel better about themselves. JK is odious and this type of television is very tawdry.

Well, I regard myself as fairly middle class (degree, own home) and I'm addicted to it (tho can only watch if hubby's out.) I DO disapprove of the obviously mentally challenged being allowed on. But most are happy to be there and are normal if far from gifted. It's just so unchallenging and great to knit to!
But I also watch (addictedly) University Challenge, so must have eclectic tastes!

I always imagined that the people on the JK show were manipulated into behaving the way they do but I knew a naive young couple (unmarried) who were greatly excited to be accepted for the JK show. The young man was a paranoid weed smoker but a nice enough lad and to get on they said he wasn’t convinced that their baby was his. Much exaggerated as he really knew it was. Some time later I found the episode on YouTube and to my surprise JK was gentle with both of them, pretty well gave them some advice, patted them on the head and sent them on their way. They weren’t invited to be confrontational or nasty. I fear that the awful people who go on swinging punches, shouting, swearing and admitting to astonishing behaviour really do live like that.
The naive pair split up soon after. I don’t think they much enjoyed the nights in a hotel either as it was all so alien to them.

No I wouldn’t watch the show normally because it isn’t right to put these disfunctional people on TV as entertainment but it sometimes comes on when I am deep in washing or breadmaking and I see bits of it until I am able to grab the remote.

No probs Gaggi

Sorry, Gillybob, I was just plain unobservant.

The sad fact is that the guests on JK’s show and their antics are not that unusual in their circle of ‘friends’. I actually think it’s quite important that we do watch it to understand the way some dysfunctional people live, supported often in this behaviour by the benefit system.

That is just so true. I've witnessed it as I once married a man whose biological family turned out to be like this. The funny thing is, they do actually have their own sort of 'code', which is just so skewed but as they grow up with it, it is normal to them. I'm not sure how you change it without sterilisation or removing the children as babies which would obviously be barbaric. One thing for sure is that education doesn't seem to be working.

I had a client, a man with Aspergers, who watched Jeremy Kyle in an attempt to understand people and their motivations. Neither his wife nor I could convince him that it wasn't necessarily the best view of human nature although undoubtedly, sadly, it's real life for many.

It was said back in Romania times, and throughout history, that if you gave people games/reality shows etc they would be too interested in watching, taking part or opposing said games or shows that they paid no attention to what the elected leaders did!
Call me a cynic but I believe that theory to hold a fair amount of truth.
JK, Judge Judy, reality TV shows et al, have replaced the Romans Circus', and when you add in the demonizing of those unfortunate to need Benefits, well, job done.

Interested to read your replies as most of them reflect my views exactly. I came from a pretty middle class background but as I child my friends were often miner's children. I loved it in their houses as they were the nicest, kindest and most natural people I knew. They certainly were not the people you see on JK.

My DH on the other hand went to public school so until he went to uni had never met any body outside his peers. Maybe that is what the attraction is.

I don't watch the show and can't stand these " in your face " programmes. I'm not blinkered in any way but I'm of the belief that life is what you make it and if you want to live your life as a slob then so be it but stop blaming others for making it so,show some respect and change your ways.

I used to 'see' it, literally, on the monitors in the gym, without access to any sound or subtitles. The venom and spite on people's faces as they were talking,or screaming, at each other, was shocking.

Why would anybody watch this junk? Those who go on the programme are paid so it’s hardly surprising the sort of people who will ‘bare their souls’ to the world are many.

Fact is, the more of us who watch him, the longer his hideous programme will be aired. Pity but there y'go.

Bath or Barth? there is no R in Bath. A for Apple not Arpple Simple

Jenny from Birmingham

Nobody forces those people to participate in the programme.

It was meant as a joke Gaggi ( hence the ) but thanks anyway.

GK ? As they say "you couldn't make it up."

I'm with Maccy, the lives portrayed here are so sad, it's tragic that they are exploited like this. Words like 'dregs are wholly inappropriate.

Back to OP. At that time in the day, can you 2 find something more positive to do?