Making a spectacle out of the poor and working class is the newest trend from the mainstream media machine.
The BBC is currently casting for a new show that seeks to pit the unemployed and low-paid workers against one another to win a cash prize.
The contestants will be expected to ‘prove‘ themselves, much like those in Suzanne Collins‘ hit series The Hunger Games. A representative from the production company elaborated and stated that ‘people will be put to the test in a series of challenges and tasks’.
Watch a video of this report here:
The poster promoting the casting of the show (Independent)
The winner will apparently receive £15,000 ($23,000), which is roughly equal to a year’s living wage; well, at least it would be outside of London.
Channel 4 show Benefits Street popularized ‘poverty porn’ (Independent)
Will we need to wait much longer before we are back to gladiatorial arenas with people fighting to the death to earn a living?
Perhaps the production company could have, instead, invested in a show that sought to get low-paid workers into high paying jobs – a real prize – instead of this Hunger Games style spectacle.
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