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In the programme Mark Dolan travels around the world meeting contenders for the title of world's smallest man and seeing what their lives are like in their home countries. The reason I feel guilty? Because despite the fact this is entertainment based on physical deformities and horribly patronising towards the subject in places, I found myself completely engrossed in it.
These programs are themselves the modern day equivalent of the old fashioned freak show under a thin veil of scientific reporting.
It's not just this program of course, there are lot more of these "sensitive" documentaries about that I find even more repulsive. The Bodyshock series for example which brought us such documentaries as The Girl With 8 Limbs, The Boy who Gave Birth to his Twin and Half Ton Man, which essentially string out a 10 minute story for an hour with overly dramatic reconstructions, leading questions, bringing those involved to tears and patronising commentary.
What is the real reason for the success of these shows? Could it really be that we're all interested in sensitive accounts of unusual conditions? Or is for the same reason that people slow down to look at car crashes? These programs are themselves the modern day equivalent of the old fashioned freak show under a thin veil of scientific reporting.
I found myself going through the stages of rubber-necking intrigue, descending into sympathy and subsequently satisfaction that "at least I don't have it that bad" followed by guilt. Any sympathy garnered for the subjects and their families are quickly assuaged by the fact that these programs are designed to make us feel better about ourselves. Programs about other people's misfortune make us feel better about our own situations, just as inspirational TV make us feel rubbish but ultimately they just make us feel ashamed of ourselves for even watching.
As a subscriber to the theory that anything is fair game for comedy without guilt (not that these shows are in any way meant to be funny), I'm uncertain about whether I should feel guilty about being interested in these programs and the way they make me feel, or whether they should be on TV in the first place.
I often wonder about this too.
I've heard a comforting theory that these 'freak shows' are just an evolution of ancient storytelling, now done through television.
I suppose the argument against this is these people are unfairly exposed to the world.
Perhaps this isn't such a bad thing though. after watching one of these shows myself about a man with a very distorted face (who happened to live in my area) I would see him around town and feel warm towards him, because I knew his story.
surely that's better than having people stare and wonder if that's a mask you're wearing.
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