Dean got a job. Of course there was no collusion between the production company and the employer - shame on you for even thinking such a thing. But Jane Murphy on the Orange TV blog says: "Dean manages to clinch a position as a kitchen fitter's assistant. And that's where the premise falls down. Because this is all very inspiring - but if you have precious little work experience, particularly in the current economic climate, you're highly unlikely to get the first job you go for. I can't help thinking that if Dean had applied for the kitchen fitter's position without Hayley's help, he wouldn't even have got an interview. It's one thing to be willing to work - but it's quite another to find the determination to persevere through the inevitable disappointments and rejections while you look for a job."
Michael Deacon in the Telegraph catches himself being patronising: "I was going to say what a horribly middle-class idea, patronising the working class for our entertainment. But then I remembered that there’s nothing more horribly middle-class, or more patronising to the working class, than some jumped-up journalist being drippily self-righteous in the working class’s defence. So I won’t." But he is unable to resist being critical of Hayley Taylor: "I wasn’t quite so keen, though, on Taylor’s main educational prop: a large drawing of a twisting road (representing her subjects’ lives), on which she would affix stickers showing symbolic road signs. “The gated level crossing sign,” she announced, sticking it for some reason in the middle of a field, represented her subjects’ “debt” and “fear of coming off the benefits system”. Despite this, she seemed nice enough, in her briskly mother-ish way, although I have a tip of my own for her. If you’re going to scold your subjects for speaking in an unsophisticated manner (for example, saying “hiya” instead of “good morning”), it’s probably best if you don’t praise them by saying, “You’re doing really, really good.”
The Independent's Tom Sutcliffe falls into a patronising attitude: "Hayley Taylor, the Fairy Jobmother, is a bit like Pauline, the restart officer from The League of Gentlemen, approaching the jobless with upbeat mantras and slightly childish visual aids (a road map titled "Hayley's Drive to Life"). But where Pauline was malign and undermining Hayley is tender-hearted, encouraging and briskly effective. When Dean whined and whinged that his unemployment was everybody's fault but his own, she didn't see exasperating fecklessness – she saw fear of failure, and she soothed it away in a briskly maternal manner, transforming his resentful hoodie hunch into something close to upright posture. He got a job anyway, and – more to the point – he still has it. Set alongside a film like Between Life and Death, The Fairy Jobmother could easily look like the terminal decay of the serious documentary. In fact, it effectively smuggles a lot of education and information inside the boilerplate, can-do narrative arc. Did you know that one reason the jobless are so reluctant to take a chance on short-term jobs is that you lose your benefits as soon as you get work but it will take six weeks to get them restored if something goes wrong? Quite a gamble when you can't afford to lose." Yes, Tom, we did know that.
And there are two more episodes. Can't wait.
Hey unemployment solved, you just walk into any place of work and they give you a job!
ReplyDeletePlease, don't be silly! If you can't make intelligent comments, then don't bother putting finger to keyboard in the future.
ReplyDeleteHayley's Drive to Life?
ReplyDeleteThis is just superifical pop psychology at it's worst. How is this representative of a skilled employment and welfare adviser?
Surprise surprise he gets a job. Of course he does, the show doesn't work otherwise. So the programme sets him up with the employer beforehand to secure the job and make sure the employer is happy with this person and so the story begins.
imatt, I'm not sure who that's directed at, but we can allow a little silliness.
ReplyDeleteGhost Whistler, many might see that as a reasonable assumption, but we don't have any proof.
Sorry, the comment was aimed at anonymous.
ReplyDeleteThing is he got a low paid job and needs tax credits to help make up his money.
ReplyDeleteThe government is not done with welfare cuts, theres more to come.
I'm unemployed and am wary of having to depend on tax credits to make up my money when I get a job as they may well be cut later on. Then if I leave a job because my credits have been cut, Ill be deemed to have voluntarily left employment, and won't be eligable to claim for ages.
Lol, I work next door, how surreal!
ReplyDeleteWas the fairy job mother a black comedy?
ReplyDeleteHow did she get on TV advising the unemployed? She has no recruiting experience.
ReplyDeleteShe has plenty of experience working for A4e as an adviser to the unemployed.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with what anonymous said: Hey unemployment solved, you just walk into any place of work and they give you a job!
ReplyDeleteThis is how it came across to me and a lot of people. ALl edited for TV - its not how the real world works I'm afraid. It's not so clean cut. All she did was give them a false sense of security and false hope.
They need qualifications, but thats not always as clean cut either.
What do we go to work for? To survive and live yes, not to put money in other peoples' pockets for sure. Surly the motivation is to work to move up in the world and to live a better quality of life. Do you really think that those two on last weeks show will ahieve that? If they have to have their money topped up with tax credits, where's the extra money to for them to be able to afford the things they want, as the fairy jodmother stated they would. There's no lasting motivation there!
The fairy jobmother is very patronizing! I'm afraid if that was me I would show her the door in an oh so insulting manner! Bullying is not the answer.
I agree the couple were able to work so they need to work, but doesnt it tell you something, maybe its not the system but all the crap wages being paid because of all the immigrants taking the jobs. Some places will only take Polish people on...I could go on and on.
this woman is unbelievable. I once heard her say that any job is a good one. does this mean that if she was sacked from her (highly paid) job tomorrow, she would be willing to go out and clean toilets?? I am a single mother of a 2 year old and have not worked since she was born. Before that, I lived in spain for 5 years, where I worked up until i was 8 months pregnant, for 9 hours a day, 6 days a week, with none of the perks of a job in the UK i.e coffee breaks, lunch breaks etc. I paid tax while in spain and got nothing back, in fact when i returned to the uk i had to PROVE i had the right to reside in this country, even though i have a british passport and all my family are here. I started looking for work when my child was 9 months old and have only had one interview so far. I realise this is mainly down to the fact i have not worked in this country for so long. Before i left the UK i was a Personal Assistant for the director of a small company but i worked in bars and restaurants in spain. this makes it difficult for me to get back into the admin field. Believe me, i have tried to find work, as any single mother will know it is mind numbing (although i adore my daughter) to have no structure to your day. On top of this, because of this i receive quite a lot of help with my housing costs. i live in a private let which costs more than twice as much as it would if i was housed by the council, but lo and behold i have been on a council waiting list for the past 2 and a half years and am still not moving up the list. therefore, if i work full time hours, i will still never earn enough to pay my rent fully. this means that whatever i earn will mean my housing benefit will be reduced. whatever extra i earn will be taken away from another source - housing benefit, council tax benefit etc. this woman makes me so angry because she seems t think that those who are unemployed are just lazy. this is not the case all the time, although there are some who are i believe. this country is in a bad state at the moment, i believe. i also think it needs to be said (and im sure this will cause uproar) that many of the jobs in this country are now being taken up by immigrants - polish/czech.romanians, and while i do not disagree with allowing them to live and work in our country, there has to be some kind of limit to it, doesnt there?? I am totally disillusioned by the way this country is run which is why i am taking my daughter and moving abroad again at the end of the year, i will be better off, with no need to live off benefits, which i do not enjoy at all, despite some peoples views. and the government wonders why so many britons are leaving the country every year never to return?? disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your story. There is a point to be made about the effect of immigration on jobs, as long as one doesn't blame the immigrants themselves, who are, after all, just doing what you are doing.
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment, and i totally agree with you. my rant was supposed to be more about the concept of the fairy jobmother seemingly pushing people into jobs and giving the impression that those of us who are unemployed are so, because we are lazy. but this is a bit of a sore subject for me as you probably guessed, which is why i got so carried away!
ReplyDeleteNo problem. I've said several times that this programme gives a totally false impression of the vast majority of the unemployed, and the ease with which one can supposedly get work. And if I had come across Hayley when I was out of work (as I was in the early 90s) it would have been an interesting confrontation!
ReplyDeleteimmat have you heard of sarcasam!
ReplyDeleteHayley Taylor is a despicable person. Bossy, self-important & self-righteous. She is described as an "employment expert" & then immediately goes on to say that "she believes" that there are jobs out there - well duh! That's okay then - if Hayley believes it - it must be true! A4e are paid £14,000 for each person who they find work for (as long as they manage to stay in the job, or employed, for at least two years) Assuming that that person was over 21 & on minimum wage they would earn £10,792.60 per annum (based on a 35 hour week)
ReplyDeleteSo Hayley & her morally bankrupt company - will earn £7,000 for each £10,792 earnt by the poor sap who's been through her hands.
Seem fair?
Wouldn't it just be fairer & more incentivising (not to mention cheaper) to simply offer to pay unemployed people themselves an extra £10,000 if they manage to find work & stay in it for two years? That way, they might actually be able to afford to pay their bills whilst working! If you want to get rich in this country & have absolutely no scruples then there is no easier way than starting a company that sells it services to our appalling governments & councils. Tis nowt but a scam for the middle-classes to get rich off the minipulation of the unemployed!