Secret Millionaire C4

[Melinda]

I thought it was 14K to the radio station and 8K for the mini bus.

Probably!

It was still the least amount for the longest established project. Training and support for th mini bus guys and Scabbers along with the money would have been better though.

 

[Superape]

It's an odd programme. Clearly it's all done with the last 10 minutes in mind so we can all have a bit of a lump in our throats at the end & feel good about the world (the hospital man last week came across as a really nice guy).

Last night's was a bit different for some reason - he didn't seem to be hiding himself particularly well. I loved the guy in the shop tho

As for last night's fella rejecting his roots - why shouldn't he? It's his culture, why can't he reject it if he wants? Do all Pakistani people have to be Muslim, wearing the appropriate garb & eating curry for all us middle-class white folks to feel good about it? "Aw bless them with their solid cultural identity, please don't try & be properly English, where would we get our ethnic stuff from?"

As for his girls - they're half English, why is it bad for them to adopt that cultural identity rather than the half to them that has Pakistani roots? Why are they being more defined by their skin colour than their accent, education or their wealth?

 

[Melinda]

It's an odd programme. Clearly it's all done with the last 10 minutes in mind so we can all have a bit of a lump in our throats at the end & feel good about the world (the hospital man last week came across as a really nice guy).

Last night's was a bit different for some reason - he didn't seem to be hiding himself particularly well. I loved the guy in the shop tho


As for last night's fella rejecting his roots - why shouldn't he? It's his culture, why can't he reject it if he wants? Do all Pakistani people have to be Muslim, wearing the appropriate garb & eating curry for all us middle-class white folks to feel good about it? "Aw bless them with their solid cultural identity, please don't try & be properly English, where would we get our ethnic stuff from?"

Im not saying he has to be religious and wear a beard He can live where he likes, eat what he likes and marry who he likes!

You can move away and still not hate that community. Most people who move away dont leave *everything* behind? You dont have to reject it all wholesale? Why think bad things about muslims because they are Muslim? Thats a lot of self hatred.

As for his girls - they're half English, why is it bad for them to adopt that cultural identity rather than the half to them that has Pakistani roots? Why are they being more defined by their skin colour than their accent, education or their wealth?

You are misunderstanding me, if it were his English wife who had moved into the Pakistani community and they were raising kids with no input from English society, I would think it equally as odd.

You need to accept and engage with all bits of yourself? Obviously somethings dominate, but acknowledge it, no?

Its not about skin colour- its about heritage and family. Those are precious things and to lose them (him) and to have never had had them (his kids) is harsh.

 

[DRINK?]

Does no-one else see the programme as exploitative?

I do...there is defo something I don't like about it...don't watch it anymore though

 

[Dillinger4]

I do...there is defo something I don't like about it...don't watch it anymore though

I find it deeply unpleasant. Just like that other one where they sent a load of entrenpeneurs to make an African village profitable. Bunch of fucking fuckwits.

 

[Melinda]

I find it deeply unpleasant. Just like that other one where they sent a load of entrenpeneurs to make an African village profitable. Bunch of fucking fuckwits.

I was SO disappointed in that one! I think we spoke on that thread. It could have been so different!

But what I did like was the World Vision worker- she was amazing switched on and clued up. She gave lie to the mage tha NGOs were only about the money. She was about the issues, capacity build (in both the locals and the millionaires), good governance and forcing government to be held to account. Im glad people got to see her.

 

[weltweit]

For them to make a big enough profit margin to become a millionaire means that a whole bunch of people are going to have paid shit wages. You only become rich by fucking people over. Or something. Fuck knows, I am not an economist. But I do hate rich people. If all their millions were shared out between a million people, we would all be a pound better off.

I think that is a bit shortsighted, we need entrepreneurs because they take risks and start companies and companies hire staff and pay taxes and taxes are used to employ people in the state sector.

I don't hate rich people, unless they got rich by "fucking people over" but in the main they did not. If they are entrepreneurial then they took a risk and started something and if they employ people then they do that in a marketplace which means they have to pay reasonable wages in relation to that market otherwise they don't get staff.

I find it bizzare that you can just say you hate rich people, as if they are all the same. And how much is rich?

 

[weltweit]

I find it deeply unpleasant. Just like that other one where they sent a load of entrenpeneurs to make an African village profitable. Bunch of fucking fuckwits.

I was very impressed by the potato store idea, I would not have thought of that myself.

 

[Dillinger4]

I think that is a bit shortsighted, we need entrepreneurs because they take risks and start companies and companies hire staff and pay taxes and taxes are used to employ people in the state sector.

I don't hate rich people, unless they got rich by "fucking people over" but in the main they did not. If they are entrepreneurial then they took a risk and started something and if they employ people then they do that in a marketplace which means they have to pay reasonable wages in relation to that market otherwise they don't get staff.

I find it bizzare that you can just say you hate rich people, as if they are all the same. And how much is rich?

I didn't mean it so simply, tbh.

 

[Dillinger4]

I was very impressed by the potato store idea, I would not have thought of that myself.

I found it horribly patronising. Of course, all those African people cannot look after themselves. It is the white mans burden to come and solve their problems, after raping their country of all its resources to become millionaires back in old blighty, of course.

You don't get rich without exploiting people horribly, somewhere.

 

[Melinda]

I found it horribly patronising. Of course, all those African people cannot look after themselves. It is the white mans burden to come and solve their problems, after raping their country of all its resources to become millionaires back in old blighty, of course.

You can see it as patriachal and imperialist, or you can see it as some degree of interdependance or philanthropy.?
*Im just thinking out loud, not necessaily disagreeing with you*

 

[Dillinger4]

You can see it as patriachal and imperialist, or you can see it as some degree of interdependance or philanthropy.?
*Im just thinking out loud, not necessaily disagreeing with you*

Its a bit of both. But they are always so smug. It irritates me.

 

[Melinda]

Its a bit of both. But they are always so smug. It irritates me.

agreed. They guy a couple of weeks ago, who at the end of his journey still said " life was hard if you hadnt made a good go of things." I wanted to kick him.

He meant it 'nicely', but he hadnt learned anything. He had given money to someone who had touched him, and still thought they were in need because they hadnt tried hard enough in life.

 

[weltweit]

Its a bit of both. But they are always so smug. It irritates me.

Entrepreneurs that have succeeded tend to be full of confidence, most entrepreneurs fail, those that succeed can I think feel some confidence in their abilities.

I have been a bit entrepreneurial in my life and most of the time I have failed but perhaps that will not always be the case. For many years my work ensured the employment of quite a lot of people, those were not wasted years.

Anyhow a question that I think I put already. You say you hate rich people, define please what is a rich person?

The civil servant who resigned after the loss of the data disks at HMRC was back in a civil service job on approx £200kpa within a couple of weeks. I would say that someone on such a salary is a rich person.
How about you? and who is being exploited?

Elton John is wealthy, beyond most, certainly super rich, do you despise him?

Most of the companies I have worked in were run at some stage by entrepreneurs, I could leave at any time if pay and conditions were better elsewhere, guess what, they were not, there was a market place for people like me and the entrepreneurs, like anyone else, had to pay the going rate.

 

[Dillinger4]

Entrepreneurs that have succeeded tend to be full of confidence, most entrepreneurs fail, those that succeed can I think feel some confidence in their abilities.

I have been a bit entrepreneurial in my life and most of the time I have failed but perhaps that will not always be the case. For many years my work ensured the employment of quite a lot of people, those were not wasted years.

Anyhow a question that I think I put already. You say you hate rich people, define please what is a rich person?

The civil servant who resigned after the loss of the data disks at HMRC was back in a civil service job on approx £200kpa within a couple of weeks. I would say that someone on such a salary is a rich person.
How about you? and who is being exploited?

Elton John is wealthy, beyond most, certainly super rich, do you despise him?

Most of the companies I have worked in were run at some stage by entrepreneurs, I could leave at any time if pay and conditions were better elsewhere, guess what, they were not, there was a market place for people like me and the entrepreneurs, like anyone else, had to pay the going rate.

I don't hate all rich people, you are taking me rather literally. I don't hate all rich people.

I don't really agree with a huge amount of what you say though.

Elton John is despicable. I can just imagine how he treats his underlings when they get something wrong on his rider, or something.

Civil Servant who resigned: Fucks up and gets back on a 200kpa job again. Who pays his wages for fucking up?

I am not going to bother arguing my point here. You have already misinterpreted me once.

 

[Jografer]

in what way are these millionaires being secret by happily broadcasting their apparent philanthropy on the telly?

Exactly, it's just an ego massage for them while they give out a small amount of dosh (irrelevant amount for most of them) to the deserving poor....

... I wonder how much they dish out when the camera isn't about...

 

[Belushi]

Haven't seen this but did catch a bit of a dreadful program on ITV a while back where different worthy causes had to go before a panel of millionaires and beg for money

 

[Dillinger4]

Haven't seen this but did catch a bit of a dreadful program on ITV a while back where different worthy causes had to go before a panel of millionaires and beg for money

It is fucking disgusting.

 

[Melinda]

Never saw it! Hosted by Richard Madeley though!

 

[Belushi]

Never saw it! Hosted by Richard Madeley though!

Thats the one, Jeffrey Archer and that cock Simon Jordan on the panel.

 

[Melinda]

Jesus, Jeffrey Archer?!

ITV are shocking!

 

[weltweit]

I don't hate all rich people, you are taking me rather literally. I don't hate all rich people.

Fair enough, thats a lot clearer than your opening statement that you hated rich people.

I don't really agree with a huge amount of what you say though.

Elton John is despicable. I can just imagine how he treats his underlings when they get something wrong on his rider, or something.

I have no idea how Elton John treats his people but I have no reason to think that he is despicable.

I am not going to bother arguing my point here. You have already misinterpreted me once.

I suppose when you mean when you said you "hated rich people".

For me rich and poor are more relative terms than absolute, GPs at the momet I would describe as rich, according to the newspapers many of them are on £100kpa, a very substantial salary.

Someone at the other end of the scale, perhaps on the minimum wage or on benefits I would definately describe as poor.

But I have no reason to hate either of them and could within my own single life be in both situations at different times.

Have you ever simply - run out of money - I have and its quite a wake up call.

 

[weltweit]

Haven't seen this but did catch a bit of a dreadful program on ITV a while back where different worthy causes had to go before a panel of millionaires and beg for money

Sounds a bit like Dragons Den, but I guess by your use of "Worthy Causes" that it was not .. I never saw that program but it does sound dodgy.

 

[Dillinger4]

Fair enough, thats a lot clearer than your opening statement that you hated rich people.



I have no idea how Elton John treats his people but I have no reason to think that he is despicable.



I suppose when you mean when you said you "hated rich people".

For me rich and poor are more relative terms than absolute, GPs at the momet I would describe as rich, according to the newspapers many of them are on £100kpa, a very substantial salary.

Someone at the other end of the scale, perhaps on the minimum wage or on benefits I would definately describe as poor.

But I have no reason to hate either of them and could within my own single life be in both situations at different times.

Have you ever simply - run out of money - I have and its quite a wake up call.

I am broke as we speak.

I would describe rich as having enough money that you would not have to work anymore, or at least do very little. A millionaire is probably one of these.

A doctor who has 100kpa salary might be rich, but they work hard for it, and have had to have years of extensive and expensive training to get there.

I don't know. There is just something unpleasant about it all. About this program, about programs like Dragons Den or The Apprentice, or even just reality TV, where people will prostrate themselves. for wealth/fame/status. I just find it unpleasant. Not just on TV but in the actual world I live in.

Its not about definitions of rich/poor or whatever.

Oh and as for Elton John. He lives on his label as a bit of a 'Diva' as it were. And that means acting like a stuck up old queen and being shitty with people, because he CAN, because he is the talent. Its endemic throughout the whole of the entertainment world.

 

[weltweit]

I am broke as we speak.

I would describe rich as having enough money that you would not have to work anymore, or at least do very little. A millionaire is probably one of these.

Well we are in the same boat then as I am also broke right now, I do have some assets but no ready cash.

As it happens I did have enough money not to have to work for a period, for about a year after I had been ill I did not work, I did very little indeed. Now that time and that money has passed and its back to the world of work for me whether I like it or not.

A doctor who has 100kpa salary might be rich, but they work hard for it, and have had to have years of extensive and expensive training to get there.

Yes I agree, doctors are perhaps worthy people because of that so its perhaps easier not to begrudge their wealth.

I don't know. There is just something unpleasant about it all. About this program, about programs like Dragons Den or The Apprentice, or even just reality TV, where people will prostrate themselves. for wealth/fame/status. I just find it unpleasant. Not just on TV but in the actual world I live in.

These programmes do show people with money I agree and sometimes they are less attractive charachters than they themselves might like to think.

I think the celebrity culture is one that I personally have less time for. People who are famous for being famous, what is all that about. And some of them make a lot of money for basically having their photogaphs taken and appearing in trashy magazines (which I do not buy nor read when they are in the dentists etc) I do feel that whole industry is pretty pointless.

But what is the point to it all? what is the point of celebrity culture? of the art industry? of all of these diverse ways that people make their way in the world. They are just people trying to find their way through life.

I guess what bothered me Dillinger4 was that you used the word "hate" about a group of people (the rich) I think it is the hate word that I object to perhaps because I am just indifferent to people, no that is not right, just that I use all my energy getting on with my little life and do not have any spare energy to spend hating anything or anyone as I progress along.

Also that I think hate is counter productive, it hurts the hater and the hated equally, I just don't have time for it in my life. If I see someone driving a porsche or a ferrari I just see just that, someone driving a porsche or a ferrari, it does not register to me that they may have spent more on the car than I did on my house, yes they may be rich, but they may be the mechanic just taking the car out from the local garage on a test drive ...... just have not got the time to hate anything really .. I find it unproductive

 

[Dillinger4]

Ahh. Well hate is a strong word, I was just over exagerrating. The only thing I hate is hate.

 

[miss direct]

Anyone watch it last night? Thought it was quite a good one.

 

[weltweit]

** New Series is now on C4 Tuesday Nights **

I watched some of last nights, a woman who did not give much away in Ladywood Birmingham.

I have seen some trailers for next week when a man goes to Glasgow and apparently if the trailers are to be believed gives away £250k to one good cause and £100k to another. Now that is more generous giving in my book. I will try to watch next week to see how he stacks up to the others.

So we had a good discussion over the last series, are there any new issues?
Anyone want to comment further?

 

[Awesome Wells]

I find the whole thing utterly disgusting. Utter manipulation of poor people and their unfortunate circumstances. It is shocking on a level that I find without equal. Mind you I've had more than enough of Dragon's Den, which is equally loathseome and also entirely predictable (take a drink whenever Theo wants to play with the invention...)

 

[butterfly child]

I find the whole thing utterly disgusting. Utter manipulation of poor people and their unfortunate circumstances. It is shocking on a level that I find without equal. Mind you I've had more than enough of Dragon's Den, which is equally loathseome and also entirely predictable (take a drink whenever Theo wants to play with the invention...)

I'm sure most of the people who have been given money by the "secet millionaires" don't feel manipulated...

Fact of the matter is, most people who "do good" are constantly raising funds. For someone to come in with a large cash injection is a fucking Godsend.

Missed last nights episode because I was watching Stargate Continuum but next week looks good.

I have to say - thinking about last week, and the guys alleged £77m - I would be giving away millions of pounds, not thousands, if I were in his shoes.