Last night the folks and I were watching “The Town That Never Retired“; the premise of this programme was to place pensioners back into the work place (in various roles) and pit them against a group of young job seekers to see who are the more reliable/better at the jobs/who would gain employment, etc.

I have to point out here that this programme boiled my piss.

Between employers wanging on about “I’d hire the pensioner because they have more experience than a school leaver” (no shit Sherlock!) and the presenters going on about how “youngsters nowadays just don’t want to work” I was positively raging.

I’m aware that the youngsters in the programme did arse it up alot by not calling in sick, or by not removing their piercings, or by walking out part way through the work day…BUT, I just basically saw the whole thing as an attempt to blow smoke up pensioner’s backsides and reiterate that due to current pension issues most people now will be working into their 70′s in order to live.

Perhaps what this programme needs to do is pit these pensioners (and even their younger counterparts) against people in their 20′s/30′s who are desperately seeking work, those who apply for over 50 jobs a week without even a sniff – those people who are currently being driven mad by shit day time television and the assumption that we’re lazy because we’ve asked the benefit system for help.

Seriously producers think about it! Because you’d have your first volunteer right here!

As I’ve said before, not all of the unemployed people are without work through choice, we don’t all sit around with our thumbs up our rusty starfishes every day while waiting for benefit day (especially not the ones who, despite applying for help, still haven’t received a penny!). Some of us WANT to work, some of us are highly educated, others have a lot of varied work experience…we’re just waiting for someone to give us a chance!

It also started the following exchange of words:

Me: “This programme paints young, unemployed people in a bad light – they’ve basically said not to give us a chance!”

Dad: “You’re not young anymore, you’re practically middle aged”.

Me *scowling* “still young in the grand scheme of things” (I’m 27 FFS!).

Dad: “yeah, but pretty much middle aged now…it’ll just get worse for you”.

Me: “Remember this dad, remember it well…because I will be putting you in an old people’s home”.

Dad: “Unless I steal your job”.

Me: “No….you’re going in a damned home”.

Dad: “Really?”

Me: “Yep…the shittest one I can find! One that has no indoor toilets…and definitely only plays repeats of Jeremy Kyle all day every day!”

Dad: O_o ….

Me: “Jeremy Kyle USA”.

Dad: “You wouldn’t”.

Me: “You brought this on yourself!”

Obviously I wouldn’t put my dad in a terrible home…especially one without toilets! Gosh could you imagine! Actually, probably best you don’t imagine that.

Loki-Lou

PS – today’s song of the day is:

Placebo – Wouldn’t it be good (yes, I’m aware this is a Nik Kershaw song…but the cover is just so awesome!)