We’ve had 'Irish Dream Debs' and 'Boozed up Irish Abroad', now TV3’s latest venture into the world of reality TV is 'Young, Dumb and Living off Mum'.
The format, which has been a hit in the UK, sees a group of (let’s be honest here) fairly shallow and self-important Irish youths extracted from their comfort zones living with their mammies and made to fend for themselves. The show is like a mix between a tacky Apprentice and a teen Big Brother.
Having caught the promo several times showing a group of annoying youths pleading with their neighbour to drive them the short distance to the shops (none of them appeared to have any difficulty walking), I thought it was about time I sat down and checked out 'Spoilt, Whiney and Manipulating my Parents', sorry I mean 'Young, Dumb and Living off Mum'.
Each week the ungrateful, high maintenance adolescents (are you getting that I wasn’t impressed by them?) are set a number of job related tasks and then the poor, put-upon parents vote out the kid they think least deserves to be there. Quite cruel really, isn’t it? Last night’s episode followed the remaining five contestants and I have to say I’m slightly annoyed now that I didn’t get to see the previous participants in action if these five are the pick of the crop.
The work task this week was in HQ nightclub in Thurles. The group didn’t prove to be the fastest on the uptake and I feel I could fill a keg myself at this point as the instructions were repeated so many times. Kim particularly got on my nerves. Firstly for her sexist line "are girls supposed to be doing this" and secondly for failing to figure out how to fill that keg!!! By the end of the show I felt like jumping into the telly and doing it myself. But still she persisted with the whinging and moaning and looking like she’d just been told to clean up the sick from the girl’s bathroom. Oh no that was Katie actually.
All I can say is bualadh bos to HQ nightclub for letting the employees from hell loose on their premises. While Ross and Cathal were praised by the managers, Katie and Kim were shown the door faster than they could say fat frog. But not before they had a huge group hug for being so useless.
Back in the house, things went down hill rapidly as Ross ended up drinking his weight in beer and having a go at everyone. After nearly breaking Kim’s hand and frightening the life out of poor Cathal, all the parents could do was praise the 'poor' boy for being so brave. It emerged that he had been badly beaten up when he was younger and clearly hadn’t deal with those issues. The powder keg environment of the house was hardly suitable for him though if he was carrying around those scars.
I am left wondering why these teens and their parents would put themselves on television. Whatever happened to being entertained instead of infuriated, captivated instead of uninterested?
For me the highlight of the show was Ross’ journey down the rap road. Irish folk just shouldn’t rap!
With only four left to go, I’m afraid it’s four too many for me.
Sarah Carty
