Tasteless Television

No, I'm not talking about sex and violence... I'm talking about Anne Robinson, I don't normally watch "The Weakest Link" because she generally annoys me... anyway I was upstairs getting ready to go out and I put the TV in our bedroom on (terrestrial only) and all there was to watch was Cooking programmes, Kids TV or the aforementioned quiz show... Now, I know Anne's character is all about insulting the contestants, but this time she got herself in a bit of a mess...

Anne to a female contestant who has just had a baby but is going back to work.

Why did you have a Baby if you wanted to work?

Contestant

I don't want to work, I have to!

Robinson

Why, no one is forcing you are they?

Contestant

Because otherwise I would have my house repossessed and I'd starve.

Robinson

Good!  You look like you don't eat anyway!

Contestant

<uncomfortable laugh>

Audience

<Silence>

Robinson

Back to the game

Now I know the show isn't live, but it is current... & you would have thought Robinson and her script writers (who apparently have meetings between rounds to come up with Robinson's "witty" insults) would have at least heard the news recently so would have steered clear of jokes about house repossession (to say nothing of making light of eating disorders)... I know I may be being over sensitive... but to me this was incredibly insensitive and tasteless... and the fact Robinson couldn't understand why someone *had* to work even if they didn't want to shows just how out of touch our celebrity culture is with the real lives of people in this country!

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Comments

[Bishop Alan Wilson]

Blimey! Is this kind of harrassment legal?

[Carole]

Yeah, from time to time we watch it but I do cringe at a lot of the stuff she says. She is at her worst when they do the celebrity specials. I'm no great lover of celebrities, let me get that straight. But when they cock up in their lives, they do it in the full glare of publicity. I don't think that makes them fair game but nevertheless I've heard Ms Robinson goad celebrities on matters which really are very personal and sensitive. In the pursuit of 'entertainment' we can forget the humanity of people - and that includes celebrities. I think some people must feel utterly violated after a couple of rounds on this show.