Leo Varadkar’s TV Guide
FOLLOWING exchanges in the Dáil yesterday during which the Taoiseach confessed to being a fan of UK poverty porn show ‘Benefits Street’ due to its accurate portrayal of life on benefits in Britain, the Fine Gael leader isn’t done spreading the word on great pieces of culture.
Praising the show because it acted as the perfect counter weight to a film he was asked if had seen; Ken Loach’s film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ which erroneously depicts people in receipt of various social welfare benefits as almost too human, the Taoiseach has gone a step further with a great list of bingeable TV recommendations.
Why was a movie and TV discussion kicking off in the Dáil? Because the government is planning to overhaul disability payments into three separate tiers based on a disabled person’s ‘capacity to work’ but enough about that shite, here’s Leo Varadkar’s TV Guide:
A Christmas Carol – it’s never too early or too late in Varadkar’s book to watch any and all TV adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic. Rewatching in hope against hope Tiny Tim dies sooner and in a more painful way.
Shameless – although the former Minister for Health hasn’t watched you can just tell from the poster that you’re contempt for poor people isn’t going to be dulled much.
Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All (unproduced script by writer Leo Varadkar, available on request. RTÉ can get in touch directly. Not at constituency office though that has been closed down and there’s a post box in an industrial you can send correspondence to) – While details of this script are scant it is not believed to focus on former Fine Gael candidate Lyndsey Clarke who was jailed for operating a false ‘identity factory’ which defrauded banks and credit unions of €400,000.
Little Britain – only the Vicky Pollard bits though, what a money draining slob. It is to accurate portrayals of someone on benefits what Michelangelo is to chapel ceilings.
Jeremy Kyle – great for fans of people who like to see a wealthy man shout at poor people and belittle them and encourage others to do the same. If they ever bring it back, would they consider an Irish host this time?