Young, dumb and living off mum was on TV last night when I came back from running. I have no idea why. (Why it was on, not why I went running…). Maybe it followed the seemingly endless repeats of Top Gear or Doctor Who on BBC3?

Anyway, strangely compulsive viewing. It was kind of like the Apprentice meets Big Brother.

A group of teenage and early 20′s misfits were thrusted together in a house. (In true big brother style, the producers seem to have picked the most mutually annoying and loathsome people they could find).

These people all still lived at home and did literally NOTHING to help around the house.

Last night, grilling some burgers seemed a bit of a mission impossible as did putting on the heating.

The world of work was a bit of a novelty – like singing on a 2 hour commute to shovel rhino dung at Whipsnade zoo.

So the Apprentice part.

Each week, certain tasks would be given – set by the parents – who would the vote off the most workshy and the biggest slackster.

I could go on and on in true Daily Mail style (and I have included this under the RANTS category) but that would be too easy.

The following struck me.

• The voice over narrating is a slightly belittling and definitely unbiased way. (Biggest trauma of the night, tears and head in hands etc etc, was running out of conditioner). OK so these programs are heavily edited but even the narrator seemed to revel in embarrassing the contestants.
• The attitude to work (presenting to the public at the zoo) was not workshy in the Daily Mail sense but totally immature. Swearing down the microphone in public, silly face drawings and rude pictures when children are about etc. Not so much as “work for those who can” in politician speak but “work for those who know what it actually IS).
• The attitude to failure. The “loser/evictee” was devastated at being evicted. (The ultimate winner gets an all expenses round the world holiday). Always somebody else’s fault…

Most All people I know have achieved something significant, in business, in sport, in life. There is a whole industry built around personal excellence and self improvement. And yet, here were a group of people, the court jesters of the 21st Century if you like who seemed not to care about being embarrassed on national TV.

Do yourself a favour – avoid this program next week. (Oh and sorry for wasting the last 10 minutes of your life also.)