Skint...Great Publicity Stint! Poem by Anna Travers

Well done channel 4, on your programme “Skint”
It plays nicely into the propaganda publicity stint
More false judgement made, on those who are broke
While people watch on Thinking we are all a joke

Your commentator opens with a huge generalisation
That this reflects the poor all around the nation
What you have filmed up on the Westfield Estate
Is NOT a reflection of every poor person’s fate?

We meet Luke and Fergie who love to spend time on “The wall”
Talking about how they spend all day doing nothing at all
Apart from socialising, smoking weed and drinking beer
As the emptiness in their eyes is blatantly clear

While Daddy dean buys his meat, from the back of a car
Saying it’s a must as money doesn’t go far
But in his defense he’s only been claiming a year
And he has worked 23 years and makes it clear
Exposing the belly that houses his next edition
While he introduces his brood and boasts a stepfather position

Now we meet Claire who is daddy Dean’s queen
As she jumps heavily pregnant on the trampoline
He explains how she was meant to be a drunken one night stand
Now they share more kids than fingers on one hand
Claiming he has nowt to do but breed and feed
As he continues to get drunk and sow his seed

Then there’s Conner who sees no future, so sees no point in school
Preferring to hang on streets with his mates, who are “cool “
Excluded from seven schools first time in year seven
So cast to one side, given up on, at the age of eleven
So full of anger and hate for the police
Meaning his mum Jordan gets no peace

Then into the birth of Dean and Claire’s little chunk
As dean brags about the power of his spunk
Wearing a tee saying if you’re happy and you know it
Bragging about stolen food list, then opens his fridge to show it

Now to a motor bike rally around the estate
When they police start to chase they all think it’s great
As Conner heads of through the broken door
Not caring about pleasing his mum any more

Then there is Tracey, who sells herself on the street
As she has a habit and must make ends meet
She’s been banned from most shops in the town
And she has to find a way to get her brown
As she tightens her belt to stop roaming hands
She heads off to the street corner where she stands

I don’t really want to go on anymore
But I am most certainly pissed at Channel 4

Many watched this programme and thought it was funny
But i feel mad at the example set by a few people in Scunny
I am madder at the media, who do this time and time again
Misleading the public into thinking we are all the same

One thing for certain is Channel 4 did a great job
At making people on benefits look like a slob
But that isn’t the truth, many of us have pride
But we all know truth won’t create the intended divide

To all those who watch it, and judge us the same
Beware of falling into the deliberate media game
It’s not all about scroungers and no hoping misfits
We all have an individual reason for being on benefits

Open your minds and open your eyes
Beware of propaganda and media lies