“Some scenes have been created for your entertainment” is a phrase that I have recently been at odds with whenever it pops up before my favourite reality TV show Made in Chelsea. I’m aware that this phrase refers mainly to the suspiciously ‘coincidental’ meetings that occur in almost every scene, but I’m also aware that it refers to the constant bickering between the cast members. Coming back to that phrase ‘for your entertainment’; the more I think about it the less I warm to the idea that what is essentially bullying is being created to entertain me. Over the past 6 series, I feel like I have become way too acclimatised to the way that these people treat each other, and it’s not just me. When I’m watching it with my friends we’re surprised when Spencer isn’t being manipulative and we’re even more surprised when Phoebe isn’t saying something mean or derogatory. Made in Chelsea is a hedonistic show with a glamorous cast; it works because it’s selling the nation a lifestyle. But the question is should we be buying it when bullying is treated so lightly? There’s a distinction to be made here: I think it’s fine to want to emulate these people’s lifestyles (oh c’mon, who wouldn’t want a helicopter to take them to their 9am starts…), but we can’t possibly admire the way these people treat each other.
Last week it was anti-bullying week, and the organisation Beat Bullying chose MIC’s own Jamie Laing to be one of its ambassadors. When I came across this little nugget of information on Twitter, I was actually really surprised at this choice. Personally, I thought I’d been watching episode after episode of Jamie being bullied by Spencer and at the same time drilling into the viewers that Spencer has done nothing wrong. By treating this behaviour as acceptable, I feel Jamie is sending out completely the wrong message for people that are being bullied. Many people are bullied by people who they think are their friends, and this is not a shining example of how to put an end to that sort of bullying.
And then you have the girls. If you believe the show word for word, tear for tear, you’d probably think the girls in Chelsea are just utterly incapable of being nice to each other. (How can you give someone a kiss hello when you’ve come over to start an argument?!) While I’m sure that’s not true, it still makes for an uncomfortable viewing when you see Phoebe and Lucy, face to face, remarking to one another how tacky and weird the other looks. It’s nasty stuff and in my book it’s definitely bullying.
Don’t get me wrong, there are worse things to watch on the telly, and I do love Made in Chelsea, but I’m just not sure we should be so accepting of the way that these people treat each other.
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