It forces you to confront stereotypes
Whilst gay friends, Chris and Stephen in Brighton are as flamboyant as could possibly be – with fake tan and garish clothing a staple in their slot on the program – some of the cast do force you to reconsider your perceptions of certain types of people. For instance, Reverend Kate’s appearance on the program makes viewers realise that individuals who lead religious lives have normal habits too. In particular, her comment to her husband, Graham, about marrying someone else if he died was particularly eye opening – it goes to show that you can’t tar everyone with the “one rule fits all” brush. Furthermore, Liverpuddlian pensioner June proved that not all old people are racist in the new season’s first episode, airing her very liberal attitude to the current refugee crisis as the stars watched the news.
So there you have it – four reasons which aim to make sense of why Gogglebox is so popular with us Brits. If you weren’t convinced before that watching other people watch TV could be entertaining, then maybe this Friday you’ll give it a chance.
Gogglebox is on at 9pm on Friday on Channel 4. Catch up with old episodes here
Words by Beth Kirkbride