The Problematic Gaze
Winner - ‘Best History Podcast’ - Independent Podcast Awards 2025
‘Top 30 Podcasts To Listen To Right Now’ - The Radio Times 2025
Direct from PG Towers, join social historian Dr Lee Arnott and TV producer Dave Moor for a lighthearted look at the world of TV, Film and Popular Culture of yesteryear that has since been considered problematic. Each week we focus on a different piece of pop culture, and put it into context by looking at the news events and cultural landscape of the year it was released. Out and proud, Dr Lee and Our Dave present a humorous take on life as LGBTQ+ men of a glorious age, and present a digestible mix of academic social commentary, unflinching life lessons, media analysis, and hot takes on feminism, race, politics and cancel culture.
The Problematic Gaze
'Benefits Street'. Was 2014 the Year Reality TV Crossed the Line?
In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we peel back the layers of the notorious 2014 documentary series Benefits Street, zeroing in on its explosive first episode. We explore how the show, the tabloids and even the government framed poverty, constructed narratives of the “deserving” versus “undeserving” poor, and used editing to transform real lives into sensationalist entertainment. And just how did a mortgage crisis in the USA contribute to austerity in the UK?
Join us as we unpack how a single episode became a national talking point—and a case study in the power (and danger) of televised storytelling.
To watch the first episode of Benefits Street discussed in this podcast on YouTube Click here
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GAZER HOMEWORK: Next Week we dissect an episode of UK cult sci-fi drama Blakes 7 from 1980. Click here to watch
