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REVIEWS

A-B

7 Days on the Breadline

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The Apprentice Series Three Final

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The Apprentice Season 4

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Ashes to Ashes

Battlestar Galactica Season 3

Battlestar Galactica Season 3 finale

Battlestar Galactica Season 4

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Battlestar Galactica: Sometimes a Great Notion

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Being... N-Dubz

Bernard Manning From Beyond the Grave

Bernard Matthews Golden Moments

Big Brother 2005

Big Brother 2006 Launch Night

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Big Brother 2007: Get that chickenhead hoodrat out

Big Brother 2008

Big Brother 2008 - It's a Wonderful Life (when you're not in it

Big Brother 2008 - Mario must die

Big Brother 2008: Stuart tapped the compassion vending machine and it toppled over and fell on top of him

Big Brother 2010 final

Big Brother's Big Mouth

Big Brother, Emily Parr and racism

Big Brother got no gas, Sienna Miller got no ass, Mark Ronson got no class

Big Brother poetry

Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty and racism

Bionic Woman pre-air pilot

Bo! in the USA

Bodies

Bodies series finale

Body Shock: Half Ton Man

Bollocks To Cancer

Bonekickers

The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad Season 2 finale

Breaking Bad Season 3

Bring Back...Grange Hill

Britain's Got Talent Series 4

Britney and Kevin: Chaotic

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Bully Beatdown

C-D

Californication

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Caprica pilot

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Compulsion

The Contender

The Contender Season Two

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Criminal Justice Season Two

The Cube

Cutting Edge: My Kid's Psychic

Cutting Edge: Pram Face

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In This Corner

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REVIEWS | A-B | C-D | E-I | J-M | N-R | S-T | U-Z | MISC


Cutting Edge: Pram Face

Cutting Edge: Pram Face

Channel 4

 

That Aerial Telly remains without an heir to his television fortune remains one of the great mysteries of our time. Girls be jocking him non-stop and with his occasionally laissez faire attitude to contraception it's a near miracle that he is not a father. Of course, he's been "mummy's special friend" to many a young tyke and his superhumanpowers of child communication have made him a surrogate father to scores of the nation's youth, including your's I've no doubt. It's not surprising, given the mongrel DNA from which they were spawned, that they instinctively incline towards someone infinitely higher up the food chain than their biological "father". So, not only am I hitting your baby momma but I'm also replacing you in your child's affections. What kind of "man" are you?

"It's not surprising, given the mongrel DNA from which they were spawned, that they instinctively incline towards someone infinitely higher up the food chain than their biological 'father'."

You should really kill yourself and do everybody a favour. Me and your boy will probably piss into your grave as you're lowered down and, in a time-honoured male bonding ritual, see who can piss the highest arc of liquid gold on to your budget package plywood casket that even termites would think twice about dining out on. Then we'll laugh and go to KFC to bully the ign'ant shitbags who can't get a proper job before returning home where I'll "comfort" his mother into the middle of next week. I repeat: What kind of "man" are you?

It's "men" like you who gave us documentaries like Pram Face, following as it does two single mothers Ala and Abby (hereafter referred to as Pinky and Perky respectively) in the run-up to Christmas. Director James Cohen gives a sympathetic portrayal of the plight of the single mom, convinced as he is that they are demonised in the media, based on an article from the Daily Mail circa 1986. Well, not totally sympathetic. "Some people say you should be grateful - at least you've got a roof over your head." Pinky looks at him as if he has just shat in her mouth - which, in a way, he has.

"Pinky looks at him as if he has just shat in her mouth - which, in a way, he has."

"Single mums are often demonised." insists James "But I found after spending six months with them that these two young moms are not at all like the stereotype." Oh did you now, buddy boy? I could have told you that after spending one night with one of them. I don't think there were many single moms where James grew up. Where I grew up the only married mum I knew was my mother. The rest of us have worked out all by ourselves that reality is more complex than a set of one-dimensional archetypes. Think you could be more patronising? With penetrating questions like "do the depressing housing conditions ever get you down?", Cohen bears a striking resemblance to Chris Langham's spoof documentary maker Roy Mallard. Fatuous questions and inane narrative seem to be his stock-in-trade.

"That might sound bad to you but I remember when I was a student £30 could feed a family of seven for a month if you shopped at Farm Foods."

The girls seem to tolerate James's presence with wry amusement - even mocking him on one occasion on his left behind camcorder. Perky, though, has bigger issues on her mind - namely avoiding her possessive ex-boyfriend. Pinky shares ex-boyfriend issues with her friend; she was left to fend for herself when babyfather Liam walked out. He pays £2.50 a week maintenance which is coincidentally Paul McCartney's opening offer for Heather. He gets back with Pinky for a few months and she's torn between tolerating a known shit heel and the benefit to her sons (the intriguingly named Harlan and Caleb) from having their dad around. She has only £30 a week to spend on food and shit after household expenses are taken into account . That might sound bad to you but I remember when I was a student £30 could feed a family of seven for a month if you shopped at Farm Foods. Just saying, is all.

"She has a chain-smoking pisshead mom who wants to help out. She could start by taking the empties back and starting a trust fund with the proceeds."

Despite the hardships, Pinky insists "I love my life". She clearly adores her children. "I look at them and I feel special. I feel like I've achieved something". She has a chain-smoking pisshead mom who wants to help out. She could start by taking the empties back and starting a trust fund with the proceeds.

There's a totally contrived and moronic set piece where they go to a clothes store where they can't afford anything. Pinky tries on a jacket she likes that costs too much. She throws a strop saying "What's the bloody point, eh? Can't afford it". Well, I could have fucking told you that. Don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining. Stuff like this doesn't help the "me too" victim mentality that prevails pretty much everywhere at the moment.

Pinky is very much the focus of the documentary and Perky doesn't really seem to have a lot going on in her life. I'd like to have seen more of her as she's quite a piece of ass. She's probably out getting laid every night and I wouldn't begrudge her that but it would rather spoil James's slightly naive vision of single moms as modern-day saints and breadline surfers raising the next generation of humanitarians and philanthropists. For every Pinky and Perky there's a Maxine and Meeshelle raising the kids who are going to be robbing you in ten years' time. Call it a stereotype if you like - it's also a fact.

"Pinky confesses 'Sometimes I feel like a robot. I do the same routine every day and it's tedious.' I'm starting to feel the same about watching Cutting Edge."

Having rather dreary lives livened only when they get a piece of ass or day trip,
Pinky and Perky are two bright lasses doing their best raising spawn under not the best of circumstances. Maybe you know a girl like that. Maybe you are a girl like that, in which case maybe you'll meet someone like me* and your Stepford Mom reality may briefly be illuminated by their presence. With refreshing candour Pinky confesses "Sometimes I feel like a robot. I do the same routine every day and it's tedious." I'm starting to feel the same about watching Cutting Edge after this and last week's abysmal showing.

The best thing about it: Interviews with the pissed mom

The worst thing about it: The shopping moment

The verdict on Cutting Edge: Pram Face: A documentary about nothing. Beckett himself would be like "more colour".

Marks out of 10: 5

* Disclaimer: there is no-one like Aerial Telly


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REVIEWS (cont'd)

J-M

Jericho

John From Cincinnati

Jordan and Peter: Marriage And Mayhem

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse will be the greatest television show in history

Journeyman

jPod

Keys To The Vip

The Kill Point

Kings

King Of Shaves advert

Life

The Life and Times of Tim

Life on Mars

Lip Service

Live From Studio Five

Louie

Louis Theroux - The City Addicted to Crystal Meth

Loose Women

Lost

Lost Season 2

Lost Season 3 Finale

Lost Season 3: half-term report

Lost Season 3 Premiere

Lost Season 4 Half Term report

Lost Season 6 Premiere

Lost Season 6x09 - Ab Aeterno

Lost Series Finale

Luther

Luther Series One finale

Mad Men

Mad Men Season 2

Mad Men Season 2 Finale

Mad Men Season 3 Premiere

Mad Men Season 3 Finale

Mad Men Season 4

The Madness of Boy George

Mars Believe World Cup Campaign

Man vs Wild

Martina Cole's The Take

Mary Archer

The Mentalist

Mercy Series Premiere

Michael Carroll: King Of Chavs

Misfits

The Mitchell Brothers' Return

Mock the Week

Modern Family

Mongrels

Monkey Dust

Morales v Barrera III

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

My Family

My Name Is Earl

My Penis And I

My Supermodel Baby

 

N-R

Nibble Nobby's Nuts adverts

Nigella

Neighbours 20th anniversary show

No Angels

No Heroics

Old Enough To Be His Mother

Oscars 2005

Only Yesterday - The Carpenters' Story

Pacific

Paradox

Party Animals

Party Down

The Persuasionists

Peaches Geldof: Teen America

Pete Burns' Cosmetic Surgery Nightmares

The Peter Serafinowicz Show

PhoneShop

The Pick-up Artist

The Pickup Artist Season 2 Premiere

Pineapple Dance Studios

Preston's Walk Out on Never Mind The Buzzcocks

Prison Break

Prison Break 2

Prison Break Season Two: half-term report

Prison Break Season Two Premiere

Prison Break Season Two Finale

Prison Break Season 4 Half Term Report

Pulling

Pulse

Pushing Daisies series premiere...

Richard and Judy

Rev

Rome Season One

S-T

Saxondale

The Secret Life of A Manic Depressive

The Secret Policemen's Ball

Seduction School: Size Doesn't Matter

Sex Addict

Seymour Butts

Shameless

Shameless Season 4

Shane

Sherlock

Sherlock series 1 finale: The Great Game

The Shield

The Shield - Season Five Finale

The Shield - Season 6

The Shield series finale

Six Feet Under

Skins

Skins Season 2

Smoking Room

Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy Season 2 Premiere

The Sopranos Season 6

Space Cadets

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season One Finale

The Spy Who Stole My Life

State of the TV Nation Address

Stepkids In Love

Strike Back

Studs of Suburbia

Summer Heights High

Supernanny

Surviving Disaster

Take That... for the Record

Talk to me

Take Me Out

Ted Bundy - Natural Porn Killer

Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The Thick Of It

The Thick of It Series 3

This Life +10

This World: Kidnap Cops

Top 30 TV Shows of 2010

Tower Block of Commons

Treme

True Stories - The Trials Of Amanda Knox

Too Ugly For Love

True Blood

True Blood Season 2 Final

TV's Naughtiest Blunders

U-Z

Unanimous

Underbelly

Undercover Princesses

Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars Season Three Half-term Report

Veronica Mars Season Two

Veronica Mars Season Three Premiere

Veronica Mars Season Three finale

A Very Social Secretary

Vexed

Weeds

Weeds Season 3

Weeds Season 4

Weeds Season 5 Finale

Weeds Season 5 Premiere

When Fearne Met Peaches

When Lineker Met Maradona

Wimbledon coverage

The Wire Season 3

The Wire, Season 4

The Wire Season 5 Premiere

The Wire Series Finale

World Cup coverage

World Cup Final 2010

The World Cup has been kidnapped and molested

World's Deadliest Gangs

Worried About the Boy

X Factor 2005

X-Factor 2007

X-Factor 2008

X-Factor 2009

MISC REVIEWS

40 Pupils Suspended For Bullying

606 with Danny Baker

Amazon Review Scum

Blowjob monologues and the like

Everything is retro, funky and kitsch on eBay nowadays

Floyd Mayweather v Carlos Manuel Baldomir

An Illustrated History of Dis

Fooled By Randomness

Hip-hop

Indie kids - munching on cock all day, every day, from now until forever

Listen up, douchebags: Larry Merchant KO1 murdering rapist hype merchant scum that constitute boxing's deal-making fight-avoiding turd elite

Love skunk Vernon Kay sprays his rat jism

Morales v Barrera III

Music Sounds Better With You(tube)

NME cool list

Playlouder Reviews

Roid Jones jnr? You must be joking, Joke

Stan Collymore

The Streets

Vertigolf

War Winehouse!

We Expose Palace Security As A Bag Of Shite