This article was originally published in The Courier on Saturday 28th June 2014.
Beauty
Queen or Bust: Thursday,
Channel 4
Meet
the Mormons: Thursday,
Channel 4
Paul
Whitelaw
Channel 4 rightly gets a bad rap for
the more down-market end of its factual slate – My Big Fat
Undateable Dole Cheat etc. - but it's still capable of producing
the occasional gem. Last Thursday, in a moment of rare generosity, it
aired two worthwhile documentaries about troubled young people from
vastly different worlds.
The first, Beauty Queen or Bust,
was a surprisingly touching account of three hopefuls vying for the
Miss England crown. Most films about beauty pageantry tend to focus
on the weirder, chintzier aspects, but this new series is more
concerned with the hopes and aspirations of girls from disadvantaged
backgrounds. For once, it was a programme which sought to sympathise
with benefit claimants, rather than demonise them.
Formerly a blazing hub of industry,
the Black Country is now one of the most deprived areas in the UK.
For Diamond, Natalie and Sammy-Jo, a chance to compete in the Miss
England competition offered a tantalising means of escape. Otherwise,
what can a poor girl do?
Beauty Queen contestants are usually
derided for their aspirational platitudes, but when the likes of
Diamond expressed a need to better herself and give hope to others,
she was clearly speaking from the heart. The contrast between her
public persona – loud, boozy, aggressive – and her private,
sensitive, insecure self was quite striking.
Having been expelled from school
without any qualifications, she didn't feel as though she'd ever
amount to anything. But the judges at the Miss Black Country heats
were impressed by her natural elegance and obvious sincerity. Diamond
just wanted to feel proud of herself for once. Happily, she
succeeded.
This was a positive portrait of
working-class women struggling to make something of themselves in a
world where the odds are stacked against them. Their dole-funded
plight was contrasted with the relative comfort of Ruby, a pageant
veteran with a wardrobe full of expensive frocks. The other girls had
to pay for their dresses in instalments.
Ruby has been gainfully employed for
years, and believes she'd easily find another job if suddenly made
redundant. “A lot of the younger generation do just sit back and
wait for something to happen,” she opined. Ruby, it is safe to
assume, has never walked a mile in their high-heeled shoes.
With its curious rituals and beliefs,
it's easy to snigger at the Mormon faith. Yet despite a few wry nods
in the direction of their temptation-cessation underwear, Meet the
Mormons didn't come to mock. Rather, it was concerned with the
difficult realities of life for young missionaries.
It followed Josh, aka Elder Field, as
he trained to become an 'Ambassador of God' in Leeds. Barred from
seeing his friends and family for the entirety of his two-year
mission, Josh was understandably lonely and upset. Director Lynn
Alleway offered to give him a hug, but even that was disallowed.
Despite being given unprecedented
access to this notoriously secretive church, Alleway was frustrated
by the constant hovering presence of a watchful PR man and Josh's
limpet-like missionary partner, who swooped in whenever he risked a
moment of candour. It was like living in an amenity-free prison where
freedom of expression and privacy are punishable offences.
Out on the streets of Leeds, Josh
tried to stay positive while facing door-to-door indifference. I
don't begrudge anyone their faith, but this was a rather sad
study of fruitless indoctrination.
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