Chhaaaariddy

Have you seen Breaking Bad. I have now. I like it...but it highlighted for me one of the many things I don't get about people which I'd like to discuss at this time. But first, are you supposed to like the main dude in the show? Cause I think he's a c**t.

The premise of the show is a Chemistry teacher securing his families financial future in case he dies from recently diagnosed lung cancer by manufacturing awesome crystal meth. But this is horrible stuff as it's so damned good and it will probably kill many many kids or parents with kids and also destroy many many lives.

Selfish much?

But anyway I digress..It's not the show I wanted to discuss. It's the decision he takes to refuse the "charity" as he calls it, of his rich friends who offer to pay his medical bills for him and instead become a drug manufacturer. In his head this is apparently the moral thing to do!

Aside from the problems I have with this premise for the show..why as a society are we so reluctant to accept charity? How can there be such a stigma attached to it? Why is it a virtuous thing to do to give to charity, but apparently a shameful thing to do to accept it? Clark's Dad would furiously object to accepting charity yet raised Clark so his whole raison d'être was to help people who couldn't help themselves! Wrrrrong.


What does that say about the people our donations will help and what we think of them? According to this rational, they're shameful people for not making their way under their own steam, but we'll help them anyway?

Apparently, charity is fine as long as no one accepts it? Weeeeird. I know we like to be seen to be virtuous and not needy, but we all accept help from people all the ze time no? So this really is just for show. We want to be seen to be good moral decent people always willing to help others AND independent and in no way in need of any assistance to paddle our way through life's choppy waters.

Why is it only financial charity that has this contradictory stigma attached to it? If you want to make it on your own then do so...that means no help from anyone in any way. No financial help, no intellectual help, no physical help...noffin. Like Tom and Barbara in the Good Life.


Now it may seem at this point that I live my life through telly's inconsistencies, but I've done my research. People are like this and I would argue someone helping you move house for example if you're in a wheelchair is worth more to you than them giving you some money. Or some advice or professional guidance that you then use to make money...how is that not the same as someone just cutting you a cheque? It's all help, it's all chaaridy.

Everyone needs help surely. Why must we make our lives so unnecessarily crappy with these nonsensical social constructs.

Silly rules that are just for show and serve only to burden us like a really old donkey wheezing its way up a mountain with its owner's belongings strapped to it's aching back along with a microwave or something he has no use for at 7,000ft.

GAY! Just stop it OK? Give it a rest.

Now then...now that we've got that sorted out, now that we've ironed out that social crease, can I have £55,000 please? I will not be paying you back.