RANTIN' & RAGIN': A STUDY ON THE VICE READER
Don't quite know whether to answer this with the world's biggest "u ok hun?" or just offer this person an internship on the spot. It's very hard to tell what is right sometimes.The electoral system is an absolute joke and our government represents only a tiny minority of the country and is completely and utterly focused on London and the south. The current electoral system steeps power and elections in favour of the south and this means that real class problems are almost impossible to address as political parties must position themselves to exploit the middle classes for votes as most wealth is generated in the south so the north is almost completely ignored and real poverty is allowed to carry on unchecked whilst seemingly all new innovations and investment floods to London leaving the rest of the country to fight for the scraps at the foot of the table whilst the non-conservative parties and parts of Labour squabble about what to do and because of Labours shift to the right under Tony Blair and a UK government plan of austerity many places in the North felt disowned as poverty took hold and UKIP swooped in to take control of those old Labour supporters and divert their frustration and sense of abandonment towards the EU and foreigners which has resulted in Brexit and rising xenophobia and racism as well as a massive split in the Labour party as many want to address those left behind by Blair and many don't want to perhaps because to do so would be to admit that a large swathe of the country are either openly or on the cusp of being racists and this is in large part due to the failings of the Labour party and maybe it is because it would mean a serious look at changing the electoral system which, as I said before, is woeful. The attitudes I encounter on a daily basis are either sexist, homophobic, stupidly patriotic, racist, xenophobic or woefully ill-informed. Many people do not identify as feminists due to ignorance, stupidity or whatever else. Ridiculous ideas of gender roles are actively encouraged and even revered even though the devastation wrought by those ideas is plain to see if you actually look more than an arsehole's width in front of your face. Homophobia or obvious unease with homosexuality or lifestyles found within the LGBTQQ community are widespread and many in government claim they want to do something about it but teaching about homosexuality in schools has been voted down (also voted against by Theresa May) even though this is the area where most homophobic bullying goes on and where most suicides in the LGBTQQ community occur. Our education system is antiquated and in serious need of funding and remodelling, our jobs market is a shambles, new housing is not being built even though thousands need houses and so on and so on and so on. Basically, political cowardice, short-sightedness, selfishness, corruption and stupidity is encouraged by toxic elements of the press like the Daily Racist (also known as Mail), The Evil Misery Profiteering Racist Sexist Homophobic Despicable Lying Bastard Shit Eating Scum (also known as The Scum (Scunts) (Sun)), and other shit eating tabloids which whip ignorant arseholes with bigger mouths than brains into actions and this influences how politicians behave because they desperately don't want to lost votes by going against the tabloids because everybody knows that is where the power lies. Basically, we are a completely corrupt society (as embodied in a many decades long struggle to achieve even a recognition of wrong-doing by the police in Hillsborough which as of yet has not achieved genuine justice) that unfairly favours the rich, the powerful, the influential and London. We are also a monstrous force of evil in the world as we assist America in its despicable empire building.
I know the woke generation gets a lot of stick from people who still think WWII was the pinnacle of British achievement and that a lot of 17-year-olds excited to do drama at college actually need to be sent to a muddy front line and shot with bullets to really toughen them up, but honestly if there are more attitudes like this around then I'm all for it.There are too many things I hate about living in Britain but if I could summarise the absolute worst it would be the apathy people in this country have for vulnerable people. We live in a culture of pinning blame on the poor, the disabled, young parents, young people in general, immigrants, refugees, etc for problems that are completely out of their control. We have TV shows that almost fetishise poverty and turn it into a freak show for people to get self righteous about. It's nauseating to hear people in my community cast aspersions on others just because they believe everything they read in rubbish pseudo-journalism such as The Daily Mail. There's just no compassion any more. It surprises me that during a time of austerity we have become much more selfish.
The idiotic mother fuckers who have no clue what the real world is like, the mother fuckers that have been spoon fed from birth then get seats in Parliament and have no real clue as to what it is like to live within the struggles of society. Benefit babies are a creation from the spoon-fed mother fuckers spoken about previously that bring separation into society through the labelling of ethnicity. These people find it difficult to find work where people from a different background or class would not. These spoon-fed mother fuckers need a slap back to reality and wake up to the equality of a human being, seems impossible now that there are so many human beings in the world who cannot control the simple emotion of desire.
I was kind of with you until you went in two-footed on graphic designers. If you want unoriginally designed tube ads and staid magazine layouts then let that be on you, but I think we need these people.Firstly the weather, let's get that out of the way. Mainly how peoples opinions are so often predictable and linear, especially with politics and the news. People stick to reading the same shite they already agree with (and I mean that from all ends of the spectrum, left and right). I purposely read lots of stuff I disagree with so at least I know what I hate, and what I hate slightly less. I also can't stand Graphic Design and Fine Art graduates as they seem to be consumed by a subculture that they assume is dead original and the rest of us just don't get, but the sad, sad reality is we can see right through their vintage 50s style glasses, charity shop clothes and charitable causes as the poor cries for attention they are.
The fact that you live in the most corrupt country (politically) in the West but they're so fucking good at being corrupt that it's virtually impossible to do anything about it. It's not a fucking coincidence that half of the Cabinet went to THE SAME FUCKING SCHOOL. That doesn't just happen by accident.
Trains as well, and cunt bus-driving cunts. Yeah I know it's a £20 note but it's still legal tender you bellend. See that? It's the Queen's face, and that's the last thing you'll see as you get ordered off to the Tower of London by Her Majesty's finest (who are also institutionally corrupt in case you couldn't guess) for being a cunt.
Hold on, I'm just counting this up and the problem is: i. the concept of neighbourhoods, ii. every political party, iii. people who rely on welfare, iv. the fact that the country is stacked so people have to rely on welfare, v. uncharming people but also vi. polite people, vii. every single class, and, finally, incredibly, viii. "judgmental people". This comment absolutely broke my brain. My brain is in bits, on the floor. Wet slabs. I am picking the dregs of my brain up with my uncontrolled and now useless hands.The fact that the average house is attached to its neighbours and we pay through the nose for it. Shit political parties, including the one I voted for, a general infantilisation of life and the national political discourse, judgmental in-the-box-thinking, a lack of emphasis on self reliance (as if that is mutually exclusive with supporting welfare), a fixation on obsolete 19th century politics. The lack of initiative of the average person. The lack of charisma of the average person. "British" values like unassertiveness and politeness. The middle class. The elite class. The working class. They're all shit in one way or another.
Amount of people who don't care about the mess they create, litter etc.
Public lack of interest in becoming more green
A government without any vision not making bold steps towards being more environmentally friendly, investing in renewables, improving public transport/urban planning to take priority away from cars in cities
Government/democracy that is unrepresentative, first past the post system is a joke
Levels of xenophobia across the country
How the decision to leave the EU makes us look to the rest of Europe/the world (arrogant)
I think this recurring theme (with a small, dark undercurrent of dread to it) of being really, really uncomfortable and freaked out about graduation and the idea of success post-graduation is one that's really evolved in recent years and seems ever more pertinent now. When I and others like me graduated, was there a fear that it had all been for nothing and we'd never find an appropriate, degree-related job? Yes. Is this terror amplified by about 9,000 now that, in 2016, getting a higher education is essentially a 30-year debt commitment, and the job market seems ever more busted and impenetrable to all but the most live-at-home-with-mummy-while-I-intern-and-figure-out-what-I-really-want-to-do types? Yes, yes, yes.So there's this horrible double-edged sword: you are told that the only way to level the playing field and truly get ahead in life is to get a degree, and you go through and commit your current finances, future finances and time to getting one, and you get out the other end and someone tells you "well, you're overqualified for office work" and "you're underqualified for industry work", and your parents really want to turn your old bedroom into a study but they can't any more because you're still sleeping in it, and fuck, fuck, you did everything they told you to and everything's still fucked, isn't it, perhaps more fucked than if you hadn't done anything at all?The individualistic, narcissistic and superficial nature of smartphones and social media. Despite having revolutionised the way we live, I think there is something seriously wrong in the way people are being brought up to value their virtual reality rather than reality itself. Also, the false promise that going to university is still falsely considered to be a passport into graduate related roles (I'm currently writing my master thesis on what constitutes graduate success).
Ah, I see, we accidentally asked a sentient "Keep Calm and Carry On" tea-towel to somehow complete the survey.Too many ignorant people that haven't got in the sea yet.
DING DING DING, SOMEONE SAYS THE COUNTRY WILL BE FIXED IF WE ALL GOT HIGH – SINK YOUR DRINK IF YOU ARE PLAYING ALONG AT HOMEThe heavily biased right wing media, which has helped to enable a cripplingly right wing government into power. Many people in the country are so politically apathetic that they vote for a party that will actively seek to exploit them. I wish we had better education, less biased media and generally more empathy towards other human beings. (Maybe everyone should try some MDMA and LSD?!)
I feel like this is a really good spread of opinions, and – against 29 years of previous form – I'm not even being sarcastic right now. Healthy food IS harder to get than unhealthy food. They DON'T prepare you for college or university. Roots DO cost too much to bleach. I want a lot of you who filled in this survey and turn your energy towards becoming my next MP, with this particular responder top of that list.The prices of clubs
Cheaper and quicker to buy unhealthy food rather than healthy food
Sometimes feeling unsafe when walking home from a night out or just late at night
Not given enough advice before starting university – only received email but nothing offered by colleges or school
Not being taught enough about politics
The price to get your roots re bleached (£80?!)
This person is better than me because they are not petty and as a result I hate them.Generally speaking, I think we have it pretty good in Britain. A lot of people would kill to have a British passport – we're blessed with a whole range of hard-won freedoms and rights that others across the world envy.
That's not to say we don't have problems but I'm thankful I live here and I'd rather focus on the good things about living in Britain than the bad.
Frustration at the system is a big theme, which is good, because it used to be that people who were mad at "the politicians in Westminster" used air-quotes a lot and said "man" and thought charity shop blazers over a Doctor Who T-shirt was a good look, and now all of you seem to be railing against the edgeless vacuum of power that looms large above all of us, and basically what I am saying is: when you all get raging and start rioting next summer, I am all for it.There is a feeling of powerlessness in Britain as Britain has an elite power structure and it is almost impossible to invoke change in the political system.
Politicians are not held responsible for when they go back on their promises, or for withholding their personal and financial interests in policy.
Those in power are placed there by an unjust voting system.
The latent xenophobia which seems to lurk within our cultural psyche alongside the unsettling feeling that those who are patriotic see an ideal in the long dead British Empire, the idea that we were once great and are no longer without thought towards the thousands who died as a result of British incompetence.
Also all of the TV is about buying houses.
Can't tell if I think you're really sound or a massive dickhead. Which, coincidentally, is the constant fear I have about other people's opinion of me.dickheads that take their shirts off as soon as its 19 degrees outside to reveal their pasty chests and shit tattoos – people that complain constantly but never fucking give anything to try and make the situation better and probably dickheads that think that they're omgsoquirky because they LOVE tea "I'm just a bit mad about my tea" fuck off
Yeah, would you watch a reality show about a bunch of nerds talking about science and tech, though? The answer is: fucking no. I'd much rather watch a half hour of anywhere between six to a hundred Armenian goddesses getting mad about iced coffee than a single guy who thinks shirt pockets are a good place to store pens saying "STEM" over and over until he has an asthma attack.People care far too much about utter shit such as the Kardashians. I think that sometimes stupidity is celebrated as well and that having interests in science and technological advancement can be met with blank stares. Self improvement seems to be almost laughed off.
that I don't get free child care for my daughter due to being on high income,yet pay taxes which enable poorer families to send theirs for free, all children need socialising and educating equally, it is not their fault how much their parents earn.
Arsenal are fine, it's just the fans who are the problem.Housing: cost of both renting and buying, the current government, the lack of a credible opposition to that government, the cost of trains, the far right, the far left, Arsenal, poor work/life balance, the Daily Mail, homelessness…
At once woke and unwoke. Schrodinger's Woke Bae.The type of people who go on Jeremy Kyle… ALSO the people who say that the immigrants come over here and take away jobs from them, but they are "too good" to be a cleaner, nurse etc. Instead they abuse the benefits system.
Take that, racism!English people, I hate the full Great British culture, like seriously what the fuck is great about English people, actually confronted a racist mate, saying 'What the fuck is great about you.' couldn't give me an answer.
I like people with a clear message, a central thrust. You have a problem and you are letting the world know it. Believe I will be taking this up with Subway top brass, Survey Respondent #132.Fast food is well expensive. How the fuck can Subway do a $5 footlong there and a £5 footlong here, like exchange rates aren't a thing? My friend from Michigan almost cried when she saw our McDonalds.
Separate taps for hot and cold water, poor insulation, wearing shoes inside, carpeted floors. In short, the buildings. Let's not forget the weather either – there's pretty much just one season.
Everything is shit, but it does give me some small hope that the next generation of decision and taste-makers are well versed in dealing with, diagnosing and having flexible and understanding attitudes towards mental health. I mean, that's nice isn't it?Living with mental illness, depression in particular, is often a subject people don't want to talk about, or just act as if people can "Get over it," "Brighten up," "Don't be so glum."
MAKE MANGO AND MANDARIN LILT COOL AGAIN.Not being able to ever buy a house. Being ruled by a government that bases policy on opinion rather than scientific fact. That they don't make mango and mandarin Lilt anymore.
"The weather here is good, actually" is the drizzle-hot take we've all been looking for.I have very little issues with living in the UK. the weather is actually ideal, maybe I wish we were more tolerant towards others, and were slightly more progressive thinkers
What is the URL for your yoga blog?Anxious, miserable little people, people who have no sense of what it means to live with spirit, full of self-loathing, with no great sense of love and beauty
This country would be so great with Survey Respondent #217 in charge around here.bare dickheads about the UK everyones got a fucking chip on their shoulder, i just wanna have a laugh and get along
oh yea and Ganja is illegal :(
Most people are scum, Idiots making big decisions for us in the private sector, government, and even parents are retards half the time.
Would pay to see this person's HR file.The constant fear that someone is watching you from behind a desk and you dont know what they have seen or how they have judged you.
I honestly forgot about Page 3 for a bit, there. This comment had it all flooding back. Remember when we were all really mad about it? Just absolutely furious at tits. Britain's great, isn't it.Imperialism, patriotism, racism, weather, sexism, Tory's, page 3, no Scottish independence, brexit, middle class baby boomers
Age is a gender, the fire-hot take to bring us through to the new millennium.The older gender believing they have given you everything when in reality it is the opposite.
Okay.Restriction on wildlife areas eg not allowing to swim in lakes etc , however I do understand and respect why this is done
Does anyone know if this is true? I thought council tax was for lamp posts and potholes and things, but now I'm learning it's actually being used to shoot foreign kids in the face. Got some pretty heavy questions for Hackney Council rn.The fact that I have to pay council tax that gets spent on wars I don't agree with, or I get a bailiff at the door.
I'm honestly so glad people are still mad at Oasis.House prices, politics, lack of green progress, everyone being a racist, the lazy approach to life Oasis made 'cool'
This feels like an attack.VICE making shitter docs and employing more hipster fuckfaces in the past 3 years… you used to be good. cunt.
What age is OK for a neck tattoo? Asking for, well, everyone, really.idiot drunks
19year olds with face / neck or hand tattoos
the fact that weed is still illegal and frowned upon
Are you the guy who keeps trying to talk to people on the bus because if so please stop.Racism
Homelessness
Poor environmental regulations (poorly followed)
untalkative people when out and about
So just to be clear: you're saying you… hate… those people? The people who hate others for being different despite not knowing them at all? You… hate those people? Who are different to you? And who, by extension, you don't know? You're locking this answer in, yeah?People who hate others for being different despite not knowing them at all
I feel like this answer in its entirety should just be the text of the Wikipedia entry for "Britain".shit food
shit weather
shit landscape
full of racists
queen is a cunt
This can be a footnote.The fact that the drunken attitude is considered a national pride.
As can this.The bizarre sense of entitlement mixed with the victimhood.
This too.fuckwit politicians
expensive to get anywhere
no Disneyland
This less so. It is weird, though, because we did this exact survey in VICE Mexico and they are all blue-balled over the fact they can't get a good fry-up. People keep putting tequila in the ketchup. Wrap full of beans. Coriander sausages. That sort of thing.No good Mexican food
Where you buying your veg from, my dude? Abel & Cole: truly the poison that will bring this country to its knees.Expensive vegetables
What kind of sex have you been having and how have the police been involved? Because I feel there are probably actually very good reasons why there are laws against you having it.Stupid laws on sex.
END OF SURVEYED RAGE
@joelgolbyMore VICE survey stuff:How Young People Feel About Britain, Politics and DiscriminationWhy Young People Are Wrong to Abandon PatriotismHow Do Young People Feel About Sex, Relationships and Love?THE INBREEDING