Staff Reports
Two BBC television hosts made headlines this week after publicly chastising UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch for not having watched the Netflix drama “Adolescence.” The four-part series, which depicts a 13-year-old boy’s descent into violence after exposure to toxic online influences, has become a media sensation in Britain. Yet, the spectacle of journalists berating a national leader for not consuming a piece of pop culture reveals just how skewed media priorities have become.
Badenoch, who has been focused on engaging with communities and addressing real-world issues, was pressed repeatedly by BBC presenters about her lack of familiarity with the show. She responded that her time was better spent working with constituents and tackling genuine problems, rather than watching a fictional drama. Her point was clear: understanding the complexities facing young people doesn’t require a Netflix subscription, but rather direct engagement and practical policymaking.
The media’s fixation on whether politicians have watched the latest trending drama is telling. Instead of scrutinizing the government’s concrete actions on issues like youth violence or online safety, journalists seem more interested in virtue signaling and pop culture litmus tests. This is a classic example of the liberal media bubble, where symbolic gestures and cultural trends are elevated above substantive debate and policy outcomes. The left’s obsession with “Adolescence” as a supposed catalyst for social change ignores the reality that real progress comes from leadership and legislation, not from binge-watching TV.
Meanwhile, Labour politicians have rushed to embrace the series, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer even suggesting it be shown in every secondary school. This top-down approach, mandating that students and educators consume a specific piece of entertainment, smacks of political posturing and distracts from the hard work of addressing the root causes of societal problems. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson rightly criticized this move as “nonsense,” pointing out that the government should not be in the business of dictating cultural consumption.
Ultimately, the spectacle surrounding “Adolescence” exposes a broader disconnect between the media establishment and the public. Voters are far more concerned with results—safer streets, better schools, and opportunities for their children—than with whether their leaders have watched the latest Netflix hit. It’s time to get back to basics: holding politicians accountable for their actions, not their streaming habits, and demanding real solutions instead of empty cultural grandstanding.
