Dragon's den

I want to post an opinion I have of a TV show called Dragon's Den: it's one of those shows that is easily transferable to any country (similar to The Apprentice) and I'm not quite sure in which country it originated. The format is that people with ideas for products or services (or who have small businesses already and want to enlarge) pitch a business plan to a panel of business experts in order to secure funding from them. The experts apparently are willing to put up a quarter of a million of their own money into these businesses to own a share of the profits.

OK, now you know the basic format. My problem with this show is that the experts are thoroughly unlikeable. They sit watching the pitch, eager to tear the poor victims apart. They are predatory, each circle, trying to find weaknesses in their prey so that they can make a killing. Get a slice of something for nothing. They're greedy and nasty and ugly. It's like licensed bull baiting, except the bull is a sheep in this case (though not literally I might add).

I do find myself watching though, as these thoughts go through my head. I think I watch for the reactions of the victims, it's awful to admit it but I want to see them react badly. Either just disintegrate into vegetables or get angry and hotheaded and storm out under the abuse dished out by the trolls.

It's nasty TV. Watchable. Addictive. Grrrr