The big issue pt2 BOB

underclass - the lowest social stratum in a country or community, consisting of the poor and unemployed.

A street cat called bob

In Spring 2007, Bowen was enrolled on a methadone programme, busking in Covent Garden, and living in a supported housing programme in Tottenham, London. One evening he returned home to find a ginger cat in the hallway of his building. Assuming it belonged to another resident, he simply returned to his flat. When the cat was still there the following day, and the day after that, Bowen became concerned and discovered the cat was wearing no collar or ID tag, and had an infected wound on his leg. Bowen checked with other residents to see if the stray belonged to any of them, and when none of them claimed ownership of the animal Bowen decided to help the cat himself.

According to the account in A Street Cat Named Bob, Bowen took the cat to the nearby Blue Cross clinic, which provided antibiotics to treat the infected wound. To make sure the cat received the full two-week course of medication, Bowen took him in for a time, while he continued to look for the stray’s owner. When he couldn’t find any information, he released the cat back on to the street, hoping he’d find his own way home. Instead, he began to follow Bowen around, even following him onto the bus when he left to go busking. Concerned that the cat had nowhere else to go, Bowen took him in permanently, naming him Bob after a character from the television drama Twin Peaks.

Since Bob constantly followed James when he was going to work, he got him a harness for safety and allowed him to come along to his regular spots in Covent Garden and Piccadilly, travelling in the window seat of the number 73 bus. The public reaction was positive and the pair became popular, their visibility increasing still further when Bowen began selling The Big Issue. The public began uploading videos of Bowen and Bob to YouTube, and tourists would visit Covent Garden to see them. During this time, Bowen decided to conclude his methadone treatment. He credits this development to Bob, saying "I believe it came down to this little man. He came and asked me for help, and he needed me more than I needed to abuse my own body. He is what I wake up for every day now... he’s definitely given me the right direction to live my life."

•Discuss whether in your view the representation of the homeless (social group) is stereotypical or counter stereotypical.

•Link this to references of how the homeless/unemployed/underclass are portrayed by the mainstream media

1. In my opinion The big issue has a counter stereotypical representation of homeless people. The stereotype of homeless people is that they're dirty, always on drugs, or not worth anything, but the big issue tries to show the other sides to these stories (like James'). I think this is good because it shows people how they maybe ended up in that circumstance they do need help out of it but ignoring them when they need help will not do anything.
   
   
   

   

   
   

   This is the cover of issue 1273 of The Big Issue, labeled Bob - Big in japan. The tagline for the magazine is "a hand up not a hand out" this means the big issue wants to help the homeless but wants them to do it for themselves. Bob, the cat has a formal, direct mode of address towards the audience. Bob has been photoshopped into a street in japan. The mise en scene, is filled with very saturated colours like magenta and blue. It is also filled with references to japanese pop culture (anime and godzilla). 

   
   

   

   I think they went with "bob is big in japan" because 

   
   

   http://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers/rough-sleeping/rough-sleeping-our-analysis