Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys

Fed up talking videogames? Why?

I think Mrs Brown's Boys is...

feckin shite!
25
74%
feckin brill!
0
No votes
I've never watched the feckin thing you feckin knob jockey!
9
26%
 
Total votes: 34
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KK
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PostRevealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by KK » Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:50 pm

YouGov wrote:Mrs Brown’s Boys is one of Britain’s most popular TV shows, but also one of its most divisive. Now data from YouGov Profiles provides a look at the difference between the sitcom’s admirers and detractors

Just over two weeks ago, the Mrs Brown’s Boys festive special was once again the most watched programme on Christmas Day, attracting 6.8 million viewers (a third of the television-watching public).

The show is tremendously popular with the public – it has been in the top three most-watched Christmas Day programmes since 2013 – but is the subject of near-universal derision among TV critics, with The Independent calling it “the worst comedy ever made”.

To some, attitudes toward the show serve as a social indicator: Labour MP Stella Creasy used the show to highlight the growing rift between the public and the Westminster elite – a divide perhaps best demonstrated by Times columnist Hugo Rifkind’s declaration that he could not be friends with anyone who enjoys the show.

So who are Mrs Brown’s lovers and haters, and what sets the two groups apart? To find out, YouGov has used our Profiles tool to compare 7,189 people who like the show against 5,928 who dislike it.

Demographics

Class is the key demographic difference between fans and critics of Mrs Brown’s Boys. In fact, out of the more than 240,000 variables in the YouGov Profiles database, social class is the third strongest indicator of whether someone would like or dislike the show.*

Working class Brits (i.e. those who come under the C2DE social demographic) make up 52% of those who like the programme, but just 33% of those who dislike it. Disliking the show is far more of a middle class pursuit, with fully two thirds (67%) of people who don't like it coming from the ABC1 social demographic.

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A similar story plays out when it comes to gender. While there is no gender divide among Mrs Brown’s fans (51% are female, 49% are men), there is a 16 point gender gap among her detractors, with 58% being men and 42% women.

Those who like the show also tend to be older than detractors. Seven in ten fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys (70%) are aged 45 or above, against to 61% of those who dislike the programme. They also tend to be less well-educated, with four in ten (41%) fans not holding any education qualifications above GCSE-level, compared to 23% of those who dislike the show, while one in three detractors (33%) are educated to degree level, against just 14% of fans.

Politics and political issues

The key political divide between those who like and dislike Mrs Brown’s Boys comes over Brexit. Among those who voted in the referendum, fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys backed leaving the EU by 62% to 38%, while Remain holds a 53% to 47% lead among those who dislike the show.

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The political differences are less stark among those who voted in the 2015 and 2017 general elections, although this will be in part because they are split over more options. At both elections fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys were statistically more likely to have backed UKIP and the nationalist parties (and Labour in 2015), while those who dislike the show were more likely to opt for the Greens and Lib Dems (and the Conservatives in 2015).

Away from the ballot box, the political issues that Mrs Brown’s fans are most likely to find more pressing than the show's detractors are immigration (which they are more likely to say needs much tighter restrictions), criminal justice (which they believe is much too soft) and prisons (that they believe need to focus more on punishment).

By contrast, more commonly cited top political issues for those who dislike the show are climate change (which they more strongly believe exists), green energy priority (that needs higher priority) and abortion restrictions (which they strongly oppose).

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From a list of 17 political statements, Mrs Brown’s fans are comparatively most likely to agree with “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, “I get really patriotic around international sports events” and “I am proud to be British”. The only statement those who dislike the show were more likely to believe was that “there are moral limits to free markets”.

Media

Mrs Brown’s fans are big TV viewers. They spend longer watching TV each week than those who dislike the show, and watching TV is their third most liked activity (at 23%).

Compared to those who dislike the show, Mrs Brown’s fans are more likely to enjoy Benidorm and recently revived ‘90s sitcom Birds of a Feather, along with Britain’s Got Talent and soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

By contrast, topping the list of shows Mrs Brown’s critics like more than her fans are Black Mirror, University Challenge, Only Connect, Peep Show, and Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe.

Mrs Brown’s fans are also much more likely to use television as their main source of news – in fact, more than half (52%) say “I rely on TV to keep me informed” (compared to 35% of those who dislike the show). They are also slightly more likely to learn about current affairs from printed newspapers but less likely to do so from social media or news websites.

With fans more likely to read print newspapers, it is worth pointing out at this juncture that the type of newspaper people read most often is one of the two indicators of whether a person likes or dislikes Mrs Brown's Boys that is stronger than social class.

The most commonly read newspaper type among fans of the show are the Red Tops, at 50% compared to 24% for those who dislike the show. By contrast, 21% of Mrs Brown's critics are most likely to read broadsheets, a rate three times higher than her fans (7%). Both groups are equally likely to say that Blue Tops – i.e. the Express and Daily Mail – are the newspaper type they read most, at 16%.

Personality

The second of the two factors that are a greater indicator than class of whether a person would like or dislike Mrs Brown's Boys is how they answered the question: "Which of the following would you rather have named after you: a mountain, a theory or a grandchild?". Fans of the show are more likely to say grandchild (56%, vs 35%), while those who dislike the show are more likely to say scientific theory by 43% to 24% (the mountain was chosen by 20-22%).

Indeed, the data consistently shows that fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys are more family-oriented (although this will be in part because they are more likely to have children and grandchildren).

Those who like Mrs Brown's Boys are much more likely to agree with the statement “family over everything” (71%, vs 51%), and are more likely to say their family is a source of motivation for them (47%, vs 40%). They are more likely to find joy in spending time with their family and parenting, while those who dislike the show are more likely to derive pleasure from creating something, going on an adventure or accomplishing a challenge.

Fans of the sitcom are more likely to have their heart rule their head, while critics are the opposite. People who like the show are more likely to see themselves as homely, bighearted and loving (but also forgetful, dizzy and nervy), whereas critics are more likely to describe themselves as clever, ethical and geeky (but also nerdy, dull and misanthropic).

Finally, given that Mrs Brown’s Boys is a comedy show (despite the protestations of the more unkind TV critics), we examined how sense of humour differs between those who like and dislike the programme.

Detractors are more likely to say they find “observations on news and current affairs” and “wordplay” funny, while fans of the show are more likely to say that “toilet humour” and “impressions” make them laugh.

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/01/13/mr ... s-britain/

Well, you can't say they weren't thorough.

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Lotus
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Lotus » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:20 am

Good to see time and money being spent on key issues like this. For what it's worth, Mrs. Brown's Boys is one of the worst TV programmes I've ever seen.

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Photek
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Photek » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:30 am

Awful show, count yourselves lucky we’ve had adverts for Mrs Brown DVD’s for the past 20 years.

I will say Brendan O’ Carroll is decent dude though, does a lot of charity work around Dublin and on Christmas Day funds free Christmas Dinner to anyone homeless or alone.

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Skarjo
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Skarjo » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:53 am

So thick old racists.

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satriales
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by satriales » Wed Jan 17, 2018 2:07 am

It was one of my Nan's favourite shows, but she didn't realise Mrs Brown was a man.

I've only caught the odd episode now and again, and it's not that bad. Certainly funnier than some other BBC sitcoms.

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Errkal
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Errkal » Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:10 am

I wouldn't say I love it but I certainly don't hate it, it has had a few funny moments and is half decent if there is nothing else on.
Don't quite understand how people can be so anti it, it's just a TV show calm your gooseberry fool like.

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Dual
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Dual » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:06 am

The type of person who puts milk and sugar in their tea.

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still
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by still » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:09 am

Errkal wrote:I wouldn't say I love it but I certainly don't hate it, it has had a few funny moments and is half decent if there is nothing else on.
Don't quite understand how people can be so anti it, it's just a TV show calm your gooseberry fool like.


Totally agree. I wouldn't put it on out of choice, it's just not my cup of tea, but if it's on at someone's house say then I'll sit and laugh along, a bit! Seems to me that much of the hate is mindless snobbery.

Last edited by still on Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Squinty
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Squinty » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:10 am

satriales wrote:It was one of my Nan's favourite shows, but she didn't realise Mrs Brown was a man.

I've only caught the odd episode now and again, and it's not that bad. Certainly funnier than some other BBC sitcoms.


It was about the only thing my nan enjoyed in the last year of her life.

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Garth
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Garth » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:12 am

It's shite.

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more heat than light
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by more heat than light » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:20 am

Dual wrote:The type of person who puts milk and sugar in their tea.


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Moggy
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Moggy » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:36 am

Fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys are most likely to be Brexit voting Sun readers?

This is where Remain failed, the campaign should have highlighted that leaving the EU would mean no Irish comedy was allowed on British TV. ;)

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Floex
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Floex » Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:55 am

Dual wrote:The type of person who puts milk and sugar in their tea.


Triggered.

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captain red dog
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by captain red dog » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:34 am

I'm working class and I bloody hate Mrs Brown's boys. It feels like a bad sitcom from the 70s.

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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Poser » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:35 am

captain red dog wrote:I'm working class and I bloody hate Mrs Brown's boys. It feels like a bad sitcom from the 70s.


I resent the idea that it might have anything to do with class, TBH. IMO, it's all about intelligence.

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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Moggy » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:46 am

Photek wrote:I will say Brendan O’ Carroll is decent dude though, does a lot of charity work around Dublin and on Christmas Day funds free Christmas Dinner to anyone homeless or alone.


I don’t know about his charity work, but I agree he seems a decent bloke. Whenever I have seen him interviewed as himself, he is quite funny and a nice guy. His character is obviously completely different, but he is similar to Al Murray in that way, I can’t stand the Pub Landlord character but Al as himself seems ok.

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Rax
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Rax » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:55 am

I genuinely think less of a person if they like this show, its one of the worst things ever recorded and has absolutely zero value.

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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Preezy » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:03 am

Adored by the Great Unwashed. Quelle surprise.

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satriales
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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by satriales » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:16 am

Squinty wrote:
satriales wrote:It was one of my Nan's favourite shows, but she didn't realise Mrs Brown was a man.

I've only caught the odd episode now and again, and it's not that bad. Certainly funnier than some other BBC sitcoms.


It was about the only thing my nan enjoyed in the last year of her life.

Same. She passed away only a few weeks ago, and outside of the soaps, and Formula 1, this was one of the few programmes she enjoyed.

I have fond memories of her introducing me to the first episode, and at the time it was surprisingly funny and refreshing compared to dull rubbish like 'My Family'.

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PostRe: Revealed! The type of person that enjoys Mrs Brown's Boys
by Tafdolphin » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:18 am

Watched this for the first time over the Christmas hols as my parents love it. I was genuinely shocked at how atrocious it was. It was like watching an amateur dramatics group do a first run-through of a script written by the now mentally deficient Love Thy Neighbour guy.

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