Channel 4’s surprising breakthrough hit of the year proves that Britain’s favourite pastime is a healthy dose of schadenfreude viewing. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was initially part of the Cutting Edge series of documentaries in 2010 and the one-off special lifted the lid on a very private community and their bizarre obsession with the institution of marriage, namely the young ages of the brides (the average age being 17) and the fact that up until marriage, despite dressing provocatively for most of their teenage years, they are expected to be virgins.
The documentary revolved around dress maker Thelma Madine, who is the go-to lady for the travelling community – with their bizarre list of accoutrements and the need to out do both their friends and extended families in order to have the largest and most ostentatious dress possible – and the crux of the show. Thelma’s observation that there are both good and bad people in every community and travellers don’t tend to give you much personal space forms the foundation around four teenage brides playing out their adolescent fantasies, whilst still being little more than children themselves.
The following series presents a slightly more skewed impression of the travellers and whilst it differentiates between Irish and Roma communities it finds far more prurient interest in the former, focusing almost exclusively on the bare-knuckled laws by which the Irish travellers mete out their justice. The first episode (and perhaps the most shocking), ‘Born To Be Wed’, presents the first Holy Communion of young girls as a “dress rehearsal” for the big day with 7 year old Margarita looking like an Anne Geddes also-ran.
As the series progresses and the dresses become even more bling-laden, the voiceover (provided again by Barbara Flynn, who voiced the original documentary) seems to be slightly more in on the joke and becomes almost a parody at times of what the producers believe we the audience should be thinking towards these people – as is suggested by one of the mothers who, having been moved on by their chosen reception venue when they are discovered to be travellers, states “were we black or Muslim or gay it would be all over the newspapers”.
There is little in the way of extras to support the DVD release, with only a few deleted scenes thrown in for good measure. Ultimately, it seems we are more than happy to view the events unfolding, yet avoid the inevitable discussion of just why we are so interested in watching.
Released on DVD on Monday 18th April 2011 by 4DVD.