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To start 2007 off, let's take a zeitgeisty snapshot at what the media has thrown up in the early days of this delicate and fragile year. Is this a taste of what's to come?

Fortune
I know it's bad form to draw negative attention to other broadcasters but I can't let Tuesday's 'Fortune', ITV1 8PM slip past without comment.

The premise of the show is familiar. It's rather like Dragon's Den though doesn't expect any of the contestants to have a brilliant idea, business nouse or bring anything to the party at all in fact. A panel of five, featuring Jeffrey Archer, sits there while a money hungry person rocks up, says they'd like to buy a sofa or have a tummy tuck or whatever, and then they decide whether the contestant deserves what they've asked for. It's like a post structural Jim'll Fix It (give them the cash so they can fix it for themselves) or a 21st century reworking of the nauseating old Esther goody-goody gameshow that might play better as Hearts of Cash.

Did I mention Richard Madeley hosts the show?

I think this is a must view for Ouch readers. It's on for another 6 weeks. I confidently predict there will regularly be disabled contestants on this as they are the most deserving of all. "What, do you think we're all charity cases or something?" Yes I do.

Tuesday's edition of Fortune saw an extremely impressive and well-spoken eleven year old up in front of the panel. He was great! No doubt about it. He said he was there in memory of his friend Jack who had died of cancer aged 12 last August. He wanted 50,000 pounds to pay for a jumbulance style vehicle to enable young children and their families to go away on holiday. He was accompanied by his father and a PR person from CLIC Sergeant keeping on-message. It emerged that this lad also had cancer.

Having an eleven year old boy with cancer begging for cash from Jeffrey Archer - who wept and hugged him - is possibly the lowest most appalling thing I've ever seen on my television set. It was arse-clenchingly bad. It's bound to get on one of Channel Five's 'Most cringeworthy TV moments of 2007'.

He got the cash, he certainly deserved it compared to the chav woman who wanted a flat panel TV set and a washing machine but what next? Will a cripple or sick person be wheeled out every week to steal the hearts of the millionaire panellists who have agreed to give away their cash weekly at 8pm for some god forsaken reason?

Celebrity Big Brother
Rumours were flying last week that Adam Ant may be a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. So far this has been proved incorrect. We suspect that his recent mental illness history isn't too compatible with this kind of show but never say never and he may well think it's a good thing to do.

Professor Stephen Hawking, the disabled science genius with the black hole fixation, was reportedly asked on the show too. This would have been interesting especially as we're aware he has personal assistants to help him maintain his independent living. Wouldn't you just loved to have seen 3 or 4 silent people accompanying him on the reality TV show? Glaring at other contestants if they asked a question of them and not the professor? Or maybe he's one of these nice disableds who also introduces their PA by name and allows them in on the game a little? It would all have been very interesting and edu-ma-cational for the general public wouldn't it. But, as we know, disabled people like nothing better than to gaup at other disabled people to see how they live, to get tips and to suss out how crap we might be?

The closest to a disabled person is Donny Tourette so far ... but that's based entirely on his name. Rumour has it that former BB contestant Jade Goody and her oft-ridiculed "lesbian one-armed mother" might be entering the house on Friday though. Oh joy.

Portable disabled people
On November 20, we ran an article by Tom Shakespeare called "Honey, We Shrunk the (Developmentally Disabled) Kid!". He brought to us an incredible ethical dilemma that we're pleased has hit mainstream media today Jan 4.

The article tells of a developmentally disabled child whose parents decided to stunt her growth in order that she remains small for the rest of her life. This, the parents argued, would make her a more convenient size and being as she wasn't about to start leading a meaningful independent life it'd make it easier for them to lug her around if she didn't turn into an adult. That was me subjectively paraphrasing, by the way.

It caused a storm on our messageboard at the time. It's an incredible set of circumstances. Would this solution ever have crossed your mind? Do you have empathy and understanding for the parents who are promising to dedicate their life to her wellbeing? Or do you see a darker side involving human rights, mental adjustment and otherness?

Where will this debate lead? Let's hope it's a solid and long debate. As genetic solutions and ideas start to multiply more disability-related dilemmas are going to appear as disabled people become less common. Everyday appreciation and understanding of your human rights may start to depreciate if it is perceived there is a medical solution to your impairment needs.