In addition to an individual's racial identification, class identification also has some implications for how we might self-identify and how others might see us. Portwood-Lacer discusses the myth of classlessness in the United States and problematizes the concept of what is referred to as "white trash". In addition, the video Class Dismissed, discusses the illusion of class definitions, social perceptions, and the construction of the working class on television. Scholars argue that the values of the protestant work ethic, rugged individualism and consumerism are evident in these programs and serves to reinforce beliefs about class and status as it relates the material wealth. Intersectionality theories suggest that the intersections of class with other identities have different impacts. The following videos illustrate the intersections and the real effects of class issues.
Start @ 2:02
I'm going to comment on the first video on here about Women having Class. I think it’s unfortunate that the way women are portrayed on t.v. automatically places them in a particular class in reality. When people see the type of class women are in on t.v. and see what they do in that specific setting, they stereotype it to be the same in society. People think about single mothers and assume them to be struggling, having low income, many kids, and being a sort of a “mess up.” This is the message that shows like Rossane and Grace Under Fire resemble. They leave the audience with the idea that it must have been the women to cause the divorce. Inferred by t.v. shows is also the idea that the man runs the household and is the breadwinner, and when he is no longer in the picture, the women must be struggling and not as well off as they were with a man. This portrays the idea of Class Consciousness, that because women are in this class position, this is how they should act and this is what’s expected. This bothers me because I come from a similar situation, but one that is completely different than the idea given to society by the media. I myself come from a single parent family. My dad left my mom and I when I was eight, and since then I have been raised and taken care of solely by my mother. However, my mom is a very successful businesswoman who owns and runs her own company. She has a very good income, is very classy, has brought me up very well, and has managed do all of this all on her own. Another thing that I find interesting is the fact that my dad actually worked for my mom, and I think this played a role in him divorcing her. My mom was the breadwinner and the sort of “man of the house,” and I think for my dad that was hard to accept as men think they should be more dominant. This goes to show that the cases of single mother family life on t.v. is not the reality, and I am somewhat offended by how it’s portrayed. I feel like when people know my parents are divorced they automatically think I have the lifestyle of those on t.v. That is not the case at all, and I think it’s unfortunate that is the viewing on single moms. I also would like to point out that when people see these characters and they may be in similar positions, they think they should act that way. I myself, see women on Bewitched and other old style family shows, and I see the wife making dinner, greeting the husband, and kind of being protected and taken care of by the man. Seeing that, I honestly do strive to be that “trophy wife” because it’s made appealing and to be what women “should be” like. People relate to t.v. shows and characters based on their own lives, but I think that we really have to understand there are exceptions and the class of women is truly changing to be more equal to men.
ReplyDeleteI think this idea of class consciousness is still portrayed on tv and has been for a long time. Watching the video in class was interesting because it showed how the middle class "ideal family" either black or white should be. Using the Cosby's as an example, portrayed a black middle class successful family and was like the prototype for black middle class families at that time, because there werent many shows that presented that. I remember my neighbor told me she loved the Cosby's and it reminded her of my family. Just because i grew up in the suburbs she related that to the show, even though my family was nothing like the Cosbys. Social perceptions are always demonstrated on tv. I believe television does produced the idea of rugged individualism in the sense that if you want to advance yourself, its on you. Shows such as the Jeffersons and todays George Lopez presents charachters that had to work hard to gain success and did so by themselves with no help from others. However in todays society we know now it's not always what you know; but who you know. But isn't that why we watch tv? So we can enjoy an alternate version of reality. If we watched shows that represented the true life of every individual race it wouldnt be as enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThe second video on here discussed how in cop shows and reality tv it doesnt focus on class but rather substitutes race. People criminalize black and latinos because thats what we are used to seeing and in fact most crime comes from according to statistics. They don't focus on white poverty because that wouldnt be as accurate. The idea of intersectionality within shows like that would cause a different impact. The protestant work ethic which is the idea if you work hard everyone has a chance to be successful i believe isnt shown as much on tv. I say that because on tv class is directly related to material wealth. Which to me isnt accurate off tv because if someone doesnt have the best job or the most money, they can still dress nice and not be percieved as ghetto. A girl from my high school was known as a "popular girl" and always had nice clothes, played sports, and even a new car. Something that alot of people didnt know about her was that her family lived in a trailer. Your class does not directly relate to your material wealth, however on tv most of the time it does. Class consciousness is portrayed on tv because it gives us something to self-identify with.
I think that class conciseness is still featured in television shows today. I believe that this is so because television viewers watch television to escape from life; not to watch their life on television. No one would want to watch a struggling person who lives below poverty level. Viewers want to see something that they can aspire too. I personally believe that this is perfectly okay. I come from an above middle class family and I love watching shows that show people that are better off than me. To me watching that helps me set goals for my life because I want to have that life some day. Personally I wouldn’t watch a show that features a family that is below poverty level. A show like that would be depressing to watch. I think that having shows that give people something to aspire to is really awesome. As a society we need to have something that will help us better ourselves. I also think that having shows with people who are better off helps create a sense of society that is also better off, even though this may not be so I think that it truly does help society to watch them.
ReplyDeleteThe popular sitcom television series that have been making families laugh for years, I believe are compatible to what American's want our country to be like. For decades large groups of people have been complaining that there needs to be more gays, blacks, whites, hispanics, females, and every other race and gender on the main television channels. When are people going to step back and accept the fact that every race and gender has once been on a popular television show? For example: George Lopez plays a middle class hispanic person and to most Americans this is different from the usual lower class hispanic. The large cable stations have been playing these hilarious shows for decades and producing / writing them at a middle class income level because that is what we as Americans want to see. I believe it would not be very interesting if a television show was about a lower income level family always discussing how they can hardly get by every month. Having a middle class family to watch on television we are able to see the middle of each economic class and how they live there life, with some obvious comedy that comes along with the show. There are also popular television shows like "Fresh Prince" which features Will Smith playing a kid who comes from the ghetto up to beautiful Belair, while living a rich lifestyle. Then there are shows like "Will and Grace" which has two homosexual men being the main characters. This is an extremely popular show due to its taget market and its' hilarious comedy.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what show is placed on television there will always be some sort of controversy over a specific matter. I have always said that if you do not like what is on television, then turn it off. It seems that if people in America almost enjoy putting their race or gender in a situation that someone should feel bad for. I believe I was born as this race and gender for a reason and I will not sit back and complain to pass the time. As we discussed in our assignment...America is all about the freedom, and I believe we should start living that way.
I would like to use an argument that I have heard expressed by rappers when asked about their lyric content. Upon being questioned about why their songs feature lyrics that contain sexually explicit, violent, and drug-related subjects, they reply that they are simply providing a commentary on what they see all around them.
ReplyDeleteApplying that same logic to television programs, producers are simply offering what they see as a realistic perspective of everyday life. Why, then, are they chastised for showing their view of the world? Certainly, it can be argued that hegemony is involved, but prominent black rappers such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent don't fit the mold of WHCP.
Furthermore, and I know this is politically incorrect, but did one ever think the reason that classes are portrayed on TV in a certain way is because they are that way in real life? Of course, we all have this ideal image of society where people of all backgrounds and either gender are fully immersed into each class. But that is not reality. Classes exist because certain individuals strive to be better and achieve it. To condemn these individuals not only lauds communism, but also eliminates human potential. Where would we be if the Wright Brothers or Thomas Edison had decided not to invent the airplane or the electric light bulb because of a fear of backlash for appearing to achieve a higher class?
Instead of complaining about classes and how certain individuals are part of a higher one, individuals should use that energy to better their own life. Nothing worth having ever comes easy.
After viewing the second video about the cop shows. I feel that the cop shows constantly pick on the black race and target the black male. To me they have a hidden message that whites are the heros and black are the bad guys. I notice that in every show they rarely shows a white male or while female being treated like an animal. To me they have found another way to make money by entertaining society with false images of the black race.It 2011 I feel slavery still exit but in a different view they dont say it but they show in these cop shows is an main example.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing these clips, along with the rest of the film in class on Tuesday, I've come to the realization that my point of view and personal preference aren't those typical of someone from middle to lower class. When I watch shows, or anything for that matter, it doesn't matter to me whether or not I have someone to 'relate' to on a show. Just because a film or sitcom has a certain quota of minority vs. majority actors or a character that looks or acts like me (allegedly) won't make me want to watch it.
ReplyDeleteI watch things to be entertained, not to be shown how bad life can be sometimes for the average person. If I wanted a dose of reality, I wouldn't be watching a television show in the first place, I can just walk outside or go back to my old neighborhood to see all the pain and turmoil that goes on there.
For example, a show I sometimes watch, Modern Family, is entertaining to me, and I don't personally relate to anyone on the show in anyway possible, other than the fact that my family is crazy, like I'm sure a lot of others can relate to as well.
I agree that shows that are successful usually show life in a skewed point of view one way or another, but they stay on for an extended period of time for another reason: people must find them ENTERTAINING. That's what matters to me at least, the race of the person on the show or their occupation aren't factors as to if I think the show is helping or hurting society.
I feel like if someone can't take a show for just being a show, then that's sad. People shouldn't try to model their lives off what they see on TV or even think life is really like that. Just think about this, my favorite show growing up was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, if I thought that's how life was in New York, with crime being stopped by 5ft. talking turtles with their rat master, I'd be in the sewers being their charming butler. But I can see that TMNT, just like everything on the 'tube' is just to make us laugh, cry, or think... but not to tell us how to live.
I also think that class consciousness still exists on television. People on television are aware of who they are in society and what their role is in society. Most television series have to do with middle class, and there are plenty of shows with plenty of races. The middle class people in the show know their place. They don’t try to be rich and when they do they poke fun at it, and vice versa. Middle class people are the majority in the US. So it is what we want to see, the rich don’t watch and complain that they aren’t portraying them more and they are showing more of one class than another. I completely agree with what Almost a Graduate had to say. I think that there are a lot of different family show that portray a bunch of different ethnic groups. There is Full house (white), Fresh Prince (Black), George Lopez (Latino) there is also a bunch of shows like Greys that has Asian, and there are lots of shows with gays or lesbians. I think on television is what we want to see, and if we didn’t want to see it, we wouldn’t watch it. If it’s good television then it is good television regardless of what race or ethnicity. I don’t watch George Lopez and consume myself with the fact that he is Latino. I would completely hate watching television.
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest. I have done the reading, been to class, watched these videos and I am still confused on the direction and purpose of this conversation. I honestly do not understand. Are we saying there is a loss of class, or a loss of class representation in the media? ... what exactly is the issue here? And what do these people in these videos want. What is the point of all this talk. Do they want accurate representations...Do they want the media to change the way they go about entertainment? Are people mad that Jeff Foxworthy came and made red-neck living a lifestyle? Are they mad when jokes are made about these lifestyles? I want to point out I am honestly asking, I am not trying to place judgement or be sarcastic. It seems to me the media has done both good and bad for classes.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do understand is that different classes exist among American society. The lower the class, the more difficult the life... typically. Minorities are found more toward the lower end of the class scale. Media has had many influences on the way classes are represented and viewed.
I am sorry this post is just simply filled with questions, but I am honestly confused... and frustrated. I cannot figure out what is going on here in this conversation. I see all the facts and I hear what people are saying, but I do not see the point.
I agree with the videos and the fact that women and minorities are shown in a poor light especially when they are in the working class, as many of them in the shows are. However I am not particularly affected by this portrayal. While it does show some people in a poor light, it also shows some reality. There are some women who lead lives like the show Roseanne, a working class family who struggles. However there are also some people who lead successful careers and lives even as single parents. My roommate's mom has been divorced twice but is successful and classy and doesn't struggle at all. I come from a home with two parents and my father has a job as an engineer and recently m mother has taken a job as well to help pay bills. While sometimes money is an issue, it isn't as awful and looked down upon in society as TV portrays it to be. There are several different ways to view women and minorities and "white trash" in society and I think it has less to do with TV shows than people will admit. I honestly think if people are that easily influenced by TV then they aren't too aware of reality. Growing up I thought that if I didn't have cool things then I wasn't cool, but I had my own friends and family and a perfectly normal and happy childhood and I grew to realize it doesn't matter if things are always "cool" or not, it's whatever makes you happy.
ReplyDeleteI watch TV to be entertained. I watch Gossip Girl, a show about the rich in NYC and I also watch The Office, a show about members of middle class working in a seemingly mundane office. I recognize that some TV shows might spin things a certain way or put things in a certain viewpoint but I watch them because they entertain me, not because I view them as reality or because I identify with them.
I found it interesting that none of the groups that were talked about in the video clips were not any of the WPCH groups. That the groups that were shown are considered the “lesser” groups. Like the white trash group, some of them could have been part of the WPCH group but because they were part of the lower class group. Although they could do some of the same activities that others do what they do is considered “white trash”. For example anyone could have trouble with a spouse sleeping around, but when low class whites do it, it’s considered white trash. I also agree when the video talked about Roseanne with her TV show and since she did not back down from the producers and such about wanting to keep class in the show. Since she did this, the media jumped all over her saying that she is white trash but really they were just scared about what might happen when the subject of race is actually addressed in TV shows. This is because as Americans we think that our society does not have any classes. But in reality it does, and is pretty distinct in the separation and the ability to move between classes.
ReplyDeleteOn the last youtube video, I believe the best quote comes from the last words before it cuts to the credits, “You gotta do everything at once.” This would be the only real way to reform the way we perceive the minority cultures, and yet would still have a long struggle ahead of them because of the memories and history people have.
ReplyDeleteIf we are just talking about changing the way we are shown minorities that you gotta do everything at once tactic could work. Why are people scared of the blacks? Why do people think all “Mexicans” are illegal? It is because we see gang violence and border patrols at war in Texas and told we have an illegal immigrant problem that is taking all of our jobs. This is where the news and media need to be more responsible and not just broadcast things for ratings.
The one part I disagree the speakers is that there are only rich whites and the hillbillies. Even in some mainstream you seem white people in almost every aspect of life, even though some do get called “posers.” We see thugs, criminals, masterminds, heroes, druggies, poor, rich, trashy, the cops, the mundane characters. This is where i think the problem also is; we have white people doing almost every type of character while minorities only get type casted characters.
The only problem is that to make everything equal you will end up discriminating against whites just because of the sheer majority of their population compared to everyone elses.
I think as a whole TV does not grab a hold of realty. They touch on it a little bit and as you sit watch them their maybe something that happens that you can relate to. Example the banter that goes on in the show "The office", we can sit back and place ourselves in a possible situation, their is always that awkward co-worker, the single parent etc, but does it really hit realty. Like in Roseanne the show was a representation of a lower middle class family struggling to get by, but the one thing you never saw was the possibility of loosing your home or car etc. I mean that is realty.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of class is one that I could never understand, society has created these classes that seperate ourselves from one another, but I think it's how we portray ourselves that puts us into these classes. I just found out today that in one of my classes that most of the shows today put the family at a socioeconomic status of $250,000 a year, meaning that if we wanted to live the way we see television we would need to make a quarter of a million dollars, really , really.
For me TV is strictly and entertainment outlet, with very little influence.
These videos raise some very interesting points and ideas about class. However, it isn't anything I haven't already heard/read. The argument is always that women aren't protrayed to be strong and that non-whites are portrayed to be violent or not in the "lower class" the majority of time. While television does often portray these ideas of genders and race, sometimes it is true. Also I think it is much easier to spot what is "wrong" with television today than the good things they may portray.
ReplyDeleteThe second video talks about how non-whites are typically portrayed as violent or committing crimes and that white people aren't shown as often as lower class or the ones committing crimes. However, in the video and in other things I have read or seen the statistics do prove that non-whites are the majority of people in jail for commiting crimes. So to say that just because many non-whites are portrayed as the crime committers isn't accurate or right is just flat out wrong, because the statistics show that they are. Also in the the second video one person said that although there are now more black people depicted as lawyers, police officers, and other officials that it still doesn't matter much because blacks are still portrayed as the ones committing the crimes. Well to me that is just silly because first it was upsetting that they were portrayed as committing crimes and recentley they are portrayed as officials and it still doesn't matter much. So I would like know, what exactly would these people pose as a solution to this problem? Make all the officials and crime comitters white? Latino? Asian? No. Because then blacks wouldn't be portrayed at all and that isn't what people want either. Even if it was what people wanted it still would get other racial groups upset at the fact that THEIR race was only portrayed this way or that way. So really to me, there is no solution because no one will be happy with the outcome. So I think people need to stop thinking so deeply into many of these T.V. shows and just enjoy them for what they are, entertainment because no matter what happens no one wins and someone will be upset or hurt. The same goes for how women are portrayed in television. If women are always portrayed in the single mother aspect as rich powerful women who have their life together people will complain that they aren't showing the "true reality" of what it's really like to be a working single mother. Then, on the other hand if women are always portrayed, in the single mother aspect as working class women who are struggling to make ends meet then someone will complain that women aren't shown as strong or independent. I wish that television could make everyone happy in how it portrays their gender or race but it's not because no gender is perfect and no race is perfect. There will always be whites, blacks, latinos, asians and so on that are rich and powerful as well as committing crimes. There will always be women who are rich and powerful as well as struggling to make ends meet.
Going back to what I said at the begining that it is much easier to see the bad in portrayls of race and gender rather than the good, I really believe this is true. Because no one ever makes a documentary about how one race is portrayed in a positive light or one gender is portrayed in a positive light. No, that would just be too easy and then there wouldn't be anything to complain about. Bottom line, the world isn't perfect, no one is perfect, so we shouldn't expect television to be perfect.
After watching these videos, I would definitely say that many shows depict women or minorities in a negative way for the most part. The same can be said for "hillbillies". While cop shows today do portray the black man as normally a criminal or thug, many argue that this only reinforces how blacks actually act in real life. I would argue this point saying that the media is the reason that people act the way they do. I do not think there were crime problems 40 years ago when blacks were not portrayed as thugs and gangsters. This image that they see on TV may have appealed to a few blacks and ultimately transpired into what we have today.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the main reason these show portray classes negatively is because in all actuality, many of these classes can actually relate to their actions. Jeff Foxworthy is popular because he only reinforces what people already know about trailer trash except he makes it a joke. The same can be said about any comedian of any race. They make fun of their races with material the general public already knows but doesn't want to be deemed racist by talking about them.
However, while I believe the media tries to put sitcoms on that relate to a specific audience, I think that we are getting further away from this. Jersey Shore, for example, is extremely popular among high school and college students (blacks, white, etc). I am definitely not Italian and I know many of the people that watch it are not Italian but we love the show anyways. This is a prime example that some media outlets do not necessarily always try to cast characters to pull in a certain race or socioeconomic class.
I think it's amazing how we as people tend to overlook class consciousness and not even realize just how much it impacts us in reality. When I think about the transition of television shows that showcased African-Americans and "how much times have changed" I think its easy to see that times haven't really changed at all.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the portrayal transitioned from maids and cooks to poor Black families helped to implant the idea that it was unattainable for African-Americans to be successful and wealthy. The next transition in African-American television shows that showcased Black people who "made it" implanted the idea that Blacks reached the epitome of success when they moved into all White neighborhoods. This idea not only functions on television series but also in real life. This ideology promotes the idea that in order for African-Americans to be considered successful, they need to be the only ones to "make it" because if too many Black people make it and move into White neighborhoods, it lessens the value of the success. Thus, the well to do neighborhood is contaminated or labeled as a ghetto because it lacks the so called purity of whiteness and everything it embodies.
For example, on "The Jeffersons" they were the only Black couple who lived in the deluxe apartment building in the sky besides their maid Florence and their friend Helen, who was married to a wealthy White man.
Another great example of this is on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" the whole series revolves around a kid from the projects of Philadelphia who hilariously invades the uppity All-White city of Bel-Air with his street charm. His relatives who already live in Bel-Air have already acclimated themselves to the ideals of high White society, which makes his character stand out opposed to everyone else in the family. The likelihood of this being true is very slim, which makes the show laughable to people who do not stop and critique the underlying message of the show.
As comedic and phenomenal as the show was, it still perpetuated stereotypes about African-Americans from urban communities. For example, Will happened to be raised solely by his mother and his father was a dead beat dad. However, the well to do Banks family consisted of a successful judge, and the original Vivian Banks was a Professor. This once again provides the implication that well to do Blacks must have both parents involved with decent educational backgrounds and that all Black people from lower class areas originate from broken, single parent homes. This idea of class consciousness is not only emphasized in television series, but it also intersects with the thoughts people have in everyday life.
I fear that my skepticism is a characteristic of mine that does not need the help of a class like this, however, it is already the fourth week so here we go. At the beginning of this class I confidently brushed off a lot of the claims that we had been studying, and I stand by those, but as the weeks go by I am starting to get the point I think. There are serious injustices in our media outlets.
ReplyDeleteTo start I want to say that this blinded perception (I’ll keep with my theme) of the class system in television is in my opinion partly due to the civil and woman’s rights movements. In our text books we will be told that equality of race and sex was achieved in our country, and in effect we will (we do) believe that that there is a strong foundation of equality among race and sex. These beliefs of a bigot free, cultured country are the primary reasons that we fail to understand what these messages are really telling us. These underlying ideas or beliefs or ideologies that people see no color, or difference in sex are what lead us to overlook the poor portrayal of these issues in the media.
I think this all boils down to the issue of how critical the people of this country are these days. We all seem to be really good when it comes to criticizing people choices in their personal life’s, problems that only appear on the surface of our lives and are easy to critique because they deal with social problems, but when it comes to issues of race and gender, then being critical means examining oneself and being critical of your own values. This is where people seem to stray because they don’t want change. They don’t want to come to find their own values to be questionable. So in effect we see an obsession with identifying with each other on a very basic social level, like a white community’s tendency to portray racial acceptance on the surface, but as soon as a black family moves in next door their neighbors start locking their doors at night. So, my intention for all of this crap is to say that people need to be more critical in a public manner. This is an extreme excigence in our media system and until the average person can learn to be critical of what he intakes on a daily level there will be no change. The movements for channel equality are strong and do have impact on the system, but these movements of agitation seem to be fueled by those who are suffering the injustice. My own bit of advice for these movements is to expand your fan club. Reach out to the dominant, powerful, white middle and upper class for support. Like in television, if minorities are to succeed they must have the helping hand of the white male. Maybe once we start seeing the participation of people who aren’t necessarily effected by the injustice, just tempered by it, a more powerful movement can be organized.
The video that I found the most interesting was watching the first one. I have many gay friends across the board and they all range in ethnicity. In the beginning of the video they state why we have seen a variation of these “gay people” is to spice up that networks image and as well as social conditions. It is interesting to me how long it took us as African Americans to have a range of different types of family or roles in society but it did not take that long for us to come up with multiple lifestyles for gays. In many African American centered shows or films, everyone seems to be of the same academic or social stature. We have the typical Madea type families, well off financially, but seem more of social crowd then academics. Now when we focus our attention to the gay people of America we see such a ride ranged in people. Maybe because they lack actors, so they come up with variety to diminish the fact that there are not that many gay actors? There are many things to examine, it is just interesting that although we are all minorities we are all working towards the same goal… success, and the road there is most certainly not the easiest a shortcut.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely have to agree with the third video, television’s use of the image of the working class is no laughing matter, especially when we our currently in a recession. Yes shows like “Rosanne” are revolutionary and go against the norm of television. But showing the “real” reality of struggling single mothers or families living pay check to pay check is not hip or “sexy”. Just like I said in my last blog, producers are all about the bottom dollar. Television wants to entertain viewers for the sake of ratings, but at the same time, producers want to add some diversity and give people a feeling that they can relate to the characters. For example, “The George Lopez Show” is one of the few shows that star a Hispanic actor in a less stereotypical role. When we watched that clip of “The George Lopez show”, it had all the trappings of a middle class American, very unusual. But the show’s song was of someone struggling to make ends meet. I just believe that television is trying to cover up these everyday social perceptions that we have with humor as a way of garnering more viewership.
ReplyDeleteThe one of the main ideologies introduced in the “Class Dismissed” video was that working class people are stuck where they are because of class system and not because of their own work ethic, yet they want TV to show ‘reality’. I understand that in order to want to watch this ‘reality’ we must also change the work conditions but what about not watching TV? If these images and symbols are infiltrating our schema and causing cognitive laziness why not just turn it off and create a better real reality to watch? Perhaps we could solve the obesity academic if people were focusing on the present reality instead of the suspended layer of reality presented on TV and the internet. This under representation of the white poor is the same as mediated constructions for other races. When thinking about revolutionary social change I refer back to the ‘Privilege’ speech in which Tim Wise presented us with the idea that ‘whiteness’ in general was created in order to stop the large majority of poor to overcome the wealthy majority. TV stays in this mediated culture because it enables those who run it, and are the wealthy majority, to stay in power but in ‘real’ reality and in ‘virtual’ reality. Until we can come together as class systems and admit to ourselves, in some cases, that our standard of living isn’t that comfortable at all we can’t make any social change on TV or in reality. Until we listen to each others voices none of this matters. Why would the working class have a work ethic if they know they are never going to have any social mobility for the rest of their lives. We need to break the cycle and revolt. Tune off, Drop weight, and Get out!
ReplyDelete@ Uncle Barney
ReplyDelete"Furthermore, and I know this is politically incorrect, but did one ever think the reason that classes are portrayed on TV in a certain way is because they are that way in real life?"
I have been thinking the same thing. I believe we relate to so many of these show because its so much like reality. I believe television shows represents rugged individualism. For example, in the George Lopez show, He talks about his grill and all the bells and whistles. The funny thing about it is he does not know how to use them at all, but it’s the fact that he can have it and AFFORD it is the main point. These shows are so successful, is because it matches most of our lives surprisingly. Not only do many families relate to the Cosbys, but if you left them black or changed them to a white family, it would be the same. If you closed your eyes and watched the Cosbys, I’m sure you could not decipher them from being Black or white on most episodes as long as black cultural events (i.e. black history, urban soul, etc.). Most of Cosby episodes appeal to both audiences (Blacks and Whites). Its just cool to see it as a black family.
Its just a case of most of society relating to these families, because most of us have gone through the experiences on the shows or something similar. Is it so hard to believe that when we watch these shows, you get lost in the character, and don’t focus on their color? We just look at them as PEOPLE?
In response to the first video about working women and single women. First I just want to state that I think the video its self is a little outdated stated that women only work because they have too. Many women have jobs they love because they have strong work ethics, not because they have a family to support. Many women in fact now a days don’t even end up having families, many have chosen to focus on their careers since they are so passionate about it. But I do agree that many of the television shows depict women in a negative manner. Shows like cyble, and Roseanne, ECT make you think that families are exactly like these television families. The women always seem to be depicted as more white trash and uneducated, possibly even devastated by divorce in most cases their husbands left them for someone else. The situations the female characters get themselves in backs up the theory that women must be stupid to get themselves in such a sticky situations. Some television shows that are more recent will show them woman character as the strong one with a goofy husband who gets himself in trouble but our original premonitions with the wives, or female character on our favorite TV shows is that they are portrayed as the lower in intelligence, and more negative light.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with the third video also, but i feel that people need these shows to look this way. I think people like to see people that are in the same situation but doing a little bit worse. By having the show include all of the stereotypes I think this makes the show more relatable while at the same time making people feel better. When i watch these shows I dont feel that I am in the same postion as these people but I identify with several of the qualities. By only identifying with several of the qualities the show leaves me with the feeling of being better than someone on TV. I see this as this is the way my class is seen to the public at large but when it comes down to it I am not as bad as I am portrayed on TV and by feeling this way I think that we need things to be portrayed in a stereotypical to help show differences. With out this the show would just be people living which is much less exciting. At the end of the day these shows are still for entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole idea of stereotyping another is pretty ridiculous I think. Okay so I'm not perfect and I have caught myself stereotyping without even really trying to but these video's I think might be looking a little too much into it. The way I see it is if people have that kind of time to classify others on first impressions well then there is not point to try and change that. What's unfortunate is because it comes from and is taught from TV. On TV shows and movies characters show us what the impression of each stereotype is. White trash, ghetto, low class, rich snobs etc. I have to agree w ith the comment ahead of me though because sometimes I feel like some people just easily place themselves in situations that they shouldn't have done in the first place. So as one is portrayed a certain way on TV then it's like reality's definition of the stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the video brought up a very good point when it talked about how white- poorness in the media is commonly depicted as social outkasts, and usually provide comedy. In the case of minorities, especially in cop shows, poorness and struggles seem to be the norm in the community. This unbalance in the media is unjust, but what one commentator said to change our depiction of the working class minority we need to change our working class. As more job opportunities with improved wages open up for minorities and we revamp our society. Our miscontstrewed vision of a single working class will be shattered, and media will depict new characters accordingly. This was just another reminder for me that media can tell so much about where our society still is, and how far we have to go.
ReplyDeleteThe statistic was presesented in the video that an alarming number of whites felt that their chances of being a victim to a minority crime was much higher than it actually was. This misconception is confirmed when more and more shows play up the representation of black and latino crime. The statistics for incarceration of minorities are so prolific, because of the way our system is set up. Minorities are inprisoned for extended periods of time for drug related crimes, while pedefiles and sex offenders due minimum sentences.
I want to comment on the first video as if pertains to me in a way. The video talks about single moms and the way they bring their children up. It depicts that single mothers only have a few jobs they usually hold i.e... waitresses, factory workers and so on, however I think differently. As I was raised in a single family household, my mother was able to provide a good lifestyle for me. We were a mother and daughter of African American decent who lived in a suburbia neighborhood. Though my mother does fall into the part of a working class mother, raising a child and maintaining the household, she was still able to provide a great life for me. Although situations like these working class mothers still occur today, I think the outlooks we have are now changing. Many women are now obtaining higher education even if they are first raising a family. Being a college student, I have noticed a lot of mothers, single mothers as well, staying in school and getting their degree so that they can provide their family with a great life. at the same time, with the economic issues we face in today’s world, it takes a lot more to find a job and a higher level of standards for women to succeed above the rest. We are now accepted more in the business world, though for those mothers who are mothers before anything else, they have to stay strong and know that they are capable of doing a lot to provide for their families. Women are definitely stepping away from the lower class working women and rising to be the one people may look up to. I would have to say that with a lot of the housewife shows and teen mom, TV is showing different styles of motherhood, somewhat holding us back as we should be progressing.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the videos did a great job in shedding light on the fact that class, whiteness, racial, and women's rights and depictions. It's safe to say that the overall moral of all of the videos was that the media still and will always have the last say on how all of these issues are depicted to its audience. We as a society have come a long way from where were from a few decades ago, but we still have a way to go. The question begs to be asked, when, if ever, will it become as ideal as the experts say it should be? I honestly feel that everyone should be entitled to his or her own opinion, and that the depictions that we see in the media are not just made up. Even if they are more times than often stereotypical, these are life experience accounts from people throughout history. I thought that the way whiteness was shown as the power figure throughout all of this and that non-whites are shown to have this stigma of being criminally and morally disrupt even though the images of whites are shown, it does not have the same effect. Women depicted in shows such as "Roseanne" and others similar show that the working class mother trying to be a blue collar worker all the while maintaining a high sense of maternalism was popularized throughout its run because it was so appealing and related so well to the general public. The stats that were given about the jails being populated by over 2.5 million people, and those majority were non-whites was shocking. It just goes to show that the common perception that those of color are not "right." The media maintains this ability to somehow popularize the idea of "white trash" through shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Hee Haw" is fascinating. The common thread and successful formula is to use characters and premise that revolves around comedy to overshadow that the stereotype of "white trash" is now acceptable.
ReplyDeleteThe typical working class T.V shows that have been on since the 70's have always been said that its not realistic or maybe its not portraying the right message to the viewers. Take Fresh Prince of Bel Air for example there was a young black boy from the Philly projects who was sent to Bel Air to live with his rich aunt and uncle so he could have a better life. People either saw this as not realistic because that would never happened or because they didn't think that the show related to real world situations. I really think that people shouldn't always look at the black or white picture. They should be reading in between the lines of what the show is trying to say. Maybe this young black boy is suppose to be an icon, a hero, someone to be looked up to as someone who made it out of the violence, drugs, and gang affiliations that go in most projects. Maybe they were trying to inspire young kids to think "hey maybe I don't have to stay in this place forever. Maybe there is something else out there for me." I think the producers/writers of the show were trying to give a different perspective of how life could be, instead of just giving the "stereotypical" black character.
ReplyDeleteI would like to comment one the first and second video. Women are portrayed the wrong way on television. Having no voice or opinion to any situation, the male or husband in the family make all the rules. Women are seen to be struggling without the husband and taking care of more than one child. I totally disagree with that portray because growing up as a child my mother was single with two children. My family lived in the suburbs and didn't not attend public schools. It's funny to see how the media creates this bad image, when I know its not true to all people. The second video talks about white trash and the middle class. I believe the white society is brought up just as the black society. The ones that were always in trouble or grew up in a disturbed home are seen as white trash because that's the way I believe they were raised, not as to be called white trash, but the way some people choose to live. It all starts as a child and everyone has their own way of living. Just because the media calls this white trash does that mean these people are really white trash? It just might be their lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that media doesn’t show women working because they have to. This is an interesting concept, and something that I never thought of before. In the world that we live in now, it is obvious that women and men alike work because they have to. Does media leave out these portrayals because it is so obvious, or because it is a less glamorous part of life? This demonstrates that people would rather see successful individuals on TV, instead of those who are like themselves. The first video made me think about what is left out of media, instead of what is portrayed in media. The fact that the jobs most women actually work in are never really shown on TV is interesting, and goes along with other hidden portrayals like successful black families, broken white homes or even “white trash”. White trash is almost never portrayed on TV, but blacks in the ghetto are common portrayals on TV shows. It was quite interesting to me that the second video said whites make up the largest number of poor people, but they are unknown because their “images are few and far between”. I believe whiteness is not portrayed as a negative image, only successful or comedic, because it caters to the majority of the culture. If whites were portrayed in the same way as blacks are, there would be many more people that would be upset and quite possibly could have the status or position to change it. This is something most blacks and other minorities lack.
ReplyDeleteI think class is something that has always existed. People often label themselves in a certain class and associate themselves with people who they think are like them. People get treated different from others because of class. Labels are put on you from first sight. From what you wear, to how you act, what you background is and what your occupation is people put you in a certain class. The media also has a big role in what we see far as class. TV shows that we watch often does not actually portray real reality. Minorities are the group that gets the short end of the stick most of the time. The media tries to act as if a class issue does not exist but when really it is everywhere around us and it is a problem.
ReplyDeleteI think the first video makes an extremely valid point about working women. Women are still paid less than men and in some cases they still aren’t given the same opportunities. I know women who are working at fast-food restaurants just to make ends meet but this is the kind of job that isn’t necessarily represented on television. People don’t want to admit that men are still treated differently, and dare I say better in some cases, than women. Also, if something like this is mentioned on the television then it is a big joke and is meant to get a laugh out of the audience. “Lower-class” women are still overlooked when it comes to their representation on the television. There is one show that I think gives these people a little bit of a voice, “Undercover Boss.” Even though this show is a reality show and it is based on big corporations it’s the people at the bottom that they follow. Some of these people have the most amazing stories to tell but they are never given a chance. I have actually teared up listening to their stories and how hard they work just to get by or to make a better life for this family. I think the media should do a better job of representing all of the different classes that we have in America.
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard to imagine how what we see all the time would not affect the way we view our lives. Of all the topics we have covered, I see the distinction of class as the most beneficial to tackle first. With the collapse of the economy it was not the whites who came out on top, rather a certain class of people came out on top. Thousands of whites suffered immensely or even lost everything. I did not agree with everything Tim Wise was saying, but I agree he had a point that the whites who suffered in Katrina had more in common with the blacks than they did with whites of a different class. I think it would be more constructive to deal with the economic disparities and ideologies that allow for the distribution of wealth to be so extreme, than it would be to focus on how whites are more privileged than those who are of color. Clearly, from the research, videos, and articles we have been exposed to this is not the case. I do not believe it’s correct to say whites are privileged, maybe one could say a certain percentage of a certain class of privileged people are found to be white. I can say from personal experience whites in rural areas are profiled in the same manner we see happen with inner city blacks when those whites fit the poor white trash stereotype. If we focus on class, then that necessarily allies all of the different races together as a collective force, it highlights the similarities and common struggles of another human and not the color of their skin. Isn’t that what we ultimately need to combat racism, to see that people who don’t look like me are still just like me in the big picture? What better way to bring people together than the promise of more money, more power, more opportunity, right? If people realized that it is not their interest versus a different group’s interest, but instead that their interests are aligned, in fact are interdependent upon one another, wouldn’t racism lessen as a natural byproduct of this understanding? I wouldn’t say it would erase racism altogether but even prior enemies work together when it is mutually beneficial. Shared experience is what creates common ground and common ground is how we relate to one another. When people see their quality of living will go up if they work together it would be unintelligible to not do so. Overall, I did like the series, but what was frustrating was the seemingly impossible task of having television that is fair and equal to everyone. On one hand portraying blacks on Cops perpetuates them as criminals, yet when a show like The Cosby Show comes out the same people say that was damaging also because it stopped the conversations about racial inequalities. It kind of seems like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I feel the only acceptable television to the commentators in Class Dismissed would be programs solely for the purposes of education.
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