By Ben May
For some reason, the media nowadays portrays the middle class as people who are rather well off economically. This is compared to the societal norm where the middle class is a group that varies in economic and social status ranging from those just getting by to those who are living relatively comfortably.
Misrepresentation in the media in terms of class is oftentimes overlooked despite the fact that it is a relevant topic. One of the most common forms of media that are guilty of misrepresenting class are the film and television industry. For many, television provides a lens into “the lives of other people, providing ample opportunity for viewers to form social reality judgements about others’ lifestyles and possessions (Yang & Oliver, 2010, p. 119). In other words, television and film give the consumer a chance to take a closer look into an aspect of society that they may have not been previously exposed to.
In terms of class, the way that the middle class is represented in television is rather disturbing as often times characters who are in the so-called ‘middle class’ seemingly have far more money than they ought to have. One way of defining this misconception is with the phrase “comfortable middle class” (Kidd, 2014, p. 74). Too often, television will discard the rest of the middle class and only include those who apart of this “comfortable middle class” (Kidd, 2014, p. 74). This is evident in the TV sitcom The Office where a number of characters have an abundance of money for that of an office worker. At one point in the show Jim, a paper salesman, becomes engaged and purchases a house for his soon to be wife. Simultaneously, the couple is in the process of planning a wedding in Niagara Falls. Together, these two rather spur of the moment events are very expensive and not what one would expect out of two 9-5 office workers.
This misrepresentation of the common middle class worker demonstrates how the media is too often flawed in its portrayal of reality. The inaccuracy in representation should not be ignored as it was found that those who are most likely to make upward social comparisons are those who are of lower financial status (Yang & Oliver, 2010, p. 134). Furthermore, this finding demonstrates that those who are the most easily influenced by television are those who do not have a great deal of money. However, an even more intriguing finding is that those who make upward social comparisons are more likely to suffer from lack of a satisfaction in life (Yang & Oliver, 2010, p. 134). As a result, the tendency of the media to overrepresent the upper middle class could cause many people who are not apart of the upper middle class to self analyze whether or not they are socially accepted.
The media must begin to place more focus on the middle class and accurately representing a majority of Americans. It is too often the case that Americans are watching shows where the characters are living comfortably without any financial worries. This is far from reality as a majority of Americans today are in the middle class where a large portion of these people have to worry about their money and how they spend it.
For some reason, the media nowadays portrays the middle class as people who are rather well off economically. This is compared to the societal norm where the middle class is a group that varies in economic and social status ranging from those just getting by to those who are living relatively comfortably.
Misrepresentation in the media in terms of class is oftentimes overlooked despite the fact that it is a relevant topic. One of the most common forms of media that are guilty of misrepresenting class are the film and television industry. For many, television provides a lens into “the lives of other people, providing ample opportunity for viewers to form social reality judgements about others’ lifestyles and possessions (Yang & Oliver, 2010, p. 119). In other words, television and film give the consumer a chance to take a closer look into an aspect of society that they may have not been previously exposed to.
In terms of class, the way that the middle class is represented in television is rather disturbing as often times characters who are in the so-called ‘middle class’ seemingly have far more money than they ought to have. One way of defining this misconception is with the phrase “comfortable middle class” (Kidd, 2014, p. 74). Too often, television will discard the rest of the middle class and only include those who apart of this “comfortable middle class” (Kidd, 2014, p. 74). This is evident in the TV sitcom The Office where a number of characters have an abundance of money for that of an office worker. At one point in the show Jim, a paper salesman, becomes engaged and purchases a house for his soon to be wife. Simultaneously, the couple is in the process of planning a wedding in Niagara Falls. Together, these two rather spur of the moment events are very expensive and not what one would expect out of two 9-5 office workers.
The media must begin to place more focus on the middle class and accurately representing a majority of Americans. It is too often the case that Americans are watching shows where the characters are living comfortably without any financial worries. This is far from reality as a majority of Americans today are in the middle class where a large portion of these people have to worry about their money and how they spend it.
References
Kidd, D. (2014). Pop culture freaks: Identity, mass media, and society. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Yang, H., & Oliver, M. B. (2010). Exploring the effects of television viewing on perceived life quality: a combined perspective of material value and upward social comparison. Mass Communication & Society, 13(2), 118–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205430903180685
Word Count: 544
Ben, there are lingering problems with your formatting and, more important, your use of punctuation in and around quotations. Nonetheless, this is a solid post.
ReplyDeleteYou've made productive use of Kidd's work in regard to class representation in film and TV. Equally important, you've located and made good use of an "outside" source. Precisely what we're looking for here. Still, your post left me wanting more.
Admittedly, it's tough to do in such a short format, but it seems to me you might have more to say about class representation in The Office. At 544 words, you had plenty of room to expand this discussion.
The example you provide is good, but I (and, I suspect, others would like to hear a little more). After all, this show is still quite popular with people your age, and calling attention to the class dynamics exposed (or obscured) by The Office might really get people thinking.
One more note: avoid the "pat" generalization that concludes your essay. Rather, suggest what your work has done to illuminate class representation in The Office and how your readers might understand this show in light of your work. See the difference?
In any event, this is a fine effort. Moving forward, be certain to proceed with your research as you've done here. First, identify an object of study (i.e., The Office). Next, locate relevant literature that then provides the basis for an analysis of that object in light of the issues, theories, findings from that literature.
You'll find that media criticism is fun and rewarding.
26 pts.