By Morgan Williams
Description:
In this video, I take a look at three post 2000’s shows that depict working class families and individuals. The shows analyzed include: The Middle which centers on a nuclear lower middle-class family that lives in a small suburb in Indiana, Shameless which centers on a family trying to survive in the Southside of Chicago with neither of their parents around, and The Chi which centers on multiple characters and families in the Southside of Chicago just trying to get by and make something of themselves. In this video, I discuss the overarching theme that these shows tell their viewers which is that the working class struggles hard but also works hard to get out from behind. With the use of clips from the shows and interviews, I support my argument about what TV tells us about the working class.
References:
DeAnn Heline – a TV writer of Roseanne and writer/creator of The Middle
Jim Jennewein – a TV/Film writer and professor at Fordham UniversityKendall, Diana Elizabeth. Framing Class: Media Representations of Wealth and Poverty in America. Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.
