Classism in Classless Television

To no surprise, I'm sure, this weeks discussion of class portrayal on television led me to one thought - The Real Housewives. In a day and age where so much of the middle class has been eliminated, and so much of the lifestyle of the upper class seems to out of reach for many, some could see it as a surprise that this show is rapidly gaining popularity. For a show that only gives us an impression of wealth - endless wealth, it's funny to take a look at what's really going on. Let's take the housewives of New Jersey as an example. Teresa is a stay at home mom, "writer" (if you can call it that), and she and her husband opened a pizzeria after their business folded in the recession. Sounds "normal" to me. Though yes, of course these women do have some luxuries, they also are representing wealth that isn't all theirs - we fail to recognize that much of this material wealth that we're witnessing them taking advantage of is handed to them - yet we still think of them as upper class. Then, when they're on their vacation in Punta Cana, they disrespect those who are working in the service industry and working on their vacation. This is a horrible portrayal of the working/middle class because they've been so disrespected by these families. This is just one of the many examples of classism that can be applied to television and media analysis.