Disparaging vs. Recognizing the White Working Class in Friends, Desperate Housewives, and The Big Bang Theory

摘要

Manual labor is stigmatized in both China and the United States. There is a tendency to look down on those who perform physical labor. On American television, white working-class characters are often humiliated and mocked by upper-middle-class characters. The tradition of despising the working class is present in the situation comedy Friends. In Desperate Housewives, the same theme is present, but there is a shift in this series. The most likable and decent character is a plumber who is also a good role model. In The Big Bang Theory, the usual roles are largely reversed. The true hero of the series is a working-class woman, while the foolish characters are upper-middle-class men with high levels of education. These and other television series offer a glimpse into conflicts based on social class divisions that remain largely invisible. They also reveal possible ways to resolve social tensions in modern societies.