Class in the Media

The Upper East Side. 90210, Beverly Hills. The Northshore. All these locations have connotations that accompany them, mostly some of affluence. Another similarity? Each of these places has been spotlighted through the media due to their wealth. The Upper East Side is currently being featured through Gossip Girl. The zip code 90210 actually has its own show, "90210." And the Northshore of Chicago? The Northshore and all its money was featured through the hit movie, Mean Girls. All three of these places have been famed due to their money, society and culture. With these types of shows and movies, is it all too easy to believe that these societies are the norm? I believe these shows and movies promote even stronger class divisions because they highlight the differences between the rich and the "poor" in very publicized ways.

Gossip Girl is a television show on the CW channel every Monday night from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. based on the Upper East Side of New York City and the lives of young adults there. This show is by no means a "reality" TV show, but the ways in which it portrays the Upper East Side certainly convinces viewers that this is truly the life of Upper East Siders, as they call themselves. Below is a video clip of one of Gossip Girl's most featured, annual parties, the Masquerade Ball, to illustrate the type of culture Gossip Girl features.



It is an interesting time to watch Gossip Girl, a show centered around lavish parties and designer clothing, with the current unemployment rate around 9.6% according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and the United States bouncing back after the recession. Gossip Girl first aired on September 19, 2007, just three months before the recession in the United States officially began. While Gossip Girl showed eighteen year old teenagers paying thousands of dollars for a gown to wear to the upcoming ball, the news channels showed rapidly growing lines of people outside homeless shelters and houses being taken over by the banks.

With shows such as these, class divisions are clearly evident and supported. The general public is watching these shows from their homes which they are struggling to pay the mortgage every month, and the CW is telling them that if only they were luckier, they could live the life of an upper east-sider. The rich are strapping on their dancing shoes, the middle-class are trying to pull themselves up by their boot straps. In a country in which the government is attempting to bail anyone and everyone out and encouraging people to ban together to raise people back to pre-recession status, shows such as Gossip Girl can only foster increased tensions between the rich and the poor. An example I believe that really illustrates the tensions between the wealthy and the poor is portrayed well through the movie, Marie Antoinette. In this movie about the French government during the French Revolution, it discusses much about Marie's ignorance to the incredibly large divisions between the rich and the poor and her inability to see how the luxuries she possessed and utilized were increasing tensions. Below is a clip about the movie that summarizes the issues.





As you can see through the clip, the wealthy were feasting while the poor were starving. This is a concept illustrated very similarily through Gossip Girl and 90210. Class conflicts and divisions are evident in our society, but do we see the ways in which they are encouraged? Media, such as movies and TV shows, often does a better job of portraying these issues better than we give them credit for, if we were only to take the time to analyze the show rather than just use it as an hour of relaxation. Readers: what other examples exist like these in the movie and television industries?

That's So "Gay"

Lately, throughout our school, media and community, it seems as though the word "gay" has been a frequent topic of discussion. The term "gay" is popping up everywhere, from the news with the recent teen suicides due to teen anti-gay bullying (learn about Tyler Clementi's tragic suicide here) to the popular TV show Glee. No matter what your views are on gay rights or gay marriage, it is important to recognize the increasing importance of the term and the implications of labeling.

In basic and well know terms, the term "gay" is used to describe people who are homosexual. However, the term has taken on some negative meanings in our culture today, creating some deep societal divisions. It is not uncommon to hear students say to one another in the hallways, "That's so gay" in regards to the fact that a teacher gave a pop quiz, or perhaps too much homework. "Gay" has now taken on negative meanings such as dumb or stupid. By giving this word new, negative connotations, we are hurting an entire class of people within our society. I don't think society is trying to call those people dumb or stupid, but by using this word so casually and in wrong, negative terms, we are, in the end, just drawing deeper divisions between the gay and straight classes of people in our society and country.

Labels such as gay or straight are effective in classifying one's sexual orientation, that is true. However, why else must they be prominent in our society? Society seems to be obsessed with whether someone is gay or straight, and which class (gay or straight) that one guy in your psychology class falls under. "Gay" doesn't need to be a term that draws deep divisions in society or create tense class separations.

The term "gay" can most definitely be used appropriately and respectfully to classify someone. (Read more about terminology like the word "gay" and its usages at Kyle's Blog )However, it is when the word "gay" creates class divisions and conflict that the word becomes problematic. Gay or straight, all people deserve the same respect and someone's class should not change that. There are already enough social divisions as it is, with conflict between rich vs. poor, black vs. white, male vs. female, that our society does not need gay vs. straight to draw even deeper lines within classes in society.

Below is a clip from the popular TV show "Glee" which I believe is a step in the right direction for gay acceptance in society. In this clip, Kurt confronts a fellow classmate about his ignorance and fear of homosexuality. Kurt is taking a step towards eliminating fear and the conflict that the classmate creates when he participates in anti-gay bullying. Next time you're about to say "gay" when talking about something other than sexual orientation or about to mutter "That's so gay!" under your breath when a teacher announces fifty pages of reading for homework, stop and think about what you really mean, and what the implications of your words mean on specific people and our culture.

-Emily

Carl Wilkens: A True Humanitarian

A week ago, the Academy had a presentation by Carl Wilkens, the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994-1995 genocide between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens is a humanitarian and worked throughout the genocide to provide aid to people all over Rwanda during this crisis. This day, the day that I heard Carl Wilkens speak for two and a half hours about his role as a humanitarian during the Rwandan genocide, was the most inspiring day in my academic career, as I saw that one person can truly make a difference and help people in an uncountable number of ways.

Wilkens began just as a missionary in Rwanda, working to build schools and help all Rwandans. When the genocide broke out, Wilkens didn't fit in either of the two classes that were fighting, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens decided that instead of fleeing the country like all other Americans, he would use his resources and connections to attempt to bring some peace and stability to some Rwandans. Wilkens saw this class conflict and decided he needed to help, he needed to do something and not just stand by.

The genocide that took place in Rwanda is obviously a class conflict that occured very far from home for readers in the United States and western hemisphere. However, it shows that class conflicts don't necessarily need to be a matter of rich vs. poor in the United States. As I mentioned in my previous blog, All Around the World, class conflicts are prevalent in every country and culture, and come in all shapes and sizes. Although this class conflict was far away, Americans could still make a difference, just as Wilkens did. See Wilkens' video below to learn more about his time in Rwanda.




I blogged about the class conflict, Hutus vs. Tutsis, because of the recent presentation in Academy. However, there are many more class conflicts occuring not only domestically as I have blogged about, but also abroad. One major one is the Darfur conflict in Sudan (learn about it here!) This class conflict is also killing many people, with over 5,000 people murdered a month. Although the Rwandan conflict is over, class conflict certainly is not. Americans must work to stop these conflicts from killing thousands, if not millions. As Wilkens suggested, Americans should write to their senators, asking them to move the Darfur genocide up on the agenda. Call the White House. Seriously, how cool is that? You get to call the White House and voice your request for the Darfur genocide to receive more attention. Call 202-456-1111 (the White House comment line!) to make a comment about Obama's agenda and mention the Darfur conflict. This is just one way for Americans to help. We can stop class conflict and the violence that accompanies it. The United States did not pay enough attention to the Rwandan genocide, so the world and Rwandans payed the price. We can change our ways and policies for the conflict in Darfur. I encourage all readers to expand their views and begin to consider class conflict on a larger scale than what is just happening in your city. Sometimes the conflicts abroad can be even more detrimental to our world as a whole. Let's all try to do our part to help solve conflict around the globe and save lives.

If you're interested in learning more about Carl Wilkens, his experiences and his foundation, please see http://worldoutsidemyshoes.org/