Class Dismissed - How TV Frames the Working Class

TV's disturbing depictions of working class people as social deviants - In Collaboration with London Indymedia

Cinema Politica London
Thursday October 16, 2008
Screening begins 14h15
Venue: Landon Library - Wortley Village

USA / 2007 / 62

In Collaboration with London Indymedia.

Based on the forthcoming book by Pepi Leistyna, Class Dismissed navigates the steady stream of narrow working class representations from American television's beginnings to today's sitcoms, reality shows, police dramas, and daytime talk shows. Featuring interviews with media analysts and cultural historians, this documentary examines the patterns inherent in TV's disturbing depictions of working class people as either clowns or social deviants -- stereotypical portrayals that reinforce the myth of meritocracy. Class Dismissed breaks important new ground in exploring the ways in which race, gender, and sexuality intersect with class, offering a more complex reading of television's often one-dimensional representations. The video also links television portrayals to negative cultural attitudes and public policies that directly affect the lives of working class people.

Co-produced and Written by: Loretta Alper & Pepi Leistyna
Edited by: Jeremy Smith

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