Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class (2005)

In the eye-opening documentary, Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class, we embark on a journey through the history of American television and its portrayal of the working class. Sailing through an unending river of stereotypes from the earliest sitcoms to today's reality shows, police dramas, and talk shows, the film illuminates the media's alarming portrayal of the working class as either comedic buffoons or social misfits. Guided by the insights of media analysts and cultural historians, the documentary delves into the deeply ingrained patterns of these troubling portrayals, highlighting their role in upholding the myth of meritocracy. Class Dismissed pioneers a groundbreaking exploration of how television's often oversimplified representations intersect with race, gender, and sexuality, painting a more intricate picture of the working class. Notably, the film establishes a connection between these biased portrayals and detrimental cultural attitudes and public policies that directly impact the lives of working-class people. Featuring enlightening interviews with esteemed scholars such as Stanley Aronowitz, Barbara Ehrenreich, Herman Gray, Robin Kelley, Pepi Leistyna, and Michael Zweig, along with several others, Class Dismissed unravels the complex threads of class representation on television. Unveiling the truth behind the screen, this documentary delivers a powerful commentary on media influences and the persistent misrepresentation of the working class, leaving viewers to question the realities they consume daily on their television screens.

Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class is a documentary movie featuring Stanley Aranowitz and directed by Loretta Alper.

Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.