Class Theory

Marxist View

“The media is controlled by the ruling classes and they use it to support their power.” (social grade B and C – middle class white straight men.)

Medhurst 1997 – “They are awful because they’re not like us.”

They take the piss out of everybody that doesn’t fit into their little world.

Richard Butsch (1992) – Working class males in the media are presented as “incompetent, and ineffectual, often a buffoon, well-intentioned but dumb. In almost all working class series, the male is flawed, some more than others.

Keith Gandall (2007) – “Whenever you have a narrative with upper class, middle class and lower class, there is often social ruin.” “Sentimental rags-to-riches story” (eg poor boy meets rich girl)