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Gossip Girl is a Television show that illustrates the lives of the higher class striving in the Upper East side of Manhattan. The characters live a classy life anyone would dream to have, so they may think. This ideal life is centered around the importance of social class and wealth that it drives the characters to turn against each other. It brings light to the fact that the poor are ignored and only the issues of the elite are welcomed. Although many people enjoy Gossip Girl, it is centered around the aspects of the struggles that money can’t bring happiness, making simple problems of the wealthy strenuous and degrading the poor.
There is a large gap in the differences between the middle class of the characters such as Jenny and Dan Humphrey and then the upper class of Blair, Serena, Nate and Chuck. The elite class lives in the upper east side of Manhattan in spectacular penthouses and it always gloried in the show. Then there is the middle class that lives in small stingy apartments in
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Brooklyn that is brought down upon by the elite. Cultural forum is the process rather than the product and the discussion rather than indoctrination. In gossip girl, the elite would rather be given the product of wealth and fancy things than know what it is like to struggle to get what you want with process like the middle class. They are so quick to judge those in the lower class, yet they have no idea what it is like to work for what you have. This leads the characters to only understand the standards of money and think this defines a person for who they are and that money defines your status. The elite believe having money makes you more important and valuable. When in reality, a good person tends to be those in the middle class who are not selfish and believe more in the person’s true self and not what they are worth money wise. This is shown in the show with how whenever the higher class comes around the middle class, they are looked at with disgust and say they would never be caught going to Brooklyn with them. This is because the middle class does not have wealth in the way to only focus on the money aspect of a person and they focus on the personality they hold. The elite class is so worried about social status and money they firmly look down on the middle class simply due to money. In Gossip Girl, the characters tend to lose focus on what is truly important. Lily, Serena’s mom, she lives off of wealth of her multiple husbands and has failed all of her marriages. Not only has she failed her love relationships, but the relationships with her kids as well. Lily lives off of other people’s money and still spends not time with her family. Then there is Blair’s Mom, Eleanor Waldorf, who has made a career for herself by being a fashion designer and works hard, however she still has left Blair behind many times for her social events and job in the higher society that she has prioritized over her daughter. This is disappointing to see parents treat their kids like these when they have so much success in their lives and they still put this social setting over their kids, setting them up to be selfish like them when they are older. Then there is Rufus Humphrey, Dan’s dad, he is a single father who works vigorously to send his two kids to a prep school to give them a better life he couldn’t have. He is giving up everything he can to support his kids and still finds times to give them love and support. This demonstrates that those who have less, are the ones who give more. Lily and Eleanor make little to know time for their family when they have so much to utilize to support their kids while Rufus has barely anything and would give everything he has to show his love to his kids. Still, Lily and Eleanor judge people such as Rufus who are nothing but kind people hoping to strive in society. Social status is so concerned about in Gossip Girl it causes the characters to lose focus of who they are. The way they act, talk and treat other people is always altered based on money. The show revolves around sex, money, drugs and love conflicts. All of the issues the wealthy characters run it, is always dragged out more than it should be. There are much bigger problems people are dealing with all over the world, and their biggest problem that day is something someone wrote about enduring a character kissing another character or a dance coming up. These problems of the rich are dwelled on so deeply while the show tries to bring to light slightly how non-elites join the education system of the elites with difficulty. It brings light depicting how in American Society there is a gap in education success base off of social status. The show demonstrates the struggles these middle class students face in the education world, however it is not put to the measure of importance of an issue with someone in the elite class is. The elite even try to pretend to care for the poor by going to classy charity galas to help others, while it really is the higher class does it for social perks. The elite wants to make themselves feel better and increase their positive publicity by pretending they aren’t stuck up upper-class citizens. They only go to these events to for their own social needs rather than working to help those actually in need. The of life of the poor does not matter. The middle class is ignored simply because they are poor compared to the magnificent upper class.
The middle class is forgotten and the elite does not even realize they go to the same school as them. The middle class is excluded from events such as the kiss on the lips party or even in conversations at school. When the middle class speaks, the upper class does not value their opinion and throws a rude remark back to them for talking. In Gossip Girl, Dan, the boy from the middle class is supposed to go to the ball with the elite class girl Serena. Serena’s grandmother tries to pay off Dan to not go to the ball with Serena. She is trying to separate them because due to his lack of money and she thinks of him as trash. Her grandmother knows they have deep feelings for each other, so she tries to use her power of money to get rid of Dan. She is abusing her wealth of money for selfish matters of paying off her granddaughter’s boyfriend for what she wants and not what Serena
wants. Gossip girl does give a happy ending for all of the characters. They give an unrealistic perception that if you don’t have money you can still end up successful. This is not a standard to go by because after these characters going through all that they do for 6 seasons it is merely impossible. It is also only one character from the middle class that does get accepted into the elite circle. Still, the characters that started off with money, ended up with their perfect life they were drawn out to have since they were born with their trust funds. Gossip Girl overall shines light on the issues of social class in society. The ideals is that everyone should be able to reach the American Dream, but everyone’s way of reaching this is different when you start in a different social class. This gap between the middle and upper class will only worsen, and set back more people in society as time continues, leading less people to achieve their hopes and wishes. People need to care more about helping others, rather than focus on exceeding their personal reflection on society. This way, more people can be like Dan Humphrey and make their way into the elite group in society.
For example, Dally is one of the poor greasers from the east side of the city, and Bob is a very rich Soc from the west side of the city. Dally, being a greaser from the east side of the city, has very little material wealth. Ponyboy states about all the greasers, “We’re poorer than the Socs and the middle class” (3). What little money Dally has he earns riding in local rodeos. He does not even own a car, but borrows Buck Merill’s when he needs one. In fact, Dally does not even have a permanent home. Ponyboy states that Dally “lived anywhere he could” (105). Therefore, Dally is an underprivileged greaser with little money and few possessions. On the contrary, Bob Sheldon is one of the extremely rich Socs from the west side of the city. Bob has no reason to work because everything he wants is handed to him by his affluent parents. Ponyboy describes the Socs, Bob’s click, as “the jet set, the West-side rich kids” (2). The Socs all seem to drive around in expensive sports cars and wear costly madras clothing, and Bob is no exception. Randy states that Bob’s parents “‘spoiled him rotten’” (116). Unlike Dally, Bob has everything he wants. Money and material things are not a concern. Clearly, financial circumstances set these two
The economic health in the play is stable for the most part. Austin is a member of the middle class. This is demonstrated through the fact that he has a family, house, car, and producer. Lee is in the lower class, which is suggested by his need to steal from other people. The job Saul has and the fact he plays golf indicates that he is a member of the upper class. Finally, Mom is a part of the lower upper class or upper middle class. This is shown through the nice place that she is living in and the nice gated community that surrounds
But I think this book is more for those people who aren’t that aware of social class, or for the ones who feel that we live in a society that is classless, rather than the actual people who have realized the consequences that class really has on someone’s life. Many people can relate to what stories are told in the book; if not, they know of a person that can relate to these stories. As a person that grew up in the lower class, I can definitely relate to most of the stories told in this book. From experience, there is a big difference in this country between the rich, middle class, and the poorest that we see daily. Even those in the so-called working class have to make continuous sacrifices and live very differently from those positioned firmly in the middle class.
America is divided into two main groups, rich or poor. There is some grey area among these groups which is referred to as the middle class. The problem with the middle class is that most people think they belong in the middle class because they do not want to associate themselves with neither rich nor poor; there are stigmas attached to each side of the spectrum.
The media portrays the upper class as something to strive for. Obtaining wealth and material possessions will bring you a happy life. The only way to get ahead is to emulate the rich and powerful and to live vicariously through them (Kendall 316). The media’s emphasis on the upper class takes away from people living life for themselves. Instead, they are persuaded to obtain a lifestyle that is realistically out of their means. Kendall states, “Largely through marketing and advertising, television promoted the myth of the classless society, offering on one hand the images of the American dream fulfilled wherein any and everyone can become rich and on the other suggesting that the lived experience of this lack of class hierarchy was expressed by our equal right to purchase anything we could afford”. Exaggerated views of the rich and successful in America are largely portrayed via television. Which gives a false idea of what happiness, wealth and material possessions can bring (Kendall 317). The poor and homeless are at the bottom of the class structure and are often overlooked, ignored and only portrayed as deserving of sympathy. They are stereotyped to be people who have problems such as drugs or alcohol (Kendall 318). Kendall goes on to explain that the middle class is considered the “working class” and are
The emerging inequitable class systems and antagonisms of the nineteen twenties saw the traditional order and moral values challenged, as well as the creation of great wealth for few and poverty for many. The Great Gatsby, written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, explores the causes and effects of the unbalanced class structures. Fitzgerald outlines the idea that the desire to accumulate wealth and status is a common ambition amongst the lower classes; when that desire is reached, the traditional upper class is challenged by the emerging newly wealthy, which finally leads to destructive consequences. By creating rigid class structures, traditional upper class, new wealth, and the poor in The Great Gatsby, it is shown that the desire to further or maintain socio-economic status leads to immoral behaviour such as criminal activity, adultery, and murder.
From high school girls desperately trying to be one of cool kids in school to corporate warriors rubbing elbows for that next promotion, nearly everyone has fantasized about being a part of the “in crowd”. What is it that makes the bonds and barriers of “in crowd” so unbreakable? Through sharing stories and reaching conclusions through discussion of those stories, members of small groups develop a common bond that shapes their social reality. An example of this bond is prominent in the CW’s hit show, Gossip Girl, which focuses on the world of high society elite at a private high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. Circumstances in Gossip Girl show how concepts in symbolic convergence describe the formation of group bonds and their effect on the group’s and individual group member’s interaction with the outside world. Before analyzing this, one must be knowledgeable about the basic components of symbolic convergence and have a general understanding of the show’s premise and plot line.
Diversity is part of the American lifestyle. America is a country built on capitalistic principles, where a countries’ economy is controlled by a small number of people. People who tend to have power in the society tend to separate themselves from the rest. Looking back at different time period of American history diversity has shaped up the lives we live as Americans, whether it is because of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, socioeconomic background, and capabilities/ disabilities, there is always diversity in society. Although, diversity is increasingly being viewed positively, and as much as people are proud of their differences. There will always be a way for human beings to diversify themselves into groups in which share similar interests.
There are eight classes in America consisting of the rich elite, very rich-upper class, lower-upper class, upper-middle class, middle class, working class, working poor and the underclass. The percentages of families in the various classes as established by Gilbert are thought to be 1.4 percent in the upper top class, 1.6 percent in the lower top class. 1...
Society today is split in many different ways: the smart and the dumb, the pretty and the ugly, the popular and the awkward, and of course the rich and the poor. This key difference has led to many areas of conflict among the population. The rich and the poor often have different views on issues, and have different problems within their lives. Moral decay and materialism are two issues prevalent among the wealthy, while things such as socio-economic class conflict and the American dream may be more important to those without money. Ethics and responsibilities are an area of thought for both classes, with noblesse oblige leaning more towards the wealthy.
It is believed that American people in the lower and middle classes have needs for status mobility. For example, when browsing through a fashion magazine, one can find numerous sections that are dedicated to creating ways to look like the featured model or actress for half the price. The intention of the article, in most cases, is to give others the impression that you are of high social status. In addition, advertisers often use people in the entertainment business to model their products so that the viewer may purchase the product. For example, when mimicking the purchases of hotel heiress, Paris Hilton one may believe, “If I buy this, I’ll look cool just like Paris Hilton!” The fact that this method is usually successful is a product of the anxiety felt by lower and middle class families. For those reasons, it is likely that Domhoff’s statement that the upper class “creates respect, envy, and deference in others,” is true. It seems that many of America’s lower and middle class families would like to create those same feelings of respect and envy in others.
“Money is the root of all evil”(Levit). Man and his love of money has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Men have fought in wars over money, given up family relationships for money and done things they would have never thought that they would be capable of doing because of money. In the movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author demonstrates how the love and worship of money and all of the trappings that come with it can destroy lives. In the novel Jay Gatsby has lavish parties, wears expensive gaudy clothes, drives fancy cars and tries to show his former love how important and wealthy he has become. He believes a lie, that by achieving the status that most Americans, in th...
“There is a wide belief that Americans are less class conscious than Europeans” (Vanneman). Because the United States consumes more than any other country, the global economy relies on our consumption. “The middle class is an ambiguous social classification, broadly reflecting the ability to lead a comfortable life” (Kharas). During the industrial revolution, there were aristocrat traditions in royalty, class, and rank in Europe. In America, the industrial revolution was coming of a wealthy nation. The United States is has a two party system, Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats wanted more people in the middle class, mainly blacks and immigrants. The Republicans wanted to protect the people who were already in the middle class, whites, and successful working people. The middle class in America is sometimes threatened by its own success. “The definition of the middle class is the people of generic roots like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Robert Johnson, and Sam Walton can become billionaires” (Hockenberry). Not everyone who is in the middle class can become a billionaire and using their stories as an example is the death of the American
All throughout the movie social class is a problem. Social class is the division of classes based on social, economic, and achieved status. All of the events on the ship are broken down based on which social class each person falls under. The upper class were those who were on a luxury trip, and
The way Dickens describes the upper class relates to the country today. This dissociation of upper and lower class is prevalent today and this is an issue that keeps growing. In my opinion, it is an ongoing fact that the rich are the ones getting richer while the poor are just getting poorer. America, is known for the county you can succeed in and make something of yourself. Instead many people work hard their whole life just to