How pathetic! I've heard of it happening in distinctly certainly-not-middle-class schools. Sounds very much like the reviewer was scraping the barrel in search of things to complain about, and probably has a grudge against the "superior middle and upper classes" too.
This thread is about 30 to 40 years too late!
There is priveledge and 'the right school/tie' etc. but it has nothing to do with class.. more 'last bastions'..
The class thing has pretty much gone, I think.
To broaden the subject slightly, what about class in American sitcoms. The vast majority seem to be about the middle classes (Friends, Seinfeld, Scrubs, Arrested Development, Will and Grace, The Cosby Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm), with only a few about blue collar workers (Roseanne, that thing with Grace in the title). It seems to me that vast swathes of America are consistently underrepresented in sitcoms across the pond. At least we have a stronger tradition of sitcoms featuring commoners (The Royale Family, Early Doors, Peter Kays stuff etc).
Quote: chipolata @ August 30, 2007, 10:17 AMTo broaden the subject slightly, what about class in American sitcoms. The vast majority seem to be about the middle classes (Friends, Seinfeld, Scrubs, Arrested Development, Will and Grace, The Cosby Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm), with only a few about blue collar workers (Roseanne, that thing with Grace in the title). It seems to me that vast swathes of America are consistently underrepresented in sitcoms across the pond. At least we have a stronger tradition of sitcoms featuring commoners (The Royale Family, Early Doors, Peter Kays stuff etc).
Upper middle class to lower upper class---Seinfeld (rich stand-up comedian), Scrubs (doctors on six figure incomes), The Cosby Show (doctor, six figure income), Curb Your Enthusiasm (rich TV sitcom creator), Frasier (rich radio show star)...
Working class---Taxi, Roseanne, Welcome Back Kotter, Barney Miller, All in the Family, Sandford & Son, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley...
Thanks to the overbearing obsession with "celebrity" everything has to look like Sex and the City or whatever.
Quote: Aaron @ August 29, 2007, 11:37 PMI'm not looking to identify with anything particularly in any character - just for it to be funny to me - but thinking about it, maybe there are aspects I relate to.
You said it there Aaron. Subconsciously you do relate to something in the character, not necessarily the class though but the human traits which are relatively independent of class.
Class may be important if the class you're in is favourably represented in the show and the classes above are falling on their ass.
Empathy Empathy Empathy. It only comes through relating personally to a character. That's why I despise Tyler Durdon in Fight Club because I see nothing in that person that I want to find reflected in my life.
I don't think it matters much these days, if it's funny people will watch. It just depends what your target audience is.
On a slightly different note, does the class of the society in a sitcom alter the type of techniques used? I can't imagine the absurdity and surrealism of a mighty boosh or father ted being in keeping up appearences for example.
Tyler Durden is one of my favourite film characters ever I prefer the narrator though in fight club.
There isn't as much of a class devide anymore I argee make me laugh and I'll watch.
I think Keeping up Appearances is the best example. You have this awful middle class woman who really wants to be upper class but just isn't and quite clearly there are parts where she is working class. There have been some excellent working class sitcoms: On the Buses, Till Death us do Part and Steptoe and Son (where in a 1960's general election the Labour candidate Harold Wilson postponed an episode with fear voters would stay in and watch it rather than vote for Labour). Also there have been some good middle class comedies such as The Good Life and Barbara.
one of my favourite sitcom pairings was Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson - a beautifully observed and written analysis of class. Mainwaring the middle class bank manager in a position of power, constantly losing out to Sergeant Wilson's upper class effortless charm.
Rigsby and Philip also.
interesting that in both these relationships it was the upper class character who usually won out.
Down right. Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier are a dream team. Dads Army- in my opinion Britains best sitcom.
Quote: SlagA @ September 6, 2007, 4:55 PM...and the classes above are falling on their ass.
Or lower.
It's funny, but I think that's a huge difference between Brits and Yanks. You guys (for those of you who are British) have a consciousness of class, whereas we (New Worlders) haven't that distinction. Call someone "common" in America and watch them look puzzled as if that's supposed to be an insult. Maybe it originates back to the first settlers, when class and privilege had no bearing on survival. Fields had to be plowed and the chickens fed (so to speak). Americans don't usually begrudge the upper classes because in American culture because it's usually based on their hard work and spirit (protestant work ethic).
That's because all Americans are common. *looks down nose*
Quote: Leevil @ September 13, 2007, 12:54 AMThat's because all Americans are common. *looks down nose*
You mean they're socialist! 