Essay #3: Class in Popular Culture

In the chapter, “In Fiction, a Long History of Fixation on the Social Gap,” Charles McGrath claims, “On television and in the movies now, and even in the pages of novels, people tend to dwell in a classless, homogenized, American Never-Never Land” (192). For this essay, I would like you to investigate this claim. Please choose one television show or movie that you know well (you most likely will want/need to re-watch it!) and look at how class is portrayed in the text.

For this essay, you must:

  • Discuss the portrayal of class in a film or TV program of your choice (a popular culture “text”) using specific examples and details.
  • Establish a clear thesis that makes an argument about how class is portrayed in this text.
  • Include (and properly cite & discuss) at least one quote from McGrath’s article.
  • Include an introduction, a clear organizational scheme, and a conclusion.

Step 1: Brainstorming Possibilities

What TV shows do you regularly watch? What are your favorite movies, or movies you own, or have recently seen? What springs to mind when you think about the social/economic class(es) of the major characters in these texts? I recommend reviewing several different possibilities before choosing one. Talk to your classmates and friends, or do some browsing on the internet for possibilities.

Step 2: Choosing a Text

You need to choose JUST ONE movie or TV show. If you choose a TV show, you will probably want to focus in on just one or two episodes, although you could certainly mention elements and details from multiple episodes. Please talk to me before you make a final decision; you can mention your choice in class or send me an e-mail. Make sure you choose a text that you are confident you have something to talk about. You can choose a current text or an older one, so long as you are confident that you know enough about it (either from memory or because you can access it now) to write with lots of details and specifics from the program.

Step 3: Collecting Ideas and Evidence

Quickly write down what comes to mind about class in this program. I strongly recommend that you re-watch the program so that you can get details. Think about the way characters talk and dress, their educational backgrounds, their jobs, where they live, and any other markers of class that we’ve talked about or read about. Dig into multiple characters, and see what evidence you can compile about them.

Step 4: Crafting an argument.

Once you have lots of evidence and examples, you should be able to see what it is you might argue about this text. There are many possible directions for this essay. Here are just a few:

  • talk about the visibility or invisibility of class in a particular show.
  • compare two characters within the show who are of the same or different class.
  • explore how “accurate” you think the show’s portrayal of class is.
  • look at what characters say (or don’t say) about their class.
  • Reveal clues about class that are contradictory within a character or show

Step 5: Integrating McGrath

You need to engage with the Class Matters essay by McGrath at some point in your essay. You are also welcome to integrate quotes from other essays in our Class Matters text, but for this version, please focus on engaging with the McGrath essay.

Due dates:

Tuesday October 20th: Exploratory Draft

Thursday October 22nd or Tuesday October 27th: Mid-Process draft due at your conference

Tuesday November 3rd: Final Version

College Writing Essay #3: Class in Popular Culture

Paper Author:______Paper Title:______

Needs work / Acceptable / Well Done
Content: Essay contains specific details and examples from the chosen cultural text. The text is properly described and explained, and put in context (time period, etc.).
Using Sources: Essay uses (and properly cites) the McGrath essay and engages with it. Essay properly cites material from the film or TV program.
Introduction: The first line of the essay should grab the reader’s attention. The paragraph should introduce concepts (including the text) to be discussed in the essay.
Thesis: The Introduction should end with a clear thesis that gives the reader a “roadmap” to the paper that follows.
Organization: There should be a clear organizational scheme. Paragraphs should be coherent and lead logically from one to the next with transitions and connections.
Conclusion: Paper topic is wrapped up at the end, final connections and evaluations are made. The conclusion should do more than repeat the thesis; say something new here.
Audience: Essay shows a sense of its audience and purpose, using appropriate tone and conventions.
Expression: The expression is clear, accessible, and concrete. Use of appropriate level of discourse, diction, idiom, and variety of sentence structure.
Revision: Multiple drafts show substantial revision. (Note that multiple drafts, peer response sheets, etc. must be included in order for this to be evaluated.)
Copy-editing: Grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc. should be of publication quality for the final draft.
Completion of Assignment: Was the paper turned in on time? Is the final version formatted correctly? Were all drafts, notes, peer response and associated short writings included in the folder? Is there a cover letter?

Marshall CW I Fall 2009 Class in Popular Culture