I watch TV to be entertained. I watch Gossip Girl, a show about the rich in NYC and I also watch The Office, a show about members of middle class working in a seemingly mundane office. I recognize that some TV shows might spin things a certain way or put things in a certain viewpoint but I watch them because they entertain me, not because I view them as reality or because I identify with them.
I can honestly say however that shows about white trash are funny and amusing because they are more often than not, true. People laugh because most people have seen a version of "white trash" before. People who are inappropriate in public, lack discipline and, for lack of a better phrase, lack class. I was taught to be socially acceptable - be clean and presentable, never make a scene, don't whine, don't swear, etc. And because these things are socially acceptable, it's a good bet that a large majority of people are taught these rules and follow them. Those who don't follow these rules risk being looked down upon. While I try not to judge people, it certainly doesn't make me want to address someone or introduce myself to them when they are breaking social rules. In fact it makes me want to make sure I don't know them.
Concerning the video we watched in class and online, I agree that TV shows do show some women in poor light, as well as minorities. However I think times are changing and ultimately these things are shown on TV because there is a thread of truth in them. Yes, there are mothers who are successful but there are most likely more working single mothers that are struggling. Similarly, there may be a large portrayal of blacks being involved in crime, but the hard facts are that 70% of prison inmates are black which is probably why it is on TV that they are often committing the crime.
I don't think a large majority of people watch TV shows to see what they already know, they watch them to be entertained. I honestly think if you are heavily influenced by a TV show to the point that it changes your opinion about class, then you didn't have an idea about class or reality in the first place.
