Framing Class

Kendall argues that the media fuels an existent problem in our society. It is my belief that this problem is one that has existed for a long time, certainly in American society, and perhaps other cultures as well, although I can't speak to that. Unfortunately however, the problem has gotten worse in recent years as the outpouring of new media outlets has provided us with a particular image of the upper class. They make us believe that wealth is something to be aspired to at the exclusion of all else. I do believe that having this goal as one of many is not in and of itself bad. However, I can still vividly recall numerous career days at my old schools where when asked what they wanted to do when they grow older, many a child would reply "I want to become wealthy". The idea has become so ingrained in the American psyche that people often associate this trait with Americans, something which has been positive and derogatory effects upon us as a nation and a people. On the one hand, it inspires people to aspire to a circumstance better than their own. On the negative side, it causes the media to portray the lower class as "lazy" or "incompetent" for their failure to climb the social ladder - despite the fact that such a climb is quite often just one wrung out of reach for the less fortunate.