The Media Representation of Poverty in 'The Middle' and the Social Class of Heck Family

The Middle
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The Middle
Television is and has been a significant influence on people for a long time. The mass media, including television, shapes culture and public opinion. Social aspects are influenced by the portrayal of social class (Mantsios, 2003). Many people associate with television shows. I particularly have a soft spot for The Middle, an American sitcom about a middle-class family of five that maintains a good sense of humor amid chaos in their financial and mental stability. I resonate with this title because I come from a family of six, with parents who work to provide for our needs. Like many Americans, we spend an average of twenty-eight hours a week watching television. There are various class distinctions in the United States, which is the most highly stratified society  (Mantsios, 2003). This means that there are numerous inequities with regard to social class.
In The Middle, Frankie Heck uses her cynical wittiness and sense of humor to feed and take care of her husband and three kids. She is a dental assistant, and Mike, her husband, is a manager at the local quarry. Their jobs indicate a middle-class family who has to grind through everyday overwork that never gets easier. The media has portrayed this middle-class family as having hilarious struggles and challenges. In the real world, there is nothing hilarious or humorous about such struggles. The Heck family thrives in the middle of chaos, which is the center of the comedy and gives a good base for laughter. Even when they face the most crippling of life setbacks – including Mike...