The Class Meme

[dreamshark]

Since people are actually discussing this one, maybe it's interesting enough to publish my own. .
No scoring is suggested, but I'm pretty sure the results suggest the obvious - my background is solidly middle class, but back in the days before middle class households had multiple phones and TVs in all the bedrooms.

Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
Were the same or higher class than your high school teacher [I guess. Still not sure I understand the question. There were teachers in my family]
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home [I never counted, but probably]
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 [swimming, piano and horseback riding.]
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively [I can't think of any "people in the media" that look and talk like me.]
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 [But I was the oldest.]
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
There was original art in your house when you were a child
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single-family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family [but my Dad was always turning the heat down to save on heating bills]

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I can't think of any "people in the media" that look and talk like me.

This means white, with a dialect that is not characterized poorly in the media.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

It's plausible that this is what they had in mind, but I so totally do NOT identify with the pretty young people I see on TV that this didn't even occur to me. I'm sorry, but Buffy does not "look or talk like me." Not not not. The only people that I remember seeing on TV that talk like me are the ones on the West Wing, and none of them LOOK like me. As Carol said, you just don't see very many large, middle-aged women in TV or movies, and when you do they are usually played by Kathy Bates (and not in a flattering way).

Probably the best fit for a media personality that is "like me" would be Oprah. Large, middle-aged, mouthy and smart. But wait! She's black! So I guess I'm not allowed to identify with her, right?

See why this is a stupid question?

C'mon! I'ts original! Who cares that no one would watch?

[mle292.livejournal.com]

Good point.

I think that they're trying to refer to the stereotype you are presented as in the media, not who you identify with, but I get what you're saying.

There is a sad shortage of large, middle-aged action heroes. I saw one on the Doctor Who 2006 series, but she died off quick.

The Sarah Jane Adventures has a skinny middle-aged action hero.

I think I'll write a TV series with an ensemble cast of middle aged women who are scientists by day (experimental robotics laboratory, experimental chemical laboratory, experimental explosives laboratory) by day and are action heroes by night.

Re: C'mon! I'ts original! Who cares that no one would watch?

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

"I think that they're trying to refer to the stereotype you are presented as in the media, not who you identify with, but I get what you're saying."

It's hard to write questions that work for more than one audience, so I'm trying not to be too hard on these people. But that question is a perfect example of a survey question that is written to elicit a specific answer, which makes it a bad question. At best, it is meaningless to a large portion of the respondees. At worst, it amounts to "leading the witness" and in this case it leads everybody in a racist direction.

There are many characteristics I could focus on when deciding which characters in a TV show are "like me." For me, the most significant ones are probably age, intelligence/education level, physical condition and sex. I wasn't just being difficult when I came up with Oprah as the media personality most like myself - she's the best match I could think of. I certainly don't blame people for thinking of race/ethnic origin first when identifying with people they see in the media, but I deeply resent being PUSHED to think of that as the most important thing.

A question that makes the assumption that out of all the characteristics people see as integral to who they are, the two most important are race and regional dialect is pushing a particular world view, and it is not a helpful world view, IMHO.

"There is a sad shortage of large, middle-aged action heroes."
I'm sure that's one reason I enjoyed "The Incredibles" so much.

"I think I'll write a TV series with an ensemble cast of middle aged women who are scientists by day (experimental robotics laboratory, experimental chemical laboratory, experimental explosives laboratory) by day and are action heroes by night."

Yay! Go for it!