A Touch of Class
Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 03:55 PM
Inspired by a positive review in the New York Times, one of us just caught the new reality show on Fox, “Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy” and can’t stop going on about it. In the episode rebroadcast last night, the two mothers live in such disparate worlds: black vs. white, S.U.V. vs. sedan, rap vs. country, and most especially, rich vs. scraping-by. If Americans dismiss class differences as immaterial, then why is it almost painful to see the look on Al-Mela’s face when she sees how much her “adopted” family has just spent on a sushi dinner or the size of the closets in the McMansion she’s temporarily calling home? Who knew (did the producers?) that such a fascinating sociological study of race and, especially, class in America could sneak in under the guise of low-brow “reality TV.” Is that really why these shows are so popular? Are we really starved for civics lessons?
What do you think? Let us know if you buy that theory.
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