Consumerism In Roseanne

Throughout the first four weeks of class we have learned a lot of background on the history of television, and the elements/representations of society television had hidden in a variety of shows. For this paper, I watch two episodes of Roseanne, which aired on ABC from 1988-1997, to answer a question & statement. The question is, “How class and consumerism represented within the show?” Secondly, I will discuss the time of the show and how it includes these representations. I’ll give specific answers from the show and other sources to help support my argument. In the two episodes of Roseanne, it shows the family in the late 1980’s living in a working-class environment because of their income, always worrying about money, the clothes/belongings

In my opinion, the more expensive it is the more well off you are, and you are most likely represented in the middle or upper class. You see that in the “Mall Story” episode of Roseanne when Roseanne pressures Dan to get new shoes disregarding the price, and Roseanne’s daughter Becky wanting to get a new dress for the dance. The problem is Becky wants the $79 dress to look popular, but Roseanne said they couldn’t afford it leaving Becky in a terrible mood. In the end Dan returns his $79 pair of shoes to buy the dress for Becky. This shows that even though the family is low on money, they do what they must do to make Becky feel popular with her dress. Another example of consumerism is the episode “We’re in the Money,” Becky is showing of her new tight jeans that all the “Popular,” girls where at school. The rest of the family are wearing average clothes like flannels, old jeans, and old shoes like Dan in the “Mall Story,” episode. Most upper-class families consume more elegant, fancy, and expensive goods; like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where they talk/act with elegance and class. In the next paragraph, I will discuss the portray of the male role, and how it would relate to a working-class

According to the reading Upper-Lower-Middle-Class Types, during the early 1980’s it was all about the upper-middle class sitcoms, what they called nuclear families, which is a close-knit family (Henry, pg. 139). But by the late 1980’s /early 90’s working-class sitcoms began to win the television world. Roseanne changed the game in that time era, by she really encouraged the idea of women in the work force, and it showed in the episodes by she was working and a dominant figure in the household (Class Dismissed). I believe the time period and setting had a lot to do with the working-class environment in Roseanne. In a New York Times article, it talks about how show was based in a factory town in Illinois, and the economy was either average or below average (Morris, Wesley). That’s a prime example why Roseanne was considered living in a working-class