Portraying Working-Class Males In Popular Culture

Portraying working-class males in popular culture on television is a complicated endeavor. For decades these characters were portrayed as one-dimensional often ridiculous caricatures who seemed to contribute little to society. Instead they provided a type of comic relief that, unfortunately, also created problematic stereotypes about working-class males. However more recent television, particularly, in the genre of reality shows, demonstrates that blue-collar men are no longer perceived in this way. Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch reveals that working-class males are being represented as hard-working icons, trying to achieve the American Dream. When the show first started it existed in a sea of Trump-like apprentices vying for lucrative