The Sounds of Mistresses

 

Music is a powerful tool.  It sets a tone and can instantly change a mood.  It can transport the listener back in time.  Superfans of The Sopranos could tell you that “Don’t Stop Believin” was playing when the series concluded.  The screen abruptly cut to black after the words “don’t stop.”  In that scene, as well as in others, the music is carefully selected to aid in the meaning making process.  In this essay, I will explain how the musical selections in the finale for the show Mistresses were able to enhance the viewer’s understanding of the characters, foreshadow that something bad was going to happen, and manipulate the audiences’ feelings by taking them on an emotional rollercoaster by using uplifting and depressing music.

 

Anything could happen.  The four main characters were facing uncertainty in their lives.  All of the choices they had made or were about to make were going to have major ramifications on their lives.  The first scene of the final episode begins with up-tempo Synthpop music.  It sets the mood.  A hand reached out to test the water temperature in the shower.  My first thought was, “This is totally going to be a sex scene.”  I was wrong. The person in the shower came into focus.  It was Karen, the psychiatrist, with a calm look on her face.  In the previous episode she was completely devastated because she found out her medical license was suspended for six months.  Later, her business partner confessed he was the one that had turned her into the board and that when her suspension was up she was going to have to find another practice to work at. #Betrayed. The camera cuts to the next scene as a female voice began singing “Stripped to the waist we fall into the river…”  The song was “Anything Could Happen” and could not have been a more appropriate choice.  April, the store owner, was lying in bed about to fall asleep when she became fixated on the picture of her ex-husband on the night stand.  With a quizzical look on her face, she flipped it over.  She was trying to decide whether she should take him back after he faked his death and disappeared for 3 years.  Next up is Joss.  She was pacing in her room while calling her sister’s estranged husband trying to get back the paternity test results he stole from her room in the previous episode.  And last not but least Savi, the center of the show, made an appearance.  It was her birthday and someone sent her a bouquet of flowers with an unsigned card.  Who were they from!  Were they from her estranged husband she had finally decided to let go of or were they from the hunk that might have impregnated her?  Cue the song ending with some high pitched screeching notes and the audience got just as excited to find out who the flowers were from.

 

            Oh no you didn’t. The girls met at April’s store to celebrate Savi’s birthday. There was the faintest song playing in the background. Most of the words were impossible to hear, but the song is called “Oh my” and ‘oh’ and ‘my’ are about all that is detectable.  The girls did not send the flowers. Uh oh.  It just had to be one of the guys!  More oh my moments followed.  Savi admitted that kissed the guy she had an affair with!  April admitted she made out with her ex-husband and was considering taking him back!  After the girls piled on her and warned her she would be making a mistake, she called them out on their lying and cheating.  The music starts to get a little dark, slow and suspenseful.  The moment Joss changed the subject the music got a little higher and mischievous.

            The signal that danger is on the horizon is characterized by ascending sound and pulsation.  Dark music is played when Karen finds out her nemesis is crazy.  The music becomes louder and starts to pulsate when Karen is the center of an argument between the mother (the nemesis) and son of one of her former patients.  As the son walks through the house looking for his mother the slow music accented with chimes picks up pace.  When he discovers the gun is missing, the music crescendos.

            The final ten minutes of the episode was where the manipulation occurs.  Ironically, a song called “Saturday Smile” was meant to evoke sadness.  Savi had been in a bad car accident and was in critical condition.  She survived and so did her baby.  Her estranged husband rushed to the hospital.  He knew that he was not the father, but after he saw her so close to death he decided that he chose her.  He was now willing to help raise another man’s child.  As he stroked her hair, the song began to play, “I've stolen all the stars to make a wish we can fly. Away, away up high to that old place in time.”  Yes, he was willing to take her back.  The camera cuts to the emergency room and April’s (back from the dead) husband was consoling her and Savi went over to lend support to her sister’s baby’s daddy.  But wait, there’s more.  The earlier foreshadowing of danger came through.  Karen is being held hostage by her former patient’s ex-wife.  She wanted to force her into committing suicide. The son broke into Karen’s place to try to save her.  His mother admitted she killer her father.  Shit got real!  He lunged at her.  “Saturday Smile resumed.  “I think it's love. That gets us through. All our goodbyes. So when we die. Think of love. I'll think of love. And thoughts of you. To lay me down. I think it's love.”  Someone got shot! And while the song is playing, back in the hospital, Savi began to flatline!

            As you can see, music plays a big part in how a TV show can make us feel.  It tells the intent of the character by playing music.  It sets a mood by bring a high energy song or a slow paced one.  It makes laughter possible or crying.  Mistresses succeeded in enhancing the show’s meaning by having good use of sound and a good song selection that sometimes had double meaings.

“The Real Housewives”

I’ve never really been into the shows that the Bravo network features. Recently my girlfriend has been watching the Real Housewives series. In these shows, housewives have unlimited amounts of money, lives full of drama, and women acting like teenagers. As I watched these shows, I couldn’t help but notice how unrealistic these “real housewives” are. The real housewives series may be entertaining to watch with all the glitz, glamour, and drama but the show misrepresents women as a whole by glorifying their wealth, drama, and the way that they act. The real housewives of Atlanta also misrepresents black women by showing loud and angry women that fight all the time and like to start arguments, that happen to be black as well.

            Representations of identity help define what culture thinks is normal for a particular group, how behaviors and traits fit into a societies shared common sense (Mittell). When I think of housewives in the U.S. I think of women who stay at home because they have obligations to stay in the house. This may be to take care of the children or just take care of the home. The Real Housewives don’t fit into what we think of when we think of an average housewife. Their behaviors and traits don’t fit into the societies shared common sense of housewives. Average women don’t live the glamorous lives these women do.

            One thing that stands out to me about this show is how much money these women are able to spend. All of the women featured in the shows are very well off and spend money on trips, gifts for their children, and shopping trips for themselves. Normal, average American women are not able to take a trip whenever they please, they are not able to take a shopping trip for themselves and spend thousands of dollars, and most women do not buy $75,000 cars for their child’s 16^th birthdays.

The Real Housewives are full of drama, it seems like every episode one of the women are arguing and fighting with another cast member. Every time I watch the show it makes me want to laugh because it’s funny how much drama they have in their lives. They are all supposed to be friends but it seems like they all hate each other and are always talking about each other behind their backs. Most women in America are not in a confrontation as often as these women are. It seems like they are not able to control their emotions and care too much about what each other say about each other. The average American women have other things that they are concerned with and are not talking bad about their friends behind their back, so this is another way that this series badly represents women.

Another thing that does not accurately represent women is how the cast act. The way that the women act on the shows reminds me of high school girls. They over react about little issues, they crave attention and will do whatever they need to do to get the attention they want, they hold grudges against each other, and they act like friends but talk about each other behind their backs. One example I can think of about holding grudges is when Teressa and Melissa from the New Jersey show hold a grudge against each other for pretty much no reason. I would think that most women at their age would be mature enough to not act the way that the women do on the show and would be able to talk out their differences. This is another example of how the show misrepresents women.

Many people find The Real Housewives of Atlanta stereotype black women and find the show to be offensive. This show features many of the same aspects that the other housewives series do but is shot in Atlanta and features mostly black women. Many people don’t like this show because they think it reinforces the stereotype of laud angry black women. Ja’net Defell says “my initial thought of the RHOAS is they are a bad portrayal of American black women.” This show only captures a fraction of black women and emphasis stereotypes out there about black women. The show does a poor job of representing the majority of black women in the U.S and also misrepresents women as a whole in the same ways that the other housewives shows do.

The misrepresentation and stereotyping that the Housewives series does is downright embarrassing to other women around the country. The glamorous life style and drama filled lives may be fun to watch but I think it is representing women in a negative light and is carrying on stereotypes about racial groups that could be harmful to our society.

The Reality of the Real World

The Reality of The Real World

            When it comes to reality television, how much of what we are seeing is actually real? With reality TV shows dominating most channels these days this seems to be a rising question amongst viewers. People become invested in these reality shows and refuse to believe that there is the likely chance that what they are seeing is not in fact real at all. This is exactly what producers want is to create a reality for the rest of us to base our lives off of. Take MTV’s The Real World for example, have you ever noticed how every season is exactly the same, just with new people and a different location. While the people themselves may be different every season, their character is still the same. There are certain stereotypes that the people casted onto The Real World must live up to, otherwise they do not fit the part. “Technically, these people were completely different every year, but they were also exactly the same. And pretty soon it became clear that the producers of The Real World weren’t sampling the youth of America – they were unintentionally creating it. By now, everyone I know is one of seven defined strangers, inevitably hoping to represent a predefined demographic and always failing horribly,” (Klosterman 28). There is no The Real World without the angry black man, confused bisexual, naïve Southern belle, gay guy, alcohol/drug addict or the crazy bitch. The people that are cast on the show are chosen because of an obvious diversity which is then played out by only airing the extreme side of their personality on the show. We have come to expect these characters based on the stereotypes that are represented in every season of The Real World and without them the show would not exist. What has resulted from this are one-dimensional identities, such as gay, black, virgin, or alcoholic, which then for viewers becomes a way to identify the people that they know in their own lives; “you know the people I’m talking about,” (Klosterman 30). People are constantly modeling their personalities around those that we see on TV, and in turn we always find ourselves comparing these people to those on The Real World. “I kept meeting new people who were like old Real World characters. I’ve met at least six Pucks in the past five years. This doesn’t mean they necessarily talk about snot or eat peanut butter with their hands; what it means is they play The Puck Role. In any given situation, they will provide The Puck Perspective, and they will force those around them to Confront The Puck Paradigm,” (Klosterman 29). With the creation of these one- dimensional identities, that leaves little room for those of us that may not fit one of the expected stereotypes. This may then force us to take on one of the roles, even though we may tell ourselves that we will “never be that person,” because let’s face it, we don’t really have any other choice. As Klosterman puts it, “When I say ‘you know these people,’ it’s because the personalities on The Real World have become the only available personalities for everyone who’s (a) alive and (b) under the age of twenty nine,” (Klosterman 30). The Real World makes it seem acceptable, almost desirable, to be able to identify yourself by just one personality trait. Maybe this is because it makes it easier for people to just have to worry about playing the role of one identity, rather than multiple.  People will then begin to remember you by this one identifier, making it necessary for you to live up to the expectations that come with that stereotype at all times. Someone may say, “Oh yea that’s that one crazy party girl who is always wasted downtown,” and others would know exactly who they are talking about based one just that one party girl stereotype. These stereotypes portrayed through every Real World cast are subject to ideology; “A way of representing the social world, which serves particular group interests usually at the expense of other groups,” (TV Criticism September 17). These one- dimensional identities shown on The Real World have become a way to associate that one character with an entire group of people, and lead us to believe that everyone in that particular group of people is just like the one person from the show that is supposedly representing that group.

            So what happens to these one- dimensional characters after The Real World? There so- called fame eventually wears off and they are left in the actual real world as nobodies who everyone else is basing their lives around. Well, there is one thing that these ex- reality stars have to live up to, and that is if they are asked to be on one of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge shows on MTV. While I’m embarrassed to admit it, I found myself watching the season finale of Rivals Challenge II last night, and I couldn’t help but wonder why in the hell were these shows still on TV and how was it possible that the same exact people were still on there. Haven’t these people found anything else to do with their lives? Apparently not. CT, Wes, and Paula were amongst the final winners this season, imagine that! These people were on the show back when it was actually somewhat popular, and let me remind you that I was in junior high at that time. Poor CT though, even with his good looks, they couldn’t even help him win a challenge in the past TEN years that he has been on the show until now. It’s about time CT, good thing he didn’t give up. These one-dimensional identities may be to blame; “It appears that the highest residual success one can achieve from a Real World stint is that of being asked to compete in a Real World/Road Rules challenge. All these people are forever doomed to the one- dimensional qualities that made them famous nobodies. The idea that they could do anything else seems impossible,” (Klosterman 40). 

Klosterman, Chuck. Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto. New York:

            Scribner , 2003. 26-40. Print.

Working with "Mad Men"

The popular AMC show “Mad Men” shows some very, very intense examples of sexism. From the opening credits, a man falling through advertisements of women’s legs, through the show’s overtones of male dominance in the office, “Mad Men” truly embodies the sexist tension found in the 1960s. I only watched one episode and found enough material to fill a small journal with, let alone a required blog post. I’m ready for this!

We are able to make sense of the context by understanding the time in which it was created.  “In the 1960’s deep cultural changes were altering the role of women in American society. More females than ever were entering the paid workforce, and this increased the dissatisfaction among women regarding huge gender disparities in pay and advancement and sexual harassment at the work place,” (Walsh, 2010). “Mad Men” show the gradual change from the men’s world, to an equally gender balanced work environment. As much as people had high hopes for this, was it actually happening? In a scene we see a young woman enter a building’s elevator. A few men stand behind the young girl. Only a few seconds in the elevator, a man comments on how he is enjoying the view. Was sexual harassment still present or does “Mad Men” have it wrong?

Women aren’t only harassed sexually in “Mad Men”. Later in the episode we meet a female doctor. She meets with Don and another advertising executive to tell them about the psychological results of an advertisement. Don calls her Ms. Gutman. She is quick to correct him, by saying “DOCTOR Gutman”. “Mad Men” seems to accurately depict the movement of women’s liberation. Doctor Gutman, a female in a medical position, has entered the higher paying work force. Don and company are flabbergasted at their encounter with a woman doctor, who likely makes more than them even with reduced rates for women workers. They treat her with no respect and later slander her. Obviously, the ideologies of gender roles were flipped upside down. These facts are a bit horrifying to the men, and I hope that today such disrespect wouldn’t happen.

“Men go to work, drink too much, seduce their secretaries; women stay home with their children or abandon femininity by trying to break into the male-dominated business world.” (Slochower, 2011). This one sentence is able to sum up the entire show. Throughout the entire episode we see advertising executives drinking in the middle of the day.  The new secretary is harassed multiple times by her male co-workers.  Pete Campbell, an advertising executive goes so far to tell the secretary to show more of her legs and to pull her waist in. Betty, Don’s wife stays at home taking care of their two children, while he is sleeping with a woman in the city. On a positive note, Peggy Olson is breaking through the male dominated work place. She awkwardly stumbles her way into the good graces of her boss and his colleagues. Maybe not by all of the purest means, but she makes it.

In the 1960’s women were making sixty percent of what men were making. What does this say about gender equality in the work place? We don’t need an analyst to answer that question; things weren’t equal. Those numbers were true over fifty years ago. What progress have we made today? According to Forbes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2012 women earned 80.9% of the salaries made from their male counterparts. So again I ask, what does this say about gender equality in the work place? After over fifty years, things are STILL NOT EQUAL. Is “Mad Men’s” representation of gender inequality and sexism not as far off as most of us think? I would hope things are not as bad and unequal as “Mad Men”, but I’m lead to believe that not much progress has actually happened. Surely companies’ human resources departments are doing something. Everyone loves that sexual harassment training. But can we know for sure people’s ideologies of gender roles have changed? We won’t know for sure, but maybe “Mad Men’s” depiction of sexism and unequal gender roles, help people to realize how ridiculous and unfair they are. We all wait in anticipation for when the boy’s club is finally shut down. Hopefully it doesn’t take another fifty years for equal pay and rights within a work place.

“Mad Men” presents, no, is saturated with sexist content. The representation is completely implied to help the show better capture the attitude of the 1960’s and these “mad men” of New York City. We may laugh at the obviousness of the content and think to ourselves, “Good thing it’s not like that today!” but how far away are we from Don Draper’s world of male dominance, affairs, and scotch on the job? We can’t ignore that these issues, though not as obvious in the workforce still do exist. How can we learn from “Mad Men” to improve the equality of the workplace?

Works Cited

Casserly, Meghan. "The Gender Pay Gap Got Worse, Not Better, In 2012--And It's Great For Women." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

Slochower, Joyce. "Gender, Splitting and Non-Recognition in Mad Men." American Journal of Psychoanalysis. Palgrave Macmillian, 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

Walsh, Kenneth T. "The 1960s: A Decade of Change for Women." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Stereotypes throughout Friday Night Lights

Across America it is evident there are stereotypes that we can never get rid of, which is greatly emphasized through television. In my opinion, one of the greatest series to be displayed on television is Friday Night Lights; a show that focuses on a small town, in the middle of Texas. The small town, Dillon, relies mostly on the high school football team. This show is not only about football, but also about the lives of the people that surround the football team; from the head coach to the players to the student body. There are several relatable issues brought up throughout the series, which made it successful and enjoyable to viewers. Although the show is an amazingly written series, with a great story line and exceptional acting; many stereotypes were portrayed throughout the show, especially amongst minorities.

To begin, the first black star was Smash Williams, the star running back for the Dillon Panthers. Smash was portrayed as an arrogant, overconfident jock who cared only about himself on the football team, and the girls he could win over by being the star athlete. In Smash’s home life he is being raised by a single mother who could not afford to send her child to college, so his only way of going was football. Many stereotypes throughout our nation note that black individuals are only good in college for sports, not book knowledge.

After Smash there is another remarkable black member to join the team, Vince Howard. Howard did not voluntarily join the team; he was recruited through his criminal record. The coaches saw him running from the cops and knew they had to have him on the team because of his quickness. Not only is he a convict, he has a drug addicted mother, a dead beat dad who does not acknowledge the family, he also lives in low income housing with gang member neighbors. His only ticket to success, just like Smash’s, is football. Although Howard is imaged stereotypically through his black roots, his character also challenges common stereotypes. As Howard adjusts to the team, Coach Taylor believes he has a great chance to succeed as the team’s quarterback. Distinctly, it is known that it is uncommon for there to be a black quarterback, it has actually caused a lot of controversy throughout college and professional football over the years. Ironically enough, this past Sunday, according to The Big Lead, nine African Americans started as quarterback, setting an all-time record. In the series Howard leads the team to state as an outstanding black quarterback.

Along with black stereotypes there are also stereotypes of typical Texas, low-life rednecks. For example, the gorgeous Tim Riggins, who is known as the team drunk who lives in a beer flooded house with his older brother. His first girlfriend Tyra also falls under the stereotypical redneck, having no rules, living with her single mother and stripper sister. One way Tim Riggins and Tyra challenge the redneck stereotype is through their extremely good looks and not their “trashy” demeanor typically associated with rednecks. Both of them are always found drinking, breaking the law, and have no ambition of leaving their small “redneck” town. Although Tyra gets her act together, Riggins serves time in jail on fraud charges by him and his brother, a typical “redneck” stereotype, troubled individuals who find a way of getting caught up in trouble. As the series goes on Tyra gets help from her counselor and moves on to college. However, Riggins stays stuck in Dillon, as he focuses his life and dreams around his “redneck” town.

Lyla Garrity, the goody-two-shoes, cheerleader fits the typical high school stereotype of the popular pretty girl. At the start of the series Lyla is dating the star football player, she is from a wealthy family, and her looks get her a long way. She is the whole package, smart, beautiful, and a cheerleader. In Hollywood’s depiction of high school beauty it seems they must be the all-American girl who must be a cheerleader, and of course, date the star football player, not only the star football player, but also the star quarterback.

The final, major, stereotype goes back to minorities. As the series takes place in Texas it is evident Texas holds a strong Latino population as it is bordered by Mexico. You would typically expect to see more Hispanics throughout the series, however, only two are featured. Not only are there only two Hispanics featured throughout the entire series, they also happened to be troubled individuals. The first one was never brought up until he beat up a “white” student and the other one was tattooed and recognized as a gang member. Neither of the two were in more than three episodes of the series.

I must say Friday Night Lights is one of my absolute favorite shows to ever be on TV, as well as many others, as it was a successful series. Nonetheless, why did there have to be stereotypes to define specific roles. Why couldn’t Smash be part of a two parent middle class household? Or why couldn’t he have been a good student who had an opportunity to go to college without football? Why couldn’t the two Hispanics have been normal teenagers, not part of a gang, without tattoos, or without beating up a “white” kid. Why couldn’t Tim Riggins and Tyra have been clean cut individuals with a bright future? The questions go on, would the show have been successful without stereotypes? The show has so much heart in the small town, where the focus is not only the characters, but the small town. It is apparent this is a successful show, but the stereotypes will always exist and be noticeable to viewers because of the history of this country. As a country we know more statistics about how unsuccessful and troubled minorities are than whites. We know that the crime rate is higher among blacks and Hispanics than whites, which is why shows find it important to focus that on television. Even fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, America will never fully be free of stereotypes.

2 Broke Girls criticize the American dream

 Recently, an American television sitcom, 2 Broke Girls, was picked up for third season by CBS.   The news was not only popular for the American viewers but also make some Chinese TV viewers very excited since the first two seasons were very popular in China. The story started when two girls met each other as a waitress in a diner, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. People like the TV show not only because its sitcom genera and the characters and plots filled with humor jokes, but also the two girl’s big difference class background attracts the audience’s curiosity. However, the most important element to the audience is that the 2 Broke Girls criticize the paradox the of American Dream and redefine a new meaning of it.

Generally, The term “American dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through work hard and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life. The 2 broke girls setting is in Brooklyn, New York. The show’s creator, Michael Patrick King said that “We represent what New York used to be and what is currently very much still alive in Williamsburg, which is melting point”.  As we know, Brooklyn has many black residents and accepts all kinds of immigrants. Although Brooklyn has a high rate of crime, the place for the immigrants means more opportunities to make their American Dream come true. Thus, the director represents different races through the image on the screen, which include different stereotypical characters, so the show can attract a variety of racial audiences. The main member, Max Black, who coms from a poor working-class family, and another main member, Caroline Channing, who was born rich but is now disgraced and penniless due to her father’s bribe-taking. Both their American dreams was to own their cupcake business. Among those working with them at the restaurant is their Asian boss, Han Lee. He is Korean and just immigrated to New York almost 6 months earlier. Fitting American culture and getting clients for his business is his American Dream. Featured starting late in the first season, a Polish immigrant runs the housecleaning company, Sophie, who dreams one day that she can buy a big house in her hometown in Poland through her work hard. There is another character Oleg, an upbeat but perverted Ukrainian cook; and Earl, a 75-year-old black cashier.

The 2 Broke Girls critique the American dream since there are many plots showing the paradox of the American dream. The American dream stresses hat every one has equal rights to make their dream come true if only they work hard. Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunities for each according to the ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. However, in the first episode, the appearance of Caroline denies the definition of the American Dream because of her social identity.  Caroline was rich but now she is disgraced and penniless due to her father. When Caroline was in the upper class, she could travel anywhere. She has a big chest and all kinds of famous brand. She got her birthday present, which is a horse named Chestnut.  She also graduated from Wharton College and got the internship opportunities from Morgan Stanley. Caroline’s pre-experience makes a strong contrast with Max, who grows up in a poor family and from lower class. Max even didn’t go to college to get the education. When Caroline compares her life right now, it is still ironic. When she was in the upper class, she had many friends and many people would like having a relationship with her family. After her dad went into jail and she became penniless, she can’t find anyone to help her since her identities and social class have changed. That is why the TV show critiques the American dreams: people can’t be equal.  Even though people work hard for their dream, they still have social class, which can’t supply the equal opportunities to make the poor compete with the rich.

Another important character, Han, became a controversial character, which also shows the criticism of the American dream.  “I like Han,” King said, “I like his character. I like the fact he is an immigrant. I like that he’s trying to fit into America”(avclub.com). Han’s experience is kind of the American dream. He came to America almost 6 months earlier and ran an American restaurant through his hard work. He looks like he is successful and makes his American dream come true.  However, there is an issue of the ethnic stereotyping. Not only do Max and Caroline laugh at his English, but also at his height. The Hollywood Reporter notes, “each week Han’s broken English gets played like some sorry minstrel show”. “Lee can’t wear his pants correctly, can’t speak English properly, and doesn’t understand the concept of holidays”(hollywoodreporter.com). Han’s character was doubt by the audience. Han is the paradox of American Dream. Although he had his restaurant in America, his immigrant identity or Asian stereotypes sometimes are jokes and serve to entertain the audience.

Although Han’s Asian stereotype was joked through the comments of Max and Caroline or the audience. Asians still like seeing the TV show. This is because the series tries to make satisfaction among different races, such as Asian or Africa-American or European. The TV show renewed the definition of the American dream: People make their dream come true not only through their work hard, but also all races’ cooperation helps each other get to it and have a better land richer life. People always exists identities difference, class difference or stereotype difference as the 2 Broke Girls represented on the screen.  When Max and Caroline want to introduce their cupcake to the famous editor but they need transportation to go to the place, the height always be mocked, the Asian guy, Han, ride a horse towards them. When Max and Caroline need money to open a cupcake shop, the European Sophie lent her money to them. The 75 years old black cashier Earl treated Max as his daughter. That’s why the series is popular in different races viewers. The American dream is people’s entire common goal, which forms a new ideology to make people’s dream come true.

In sum, the 2 broke girls is a meaningful TV show. According to the different identities and classes and stereotypes of the characters, the creator did a great job on criticizing the American dream, which tells people if they work hard they will be successful. Although the series looks like a superficial sitcom, the plot and characters create a new definition about American dream, which emphasis the understanding among multiple races and cooperation among individuals as the key to success.

Work Cited

Vodd, V. (2012). 2 Broke Girls co-creator defends show's racial humor in worst possible terms.avclub.com.           

Retrieved from

http://www.avclub.com/articles/2-broke-girls-cocreator-defends-shows-racial-humor,67529/

Tim, G. (2011). The Sorry State Of '2 Broke Girls': Racism and Lame Sex Jokes. Hollywoodreporter.com.

                  Retrieved from

                  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/sorry-state-2-broke-girls-252579

Rachel, S. (2012). 2 broke girls: the groans of the week.  Televisionwithoupity.com

                  Retrieved from

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/telefile/2-broke-girls-file/2012/12/2-broke-girls-and-the-new-boss-episode-review/