The Representation of Social Class in Television

It is almost certain that demographics define a person within society today. Social class is forever becoming more prominant when working out what a person characteristics are like based on where they live, where they went to school and how much they earn. For this reason I chose to research and look indepthly in to the representation of social class in television. Why TV? well because it is a huge platform that people can access from many different componants from phones to tablets. Tv programmes are a huge catalyst for debate.

With programmes like Made in Chelsea and Gogglebox taking over our screens the representation of social class is becoming a big factor in peoples portrayals of one another. Made in Chelsea is set in one of Britains most expensive postcodes, we are taken away from reality for an hour and week and exposed to a life of luxury and wealth. The show is focuses on the lives of several young, rich socialites and as the viewer we have the 'pleasure' of watching them indulge in cocktails in the afternoon, walk along the iconic Kings Road and spend probably a months wages for an average person on a designer handbag. In my opinion the cast on the show are very badly represented due to the fact that we do not see them engage in any kind of work and instead are shwon to be out of touch with real life. Its hard for a working class person to conenct with the cast in Made in Chelsea as I found out in my focus group mainly because their lives are worlds apart. MIC's Binky Felstead took to the internet and wrote a blog for the Huffington Post defending herself and her cast members honour and reputation stating that if we believe that herself and her MIC colleagues are 'glided socialites' and 'privately educated, hedonistic' youngsters whose lives are a seemingly endless jaunt around London's most exclusives bars and clubs then we are in other words sadly mistakened.

She goes on to talk about how they are not all Sloane Rangers and defends her RP accent but also talks about the increasingly growing trend and idea of reverse snobbery. She states that theres a new idea which that if you are upper class you are not real and down to earth. Could this show that the lower classes are turning against the upper classes instead of the previous other way? This also shows how strong a voice and platform TV is in people making judgements and recieving programmes. Does this prove that there is a social divide today and could TV be playing a part of this in falsely representing the classes?

Channel 4's Gogglebox follows families from all different walks of life made up of different classes from lower/working to upper class. Within my focus group one of the participants stated that Gogglebox is on the best programmes on TV and represents the true Britain. The fact there is a variety of classes makes the show stronger in representing all of Britain as opposed to just one paritcular class. However there is an aspect of otherness within Gogglebox due to the fact that the upper class cast members Steph and Dom have been given negative media coverage. The Daily Mail newspaper labelled the pair the 'posh couple' of Gogglebox suggesting that class really does define a person. 'Unemployed graduate' Scarlett Moffatt of the Moffatt family stated that the Parkers do not communicate with any of the other Gogglebox families and said that they would not understand her 'banter' because they are too posh. She also highlighted the fact that Parkers excessive drinking would be deemed unacceptable if they were of a lower class catering to the idea of 'reverse snobbery'.

I am Back!x

So after a few months of me time, receiving counselling and trying to relax I am now at college. Leaving sixth form was hard but it was defiantly the right thing to do. There were too many memories and although change for anyone is daunting and scary, it was something I needed!

My first day of college as extremely frightening, I was so nervous but I knew I had to do it. Not knowing anyone on top of the risk of having a big panic made me almost run away from the idea. Before I left my house I sat on my bed and did some deep breathing. I closed my eyes and remembered why I was going to college and who I was doing it for, my brother. I needed to be strong. I walked in with my head held high and tried to put on a brave face. I can safely say that after just over a month there I am honestly so happy. I've made some new friends as I've managed to control my nerves in my lessons. I feel that a new start and a new environment with new people was just what I needed. I had the chance to take control of everything and chose to tell people what I wanted to tell them. I am enjoying studying and things are looking really positive.

On top of all the positive stuff, my mum is now pregnant, meaning that I get to be a sister again. Of course nothing can replace my brother but being able to be a sister again is a blessing and just what I need and what my family needs, some good news for once!

I can't believe how good things are going, when you've been so unlucky and been through such an ordeal it's hard to believe that something good is happening.

To people out there who are struggling and feel like there's no way up, when you have hit rock bottom like I felt I had, you can only go up. Sometimes you have to be brave and strong but that doesn't mean you can't have bad days(we all have them). To me it's about what you make of the situation your in and the way that although you feel like your world has fallen apart, it's the little things that matter in life like love and family. You can have all the money and riches in the world but you can't buy those two things. There priceless.

My day at ITV

Earlier this year myself and my mum had ITV news come to our house to interview us regarding the bedroom tax. This is something very close to our hearts as we received a letter telling is that we would have to pay for my brothers room starting in April this year. We have been fighting this as we felt this was so unfair, we had turned my brothers room into a peaceful place for myself and my mum to sit and gather our thoughts. It's helped me so much having his room to go to, to have to to pay for it now really not only makes me feel hurt but also reminds me that my brother really isn't hear anymore and that breaks my heart even more. More importantly we don't have all the funds needed to pay for the bedroom tax. My mum works really hard for next to nothing. Sometimes I feel as if we are one in a million or 100,000 for all the wrong reasons we weren't one in 100,000 to win to the lottery, my brother was one in 100,000 to lose my brother to one of the rarest forms of encephalitis.

Of course having ITV at my house was a dream come true for me as I dream of news reading or corresponding for ITV so I took my chances and ended up being aloud to go to ITV for a tour around and to watch the news go live from the gallery. It was so kind of the team to let myself and my mum go and look around and I was hugely grateful. It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me and it made me want to work harder to get to my dream.

The day started with meeting the team in the news room, I met one of my idols Charlene White. We sat in the newsroom and we also met Chloe, the woman my mum had been in contact with in order for us to get our story out there and she was lovely. In fact everyone was lovely as so welcoming. Toby who came to our house to interview us, was also so lovely and kind, both Chloe and Toby gave me am insight in to how they got into their careers and it really helped me.

Sitting in the newsroom I literally watched name after name walk past. I felt like I had to pinch myself at times. The programme editor took us down to the set, I felt ecstatic. Later in we were taken to the gallery to watch the news go live. Watching everything from behind the scenes was amazing. I got to see how it all came together and just how much went into the programme. Charlene white waste newscaster that day and she was amazing. After the programme we waited outside the studio for Charlene to come out and then we got into a lift with her back to the newsroom. I couldn't help but keep smiling thinking to myself(I am in a lift with Charlene White!!) I really didn't want to leave. I have never felt so excited in a long long time and it was lovely to fell like this again. When we got back to the newsroom we attended a briefing with all the team. They all reviewed how the programme went and then myself and my mum were asked, I felt so nervous because it was in front of everyone. A lot of reporters and important people again I wanted to be pinched.

I want to say thank you to Alex and Ken because it really was a dream come true and I couldn't have met nicer people. It's helped me realise that I can reach my dream and I will. Today I want to tell you and everyone, that you shouldn't let anything defeat you, when bad things happen you can bury your head in the sand or you can thrive and become a strong person in time and never let anyone tell you that can reach your dream it just depends how hard your willing to work for it.xx

My 2013 so far.

Its fair to say that my 2013 hasn't been great. I lost my place in sixth form due to the fact that I had missed too much. It was a big shock at first because yes I had seen this coming as a worse case scenario but I never thought it would actually happen. On the flip side as a bad I felt it was and the fact that I thought any ambitions or goals I had were well and truely over, I feel this is the best thing that could have happened. I am feeling the benefits now as I feel more relaxed and free. I will not be giving up on my goals and ambitions, I will return to college in september and have afresh start however in the mean time I will try and sort myself out and get some help.

I wasn't enjoying sixth form at my school, myself and my head of year had not got off to the best start and I feel that maybe it had made things a lot worse although in the end he started to show support I feel that it was too late by then for me to feel comfortable. I have enjoyed being at my school the staff and teachers have been amazing since my brother passed and I couldn't have asked for more however I feel that because I ve had some of my worst times and lows there that maybe its time to move on. Maybe its time for a change.

When I had left sixth form myself and my mum felt that maybe it was time to decorate my room. Ive had the same room ever since we moved in to our house about 6 years ago, I now want something fresh, new and more suiting to my age. I feel its a step in the right direction. The day that I was told I had to take the year out of sixth form was horrible. I am quite open with talking about the fact that I did hurt myself because the point of my blog is to be open and honest and if I am not honest people can't connect. I don't hurt myself for attention and I certainly don't severly injure myself. Its a release. When it all gets too much and you don't know what to do with yourself you go mad, you go crazy.

The worst feeling is knowing that you don't have many friends there for you by your side. Also the fact that everyone thinks everything is ok when your really not also makes you feel low. Its the same with the grieving the fact this year will be the fourth year since losing my brother, people think its all ok now because time has passed, well actually its not that simple, if I was I certainly wouldn't be this way. You can't suddenly stop hurting after youve lost someone who has been in your life for me ever since I was two. I've never known any different then to have my brother around and when thats taken away from you and you have to watch the person you love to the ends of the universe and back slowly slip away you feel immense pain. Yes it gets easier to cope with but it never goes away.

Recently things have been very different and taken a positive turn. The government have recently brought in the bedroom tax. If they feel you are over occupying you will be charged for any extra rooms you have in your house. In our case will be charged 14% more which is about £70 for my brothers room of which we have transformed into a place for myself and my mum to go in to to relax and gather our thoughts but also to feel close to him. My mum and I had also written a lot of our book in Leons room. Its a lovely place for us to go to and its terrible that we should have to pay for that.

My mum had contacted ITV news about this and they took a real interest and asked if they could come to the house and interview us. My mum was over the news as was I because it was my dream is to be a news reader on ITV news. I felt that for once something good was happening. We did the interview and watched on the same day on TV. It was an amazing feeling knowing that we were getting our story out there and for me it was dream come true. It hasn't been all that bad this year. I am a true believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason. But this journey so far in my life has taught me that I am given my life and its up to me to make something of it as should you.

Strength isn't just a word.

Life is hard at the moment. School is stressful because my panics are holding me back resulting in Low attendance and teachers becoming concerned. I look back at my life 3 years ago and I look at it now and I feel shocked. How the hell did my life amount to this. Not having my brother, my dream to be a journalist seeming impossible,and barely having any good friends or anyone to have fun with . It's sad really because this is not what I pictured my life to be like. It just feels like my life is getting worse and worse resulting in me sometimes wishing it could all end. It may sound dramatic to some but you would have to feel what I do to understand which makes this situation even harder. The fact that my friends, people who wonder what the helps wrong with me and teachers can't possibly feel or know of what I am feeling inside and what goes on in my house makes it hard for the them to know why I don't go in. I wish I could have my life back to normal as it was but its never going to happen.

Sometimes I just want to turn back time to when I was at my happiest, when Leon was here. Growing up was amazing, as I wrote this I get some of those feelings back those lovely, comforting feelings. Sometimes I feel like I don't want to grow up if it means kissing goodbye to the memories. I just don't get why it had to be me, why my family, why my brother. To this day I still ask that question. I also ask will I ever get to a stage where I feel happy again.

The Only this that is keeping me going Is that I have a dream to be a journalist a dream I've had ever since I was little. I've always been fond of the news and take n a real interest. When I was younger I always had a weird obsession with Sit Trevor McDonald my grandparents told me of how when I was younger and the news came on with Trevor I hid behind the door because I thought that Trevor could see me in my nappy!

So that's where it all began and to this day I still have that passion although I've come to terms with the fact that Trevor can't really see me so I don't have to hide behind doors anymore. I hope I get there one day because I am stronger than this and I know I would never forgive myself if I let my nerves and everything that's happened to me destroy my chances. It's not gonna be an easy ride, I learnt that a long time ago but I have to do this I have to be on people's TV screens when there having lunch or eating dinner reporting the News I just have to!

If people like Nelson Mandela can be Held in captivity for two decades and then become the president anyone can do anything and the world really is our oyster.

Are all teenagers rebellious criminals?

What springs to mind when you think of teenagers?
Good, sensible,responsible contributors to society? Or useless,waste of space,crime committing thugs? I found a BBC debate website and this was the exact topic being highlighted. One person had described how they are a tall teenager with no criminal past or record and had simply walked on to a tram sat next to a lady who had then instantly edged away from the person on her seat. Me being a teenager myself can safely say that not all teenagers are like they are portrayed to be mainly in the 'lovely' I say sarcastically media. There are sensible well behaved teens out there however from personal experience all I see being expressed in the media is the next stabbing of a teenager of whom in the end the guilty one being sent down for life ended up being a 15 year old claiming to have been brought up in a rough environment condoning the evil senseless crime he committed.

Image is key also. I know that if I was on a quiet street and I saw a group of hoodies standing there, my subconscious would make me cross over to avoid any possible muggings or worse violence. These teens may be in fact harmless and just hanging out as teens do but it's our instant reaction and the fact that we see an image that matches the stereotype and we immediately cross over like we're prey escaping the carnivores. I am not for one second saying that we should trust every teen and drop that stereotype all together because let's face it this image does exist and is real in society today, the times that my nan would speak about of which you could leave your front door keys in your door and nip a few doors down to a neighbours are well and truly over! A high percentage of teens do contribute to overall crime rates in the UK however 2009/10 figures show that at least triple the amount of males committed offences to females a lot of it mainly being robberies and burglaries.

Do you feel teenagers are under this stereotype? And more importantly do you feel victimised by teenagers?

Dreams

I often dream of my brother, most of the time they feel so real as if he was actually here with me. The dreams affect me greatly that sometimes I wake up thinking he's here and that everything that happened wasn't real, I almost feel relief for a second until I find that my worst nightmare was infact reality and that my brother isn't here to squeeze with relief because I though he was gone in my dream, he's not here to have a laugh with anymore. Last night I dreamt that he was still here but seriously Ill, I was worried sick about him, I wanted to protect him but this time it was out often hands, he was gonna go so we had to make the most of the time he had left. Leon and I were out firstly with my dad and then my grandad we were messing around and having fun, I felt normal inside. I hugged his little body I felt his heart beating. It got to night time we were at my nans and about to go to bed. Before we went to bed I didn't want to let him go, I told him that he was the best thing that happened to me because ever since he was brought into my life I'd only had joy and some of the best memories I will ever have.

I woke in real life after feeling really sad, I can feel my heart racing and the back of my throat hurting as I write this. I also felt relieved that it was all over. Dreams are so powerful, my dream reminded me of what a funny,amazing,special boy my brother is.xx