Here are getting cookies mmm. That is not a show about nothing. Oh, come inside. So, to the left we have the bar. To the right we have the bathroom. Oh, we have bathrooms upstairs, downstairs. Many, many bathrooms. I do still believe that for all the things going on in our current society in america, you can come from anywhere and end up any place you want. [ doorbell ] immigration . Revenue. Ive been gutted theyre taking our stuff but The American Dream is not the reality for most americans. Ill tell you boys, life is crazy. All these doors open up for you, except theyre not really doors. Theyre trap doors. The american sitcom is how we tell stories about class. Youre thinking, is this all i have to My Life . Not you kids. I love you kids. But the house. Come on, its crap. So when the sitcom makes its way to television, you already see that with The Honeymooners. The honeymooners what are we going to do . What are we going to live on until this layoff is over . Suppose it does last a month. Well, we just gotta face it. We just have to cut down, cut out this high living. The honeymooners was an example of the idea of Class And Struggle and what it was like to be a family who didnt have a lot. You dont know how to handle money of course i dont. I never had any practice. These were people born with Blue Collars. Lower middle class people that could do regular things but didnt have a lot of money. In the 1950s you had a major push to move out to suburbia. And consumerism. You have all these perfect family sitcoms with these housewives in it and new nice gadgets in the kitchen. Now. But The Honeymooners lived in a tworoom little cold water flat. People were so worried that they couldnt afford curtains, they kept sending curtains to the sound stage. Jackie gleason was always hoping to have the get rich quick scheme. Come on, norton, ive only got two days to learn how to play golf wait a minute. When Ralph Kramden learns how to golf, he is hoping to ascend his Social Class position. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and address the ball. But as many of us know, that golf is really reserved for another class of people in america. What do they mean by address the ball . Hello, ball. When people are struggling and they see an underdog, youre rooting for that guy. Who is our next guest, please . Mr. Ralph kramden the name that Tune Episode is so potent. I intend to go straight on, forge ahead to the 99,000 answer. Oh, ill go on a Game Show and i will have enough money to get some Breathing Room to finally achieve my dreams. Who is the composer of Swanee River . Huma, huma, huma times running out. I felt so bad when he would set up some scheme and it was about to fall apart. Terribly sorry, mr. Kramden. No, the correct answer is stephen foster. But thanks so much. Time and again hed do everything possible. Only to be torn down to his basic frailty. You want to go to the moon . Do you want to go to the moon . Really . Youre going to hit him . Thats a husband whos trying to rage and be the boss of his wife. He was what we would call borderline abusive these days. Get my stuff but it never bothered me as a kid because she was not afraid of him. Get it yourself the guy was clearly buffeted every day by things but held up always by this love he had with this wonderful woman. I learned Something Tonight too. I dont even mind growing old. As long as you and i grow old together. That was an american experience that 100 Million people could identify with. Baby . Youre the greatest. We like to think of ourselves as a classless society. And in postwar america, that was more true than ever. But at the same time, there are all these little tells. Theres obviously your job. What kind of house you live in. What kind of clothes you wear. What kind of car you drive. Hey, gomer. Hey, al. But one of the biggest tells for class was actually a southern accent. Can i use your hose . Airs free. We do make a charge for ice, though. That north South Divide became an inspiration for all of these rural sitcoms. The whistled theme to the Andy Griffith show coupled with that bucolic image of Andy And Opie makes you think of smalltown americana in a simpler time. Anybody ready for some lunch . Oh, we sure are. Oh, boy the Andy Griffith show. That was another whole camp. Here you are. The Comfort Food Aspect of sitcoms. You do like pickles, dont you . Oh, sure. Who dont . Andy griffith was a small town sheriff. Didnt have a lot of money, and they were kind of like simple. Going into the competition after all. Guess what im going to enter these pickles. These . These. These . These. That was like a fantasy of a world and an america in which Race And Class just kind of didnt exist. Jennifer, miss clarabell. Andy it was probably the whitest show on television. I mean, there are no black people in mayberry. If they are, theyre passing through. And if you blinked, you missed them. Theyre okay, pa, they all flew off okay. Guess i did a good job, huh, pa . You sure did, son. The show immediately hit the top ten. It rated higher in the rural parts of the country. The main producer Sheldon Leonard famously said, you can take New York. You can take l. A. You know, give me the corn belt. This Blue Collar versus white Collar Class Divide extended to the critical reception that shows received in the 1960s. The Dick Van Dyke show, theyre wearing suits, theyre in the big city. Got a trunkload of emmys. And the Andy Griffith show got almost none. You cant live up to your potential here. In a big city, you have room to grow. You live a different kind of life. And that right there shows you the Class Divide in america. How can life be that much different if youre happy . Breyers is always so delicious. I can tell that they used your milk, matilda. Great Job Moo youre welcome. Breyers natural vanilla is made with 100 grade a Milk And Cream and only sustainably farmed vanilla. Better starts with breyers. Shampoos that care for your color as well as your hair . Everpure by loreal. Expert sulfatefree formulas. Validated by colorists. Nonstripping to keep any colored hair beautiful for weeks. Everpure from loreal paris. Customer Hi . burke happy anniversary. customer for what . burke every year youre with us, you get Fifty Dollars toward your home deductible. Its a Policy Perk for being a farmers customer. customer do i have to do anything . burke nothing. Customer Nothing . burke nothing. Customer Nothing . burke nothing. customer hmm, that is really something. burke you get a whole lot of something with Farmers Policy perks. See ya. kid may i have a balloon, too . burke sure. Your parents have maintained a Farmers Home Policy for twelve consecutive months, right . We are farmers. Bumpadum, Bumbumbumbum Burke Start with a quote at 1800farmers. Like many people with moderate to severe Ulcerative Colitis or crohns disease, i was there. Be right back. But my symptoms were keeping me from where i needed to be. So i talked to my doctor and learned humira is the 1 prescribed biologic for people with uc or crohns disease. And humira helps people achieve remission that can last, so you can experience few or no symptoms. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if youve had tb, Hepatitis B, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Be there for you and them. Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, remission is possible. This is the sound of change from pnc bank. Its the sound of A Thousand sighs of relief and of a company watching out for you. This is the sound of low Cash Mode from pnc bank, giving you multiple options and at least 24 hours to help you avoid an overdraft fee. Because we believe how you handle overdrafts should be in your control, not just your banks. Low Cash Mode on virtual wallet from pnc bank. One way were making a difference. This administration declares unconditional war on poverty in america. In the 1960s youre seeing a lot of conflict between the north and the south, issues of economics between the rich and the poor, and you see television using a show like The Beverly Hillbillies to really comment on these things that are happening in society. Come and listen to the story about a man named Jed A Poor Mountaineer barely kept his Family Fed i remember the Opening Sequence to that show. Then one day she was shooting at some food up through the ground come some bubbling crude the premise itself was so funny and smart. The first thing you know old jeds A Millionaire The Kinfolk said jed, move away from there said california is the place you ought to be so they loaded up the truck and they moved to beverly well, here we are. I hope youre going to like this place i picked out for you. Like hitting the lottery. Its like that idea that we all kind of wished life would happen for us. Uncle jed. Guess what . Theres a whole other house up here. Absolutely loved The Beverly Hillbillies. The typical fish out of water. Granny, when wes done washing can i go swimming here in the Cement Pond . Course not. The beverly hillbillies is a commentary on upward mobility and the consumerism that comes with it. Yes, sir, mr. Drysdale, i finally took your advice and put some of my money in stock. These hillbillies, even though they might come across as lower class, theyre happy with the way that theyve been living their lives. I couldnt believe how frustrated i was. They had this stupid old car that blew smoke and im going, get a better car oh, im gonna cook up a Rabbit Stew soon as jethro shoots me one or two one episode involved Granny Mistaking a kangaroo for a giant jackrabbit. Howdy, mr. Jackrabbit. She wanted to cook it. Would you like to step into my kitchen . It is to this day the highestrated Half Hour Episode of television. Middle america fell in love with The Beverly Hillbillies. It spawned another Television Series with cbs. Da, da, da, da, da da, da, da, da, da Green Acres is the place to be Farm Living is the life for me you are my Wife Goodbye City life Green Acres, we are there its just absurd and ridiculous. Look at that floor. Thats solid oak. Green acres was about a man and a woman living on fifth avenue, and he decides hes going to be a farmer. Oliver yeah . There is somebody here to see you from the state department. Ill be right down. Darling. Mr. Kimble would have waited. You should have used the ladder. Green acres is the kind of Show America loves. And cbs thinks, well, we can do more of these rural characters. Yeah. The rural comedies. Petticoat junction. Means some really silly funny stuff. Heehaw heehaw but the characters were caricatures of rural people. It became very hokey. Youre looking at people sitting in their highrise offices in New York showing the north what they thought the people in the south were. They all had pretty high ratings, and cbs became known as the country broadcasting system. But in the late 60s, ratings and demographic tools improved significantly. Networks are able to see the ages, the education level, what kinds of jobs the people who are reviewing the shows have. So the more they could refine that, the more the advertisers wanted young, professional, wealthy people. In 1970, cbs begins what is both affectionately and drogtively known as the rural purge. They canceled all those shows that had huge ratings on cbs. And Norman Lear arrived to take their place with realistic shows about workingclass people in the big city. Your father lost his job today. Oh, there goes the old ball game. All in the family was able to deal with some stuff that was going on in contemporary society through the lens of comedy. When the going gets tough they say thats when the tough get going. And thats me. Tough. Right . Yeah. Yeah, right. So whats the problem . So what are you going to do, daddy . Well, thats the problem. Norman lear is interested in class as a primary driver of storytelling in american life. This is an eviction notice. Aint nothing to worry about what are you talking about . Theyre saying theyre going to throw us out today we have a recession at the beginning of the 70s. The working class, now more than ever before, are facing the crunch of economic anxiety. You worked all night and all they paid you was 6 . Mmmm. They paid me a lot more. But after they got finished taking out the federal withholding, the state withholding, the unemployment compensation, you know something, baby, if id worked for them a few more Hours Id End up owing them Ten Bucks. He was doing anything he could to work and make money to pay the rent and put food on the table. Then in the mid70s things begin to shift with the jeffersons. Well, were movin on up Movin On Up To the top moving on up jeffersons was groundbreaking. Successful black man. Had never really saw that. La, la, la, la, la it was an explosive thing for Norman Lear to say, wake up, now this. Both yall live here . Mmhmm. Some place, aint it . I didnt know the jeffersons had a couple. A couple of what . A maid and a butler. You two. Were talking people who are living above their station. Hold it, diane. We are the jeffersons. Hey, you right, louise, hes a great joker hes not joking, diane. Really aside from wardrobe and the places they live, they were still black. Because no matter how much money you have, no matter where you live, blackness is its own class. How can you afford to live in a place like this . You aint tall enough to be no basketball player. Millions of vulnerable americans struggle to get reliable transportation to their medical appointments. Thats why i started medhaul. Citi launched the Impact Fund to invest in both women and entrepreneurs of color like me, so i can realize my vision and give everything ive got to my company, and my community. I got you. For the love of people. For the love of community. For the love of progress. Citi. Discover lash paradise by loreal paris. A caring Formula And Feathersoft brush. For voluptuous volume and intense length. Lash paradise by loreal paris. If youre 55 and up, T Mobile has plans built just for you. Switch today and get 2 lines of unlimited and 2 free smartphones. Plus youll now get netflix on us. All this for up to 50 off vs. Verizon. Its all included. 2 lines of unlimited for only 70 bucks. And this rate is fixed. Youll pay exactly 70 bucks total. This month and every month. Only at tmobile. Your future isnt gloomy. Youre overlooking a simple solution thats so obvious. Im surprised you havent thought of it yourself. Well, child, lay it on me. In the 1970s if youre a woman, the optimism is eroding in america. Tell her, helen. Well, maybe you could win a lottery. Or something. Youre aware that the equal Rights Amendment still has not passed. I would like to know why the last Associate Producer before me made 50 a week more than i do. Oh. Because he was a man. So i think the 70s is a Reality Check on whether or not The American Dream is available for women. Early to rise, early to bed come on, were going to be late to school. I havent figured out your tip yet. Well, figure this. 15 of nothing is nothing. Goodbye, i love you. Until alice there hadnt been a single mother in a lowincome job. Now, i know this is asking a lot, but i need Ten Bucks a week extra to pay for tommys braces. You know the refrigerators on the blink and ive got to come up with 800 just to replace it. Fighting for health care. Fighting for benefits. The refrigerator comes first because if i close down, youre going to be out of work. And if youre out of work, you cant buy food. In which Case Tommy doesnt need teeth anyway. Theres a particular episode where mel decides he wants to hire a guy to be a waiter. Mel is paying him 2. 50 an hour. We only get 2. 35. Dont we . Well, that makes me good and damn mad and alice wanted to be right, and she wanted to be strong, and she wanted to be the leader. We work here. We do the same work. Oh, dont give me that womens lib junk. Junk. Well, in that case you can run it without me and flo and vera, because we quit. He tried to run the diner without us. Im going over to barneys Burger Barn and get some decent service. What about these eggs . Dont you and it wasnt possible. On behalf of alice, vera and myself, Kiss My Grits what do you say . When i was invited to speak for the votes that were being taken to pass the equal Rights Amendment, i thought, how do i do this . So it occurred to me to wear the alice uniform. Because they knew her. And they were her. I hope that all of the alices who work unprotected will carry the message to their bosses that we want and we have earned our economic rights. [ applause ] in the 70s you can talk about the womens movement. But in the 80s, youve got reagan. Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem. Youve got Family Ties with Alex P. Keaton as the ultimate reagan fanboy. What is taxes . A tax is a terrible, hairy, liberal monster. The only thing that can stop the terrible Tax Monster is a republican. America was taking a conservative turn in a big way. And networks were chasing that kind of highgloss aspirational fantasy. And you see that reflected in something like a fresh prince of bel air. Yo, this place is huge, man. Next time i go to my room, im taking some bread crumbs. Young kid thrown into wealth. Its a great bed for comedy and conflict. We promised your mother that youre here to work hard, straighten out and learn some good oldfashioned american values. Dad, i need 300. So the 80s were really associated with excess and with wealth. But roseanne would upend this Fantasy Vision of upper middleclass life. Wait a minute. My cereal at home is the Name Brand. No, see, its just a Name Brand box and ive been refilling it with the cheap stuff since 1985. One of the things that is extraordinary about roseanne is that in many ways it mirrors The Honeymooners. Its a very simple show. Main set is the kitchen. Its somewhat gritty and somewhat dark. And it has extraordinary acting. Bull, bull. Picking at me and making little cracks we always make little cracks. We always make little jokes. Thats how we are thats how we get along so well the Roseanne Show was about a Closeknit Family set in lanford, illinois. Are you ever sorry we got married . Every second of My Life. Juggling three growing kids, juggling jobs. Well, you little ladies enjoying your lunch . Well, the veal is tres bien. And how is your swordfish . As usual, the food is to die for. But the ambience stinks. That show was so fully in regular normal midwestern life. Phone bill. Roseanne was reflective of the average american family. It was masterfully done. Youre messing up my system, roseanne. What system . You pay the ones marked final notice, and you throw the rest away. She wasnt educated. She couldnt fit in. I think of an episode where roseanne got a new job. Yes. We use the tangerine tree. You can do anything. Good. Maybe it can teach me how to use a computer. You mean youve never worked on a computer at wellman . I worked on my feet at wellman. She was fired, and she had to go back to just being a waitress. Its really a sad Look At Life In The 80s where the roseannes of the world are just left behind. I did let my family down, and you know it and i know it. That hurts. It hurts real bad, deb. Because of whats gone on with roseanne recently, i think people tend to forget she changed the idea of what a woman could be on television. What a mom could be on television. What a wife could be on television. She changed that. Hey. What . Get a job. Your color as well as your hair . Everpure by loreal. Expert sulfatefree formulas. Validated by colorists. Nonstripping to keep any colored hair beautiful for weeks. Everpure from loreal paris. The one thing every Student Needs for Back To School is confidence. At cvs, we have it in all shapes, sizes and forms. Transform Back To School into the great school comeback. With savings on hundreds of products today. Only at cvs. Lisa here, has had many jobs. And all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. With home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults. Apply today. At usaa, weve been called too exclusive. Because we only serve those who honorably served. All ranks, all branches, and their families. Are we still exclusive . Absolutely. And thats exactly why you should join. We all know why im here. You know Matt Cant be left alone for ten minutes without falling on his ass. Frazier got stuck with me. Isnt that right . No no no in the 90s we got a lot of sitcoms geared toward whole family viewing. And they shied away from the whole political nature of the 1970s. Every item here was carefully selected. The lamp by corbu. The chair by eams. Because Social Class is part of Someones Identity that everyone can relate to, its one of the ways that sitcoms can reach the broadest audience. Delivery for martin crane. Oh, in here. The idea of a Class Structure in frasier was about a father that had been alienated from his sons because they were so unlike him. Wheres the tv . Its in that credenza. Point it at that thing. There was a great sort of social commentary on class, Poking Fun at all that pom positive and social Class Structure. This from the gourmet who dumped my cornish Yard Cheese down the disposal. It was covered with mold. It was supposed to be. Frasier could be an intellectual snob. So could his brother niles. Id like a petite filet mignon, very lean. Not so lean that it lacks flavor but not so fat that it leaves drippings on the plate people would ask the question how did these two sons come from a cop like that . You have Martin And Daphne at one level, and then you had frasier and niles at this sort of rarefied area. And it was daphnes job to sort of burst their pompous balloon. You think im pretentious . Well, youd eat a worm if i gave it a french name. A lot of episodes focused on niles and frazier trying to get into this Elite Club or that Elite Club. Im sorry, sir, youre not allowed through there. Please remain in the relaxation grotto. Once they did get into that club, did it make them any happier . I am determined to see where they think i dont belong. Niles and frasier always find out there was one better or you open another door and theres a better room. Take me with you feeling Warmth And Light it must be a magnificent S Solarium thats really The American Dream, about wanting more than what you have, no matter where you are. Its beautiful its beautiful yes this is where we belong i think the reason people responded to frasier is he is pompous but hes recognizable. But they see in him a guy that cares. Lets see some smiles, people. Its a party, not a shareholders meeting. Prepare to be boarded. Prepare to be boarded. Its the securities and exchange commission. In the early 2000s in the wake of 9 11 we see a Stock Market Crash and a rise in unemployment that really has us all thinking about Income Inequality in a way we hadnt in a long time. Dolores, listen to me. Empty the account. With Arrested Development we jumped to something a little darker. There was a lot that i wanted to explore about entitlement, power, and the fragility of the 1 . Lindsay, you have to cut back on everything. Okay . Im even selling the corporate jet. Then suddenly they have nothing, but they go on pretending that they do. So now we dont have a car or a jet . Why dont we just take an ad out in im poor magazine . Thats the thing thats very astute about that show, is that the rich can never entirely become unrich. They always have a line to some money. Theres 250,000 lining the walls of the Banana Stand. What . Cash, michael. Another setback for the once prominent Bluth Family as their frozen Banana Stand burns to the ground. Of course it was absurd. But the idea was if you could make it seem realistic enough, then you could carry the audience with you. Why didnt you tell me that . How much clearer can i say, theres always money in the Banana Stand no touching no touching no touching no touching Arrested Development began to make fun of the rich, sort of expose them for everyone to see. That Coat Cost more than your house oh, thats how we joke. She doesnt even have a house. Because a lot of really wealthy people have gotten in their positions by stepping on workingclass people. Im sorry. We cant afford to live lavishly anymore. Drink your milk. Its lumpy. Then chew it. By the 21st century, americas shaky economy begins to shrink the middle class and we see that represented in sitcoms like Foxs Malcolm in the middle. Weve had to economize before. Remember last year when we were saving up for disneyland . Were going to disneyland . No. Its like that. Except this time were just trying to keep the house. Malcolm in the middle is a fascinating show in terms of class because its about trying to give your kids a good life even when youre not sure you can pay for it. Malcolm is this genius, and he does not want to be a genius. Now, Malcolm May not look different than the rest of us, but he is. Very different. In his brain. Despite all the craziness going on in that house, Malcolm Living Up To his potential was one of the greatest dreams his family had. I got accepted into harvard. We dont know how were going to pay for it, but weve got to find a way. Its my dream school. Its 2,000 miles away from mom. Scholarships, financial Aid Cover 26,000. Plus the fleisch grant, the Hamilton Scholarship thieving harvard bastards the fact that kid coming from that situation gets into the Ivy League is beyond a dream come true. But hes working as a janitor to make his way through that school. Ive already got three shifts in the cafeteria and mopping the dorms at night. Then his Brother Reese tries to set off a Stink Bomb at malcolms graduation. But instead it goes off in the car. Whats that noise . Oh, my eyes this is appropriate. Now My Life looks exactly how i feel im sorry, malcolm. But you dont get the easy path. Malcolm really gave people the opportunity to think about what they were struggling with in their families. Oh, really . We laugh at them and relate to them. You know what its like to be poor and you know what its like to work hard. Now youre going to learn what its like to sweep floors and bust your ass and accomplish twice as much as all the kids around you. And it acts as a reminder that The American Dream is becoming more and more elusive to so many americans. Youll be the only person who will ever give a crap about people like us. You look Me In The Eye and you tell me you cant do it. Cookies and breyers. Thats like getting two desserts wait. Do we have to thank our moms twice . 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Your future, my future, our future at stake. A meltdown on wall street. Tens of billions of dollars lost. Tens of thousands of jobs gone. Bernard madoff was charged yesterday with securities fraud. It was a ponzi scheme. Do i need to hear this . Whyd you have to give it all to that Crook Madoff . I dont know. How could you be so fiscally irresponsible . Madoff . Madoff once bernie madoff goes to jail and after the events of the great recession, Sitcom Characters are winking to the audience like this system is rigged, theres vast Income Inequality. Have you had a chance to think of my zinger . Well, its almost thanksgiving, everybody. And i know what this crowds giving thanks for. Estate tax reform. In 30 Rock Jack Donaghy whos this corporate goon, basically, is so rich that he really doesnt even understand how regular people live. Damn, i wish this event were tonight. Its not tonight . When is it . February. Jack donaghy is in the 1 and liz is just solidly middle class. Why are you wearing a tux . Its after 6 00. What am i, a farmer . In the episode The Tuxedo begins jack is mugged. My assailant was a middleaged white man wearing a buttondown shirt and dockers. Dockers. Were on the verge of a class war. The middle class would rise up and take back what is theirs from these multibillionaires. My attack was a wakeup call. The rich need to defend themselves. The Tracy Jordan character is also kind of Super Rich, a character whos made millions and millions of dollars off of movies. I need you to grab me some lunch. Absolutely. What can i get for you . I want nachos. Yes, sir. From yankee stadium. Yes, sir. 30 Rock is about milking the utter divide between the Super Rich and the rest of america. Especially in an era of really intense economic inequality, class is the great invisible force in both american culture and in the american sitcom. Hey, dad, how did you decide what you were going to do for a living . I applied for a bunch of jobs, and i took every one that hired me. So ma, how did you decide what you were going to be . Well, when your father decided that he wasnt going to be rich, i decided to get a job. America likes to believe that the poorest person born into the most abject poverty could, with enough gumption, become the richest person in america. Hey, everybody. Americas the Land Of Opportunity. I stand before you as stop. You know, the idea that you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps. And yet as we know, not everyone is able to achieve The American Dream. Okay. By saying that americas the Land Of Opportunity you are implying that everyone has the same opportunities. Im not implying it. Im saying it. If you live here and you work hard, you can succeed. Thats how this works. Thats what ive always done in my comedy. I want to say in as few words as possible something that means a lot to me. Fine. Its your story. But its not true for everyone. I think that a sitcom is one of the best places to explore those difficult conversations revolving around class in an honest way. Its the greatest tool in the history of humanity to create empathy. Its always sunny in philadelphia explores the state of The American Dream in a little bit of a different way in that these characters, they really believe that they are worthy of and entitled to so much more but dont want to work hard for it. You Guys Cant get welfare. Yeah, we can. No, you cant. They dont give it to any jackass that walks in here. Weve got it covered, okay, dee . Your bicycle helmet. Its about four friends who Run A bar in philadelphia, and they are four of the worst Human Beings you have ever witnessed. Im a recovering crackhead. This is my retarded sister that i take care of. Id like some welfare, please. The storylines are pointing out that the meritocracy in the united states is maybe not all its cracked up to be. Can i help you . Yeah. Two. Checking in for the pool. Check us in. In the episode white trash, theres a Heat Wave and the gang tries to get into a country club. But im sorry to tell you fellows that membership is currently at capacity. Were in the middle of a terrible Heat Wave and you happen to be at capacity . For us. And when they cant they just behave like absolute degenerates. Were out of here. Yeah, lets go. [ burps ] you dont have to oh, sir. So Charlie And Mac go to their old childhood pool. There she is. This is what im talking about, bro. But it was drained and empty. Im saying we fix up this pool. And then we cant get out of the pool. Are we stuck in here . I think were stuck. Help we thought it would be interesting from a metaphorical standpoint to suggest that maybe, just maybe, there are people out there who dont even have bootstraps. Hey hey, you guys order a pizza . Hey, bro, why dont you just toss down that hose . Then you can pull us up. That would be good, yeah. Just pull us up. And every time they try to go up the Ladder Someone rips it away from them. Oh dude or as many times as they put the ladder up, the ladder falls down. You ready, bro . Oh, man. [ bleep ], dude. Goddamn it. Hey, thanks. We could not have held this all together without you. You know . Well, thats why im here. I know roseanne would want me to step in and watch over the family. No, itd kill her. But shes already dead. So, carry on. One of the things that i love about the sitcom is that it is necessarily a reflection of the atmosphere, in which its made. And so, leaving aside roseannes repugnant views, as an individual person, i think, the show that was rebooted by abc was really about how do you make ends meet in the 21st century . I hope everyone is enjoying the movie. Im having a Blast Sitting on this hard chair paying bills on a Plastic Tray stolen from home town buffet. One of the reasons i think that the conners works in, like, the 2010s is because Income Disparity is an even bigger deal, now, than it was in the 1990s. I am completely financially unprepared to have a baby. Im screwed. The conners, themselves, are still dealing with the same issues of a bluecollar family living Smack Dab inside The American Dream. Look how much money youre saving by not drinking while youre pregnant. Whats that . Theyre not cognizant of it. And i think people can appreciate that these characters are being honest about what theyre going through. This is ridiculous. These people are just trying to have a better life. You dont have a problem with whats happening . I have a big problem. I like the guy. My daughters about to have his b baby, and he may be getting dragged out of the country. You think i want that . In the 2010s, sitcoms became increasingly aware of all of the horrible inequalities that our society was built atop. Its amelia, right . I will find a way back to you and our baby after a short time in chihuahua, the city, not the dog. And some of these shows have gotten back to the idea of Race And Class and the ways that all of these issues intersect. Its Friday Night Family Dinner time. Come on, lets go. This meat was heavily discounted so i need to cook it before it turns. So, you start to see the Workingclass Sitcom reemerge in something, like, One Day At A Time or tthe upshaws becaus a good chunk of america lives below the poverty line. Back in the day . [ bleep ] you did some ignorant shit this morning. You need these stories where people are understanding theyre not bad people, necessarily, because they dont make a certain income. The last Oj Dg deals with Cl And Race through the lens of this person who was incarcerated. And is now back in this gentrified neighborhood. Damn. Poppies is gone, too. The last og in brooklyn. Thats where i born and raised. [ bleep ]. Chasing that paper. I used to be just like [ bleep ], man. Just like yall. Tracey is Blue Collar, all the things that are considered normal are, now, completely different. Sorry to interrupt, we are just waiting for a friend. Ah lets go to brunch, bitches [ bleep ] brooklyn. Brooklyn. The struggle is real. And thats what these shows show. Every foolass comic come through that door think that they lawrence fishburne in boys in the hood. Then, they find out the hood gone. We got to do the groundwork. We got to help one another. Oh, youre youre the mayor were supposed to meet. Thats right. Im the mayor. So if you are looking for an ass to kiss, its mine. The premise is a wealthy family that lost everything. The only asset we have is the town that my Dads Character bought, as a joke, for my birthday. Oh, excuse me. I dont think my sheets have been cleaned. They smell like cigarettes. No, thats just the way they smell. I think that the concepts of class are sort of simmering, under the surface of of every show. On our way here, we drove through a town not a word of a lie called in an episode, where a couple from Johnny And Moiras past meet them for dinner. They run into rowland and jocelyn. What do you do, rowland . Something in agriculture, by the looks of it . You then start to see the judgment that upper class has on lower class. Roland is actually the mayor of our town. Oh. Not shitsville, i hope. What do you even call someone from shitsville . A shitter . And that sparked a change in johnny rose we are not going to side with our wealthy friends. Not a phone call. Not a nickel. Rowland and jocelyn here could not have been more generous with what little they have. Were going to stick up for the town that we live in and own our circumstance. And that town you passed through . Its not called shitsville. Its called Schitts Creek and its where we live. Over time, Schitts Creek ends up being a really optimistic comedy about class because it acknowledges that class doesnt have to be a permanent divide. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Okay. This is not okay. What are you guys doing here . Tonight, we are dancing, as a family. What is happening . We never wanted the town to be the butt of the joke. In fact, thats why we made this town so accepting. The town is the goal. Its the family that had a lot to learn. Hi. Welcome to our viewers here, in the united states, and all around the world. Thanks for joining me. Im robyn curnow. So ahead on cnn, as the taliban continue to make gains in afghanistan, the u. S. Is sending in more troops to help draw down american personnel. Also, hundreds are dead. Thousands more hurt after a major earthquake rocks haiti causing widespread destruction in parts of the country. And heavy rains unleash floods and mudslides in japan, as millions of people are forced to seek shelter