Disparaging vs. Recognizing the White Working Class in Friends, Desperate Housewives, and The Big Bang Theory

Manual labor is stigmatized in both China and the United States. There is a tendency to look down on those who perform physical labor. On American television, white working‐class characters are often humiliated and mocked by upper‐middle‐class characters. The tradition of despising the working class is present in the situation comedy Friends. In Desperate Housewives, the same theme is present, but there is a shift in this series. The most likable and decent character is a plumber who is also a good role model. In The Big Bang Theory, the usual roles are largely reversed. The true hero of the series is a working‐class woman, while the foolish characters are upper‐middle‐class men with high levels of education. These and other television series offer a glimpse into conflicts based on social class divisions that remain largely invisible. They also reveal possible ways to resolve social tensions in modern societies.