In modern consumerist American society, “the media...have become the most important ideological battlefield” (Grossberg et al 216). Ideology is rooted in the very culture of our society, making itself known through various media by reinforcing or questioning the norms of the social order it describes. The dominant, accepted ideologies make up the status quo, defining both class and familial structures that are regurgitated back to society through films, television and newspapers. In this way, the ABC television series “Boy Meets World” upholds the dominant ideology of class by juxtaposing Cory’s nuclear family, well off and therefore functional, to Shawn’s working class family that does not adhere to the traditional family model and is subsequently problematic.
“Boy Meets World” is a seven-season comedy show about average teenager, Cory Matthews and the life problems he encounters, with a lesson and example of his growth in every episode. The twenty-third episode of the second season, “Home,” strongly depicts the class differences between Cory and his best friend, Shawn Hunter, as well as the distinctions between their family lives. Shawn’s father Chet leaves town to chase his wife Virna, who ran off with their substandard trailer home in search of a happier life. Both parents abandon Shawn, who therefore has a rebellious and trouble-making personality, and feels caged and misfit under the stricter family rules of the Matthews household. With Cory’s parents frustrated after three weeks with no word from Chet regarding his return, Shawn sets out on his own, with the understanding that no one wants him, and so he gets in trouble with the police later that night. Shawn’s young, unmarried English teacher Mr. Turner assumes responsibility for rebellious Shawn under the conditions that he will obey the rules and behave himself. The class differences affecting the life chances of the Matthews and Hunter families are embedded in the ideologies of class and family.
The accepted ideology of class is a way of understanding the world in terms of economic success that is prevalent in media culture today. According to Mediamaking, “Ideology is a particular way of thinking and seeing the world that makes the existing organization of social relations appear natural and inevitable,” (Grossberg et al 193). Karl Marx, who analyzed the class ideology in terms of the capitalist bourgeoisie and the working class made up of proletariats, claimed that, “the dominant ideology of class upholds a system of social relations in which the proletariat is exploited” (Lecture, 22 July 2010). Thus, the working class exists under a false consciousness, in that the ideology obscures the true nature of social relations, and their belief systems are controlled by higher classes. Although Marx does not account for a middle class, his socioeconomic theory does affirm the existence of a class above the workers that have a substantial amount of ideological power, “the ability to define reality in particular ways,” over the working class (Grossberg et al 193). The hegemony, or “maintenance of a consensus about how the world works,” of class ideology is that those in upper classes have worked hard for their wealth and status whereas the lower classes are lazy and unmotivated, and therefore unsuccessful (Lecture, 22 July 2010). This worldview on class is strongly upheld in “Boy Meets World.”
In this episode, Cory’s well off family fits the ideological assumptions characterizing the upper-middle class, compliant with the hegemonic ideology of class. For example, in terms of the dominant class ideology, the wealthy are considered hard workers who struggled against the odds in order to succeed in a capitalist system. This work ethic is inherent in their ideology, the way of thinking that dictates the way they lead their lives, and its practice generates well-deserved economic status and wealth. The Matthews family is a case in point of the dominant ideology of class. For instance, Cory’s father Alan has a steady job as a manager at the grocery store, evidence that it is necessary and profitable to start small and gradually climb up the capital ladder through persistence, skill and hard work. Furthermore, Alan’s patience and long hours at his job, despite his lack of passion for his work, exemplify the committed work ethic necessary for success in America. The monetary fruits of his hard labor are depicted by the set and appearance of the characters on the show. Throughout the episode, Alan is clean-shaven, dressed in business attire with an expensive watch, and his wife Amy is fashionable, made-up and adorned with jewelry, exemplifying the ideological assumptions of class. The Matthews live in a large two-story house with several bedrooms, a spacious living room and kitchen, all of which are generously furnished and well cared for. The three Matthews children also lead comfortable lifestyles. The eldest, Eric, often asks for money from his parents to spend on his dates with frivolous girls. Cory buys lunch and dinner out of the house for himself and his friends, and mentions the material comfort his parents provide and expresses his fear of living without his costly things. Even six-year-old Morgan accepts a bribe of one dollar by her father to leave the room and watch television on the big screen so that he and Amy can discuss Shawn’s predicament in private, indicating that money is, to an extent, disposable to the Matthews. The children are endowed with material things—Morgan has many toys and clothes, and the brothers have a computer, television and boom box in their room. Thus, the Matthews family adheres to the mainstream ideology of class because the patriarchal breadwinner of the household, Alan, has worked hard throughout his life, and as a result leads a comfortable and privileged lifestyle for himself and his family.
On the other hand, Shawn’s working class family does not fit the criteria for the status quo regarding class, and consequently, they do not prosper, upholding the dominant class ideology. The mainstream ideology of class claims that conversely, those of a lower class are lazy and unproductive, and have only themselves to blame for their own financial struggles. Shawn fits in to this portrayal of the working class, indicated in the episode “Home.” His family does not have a steady income, or even a permanent residence. Chet cannot hold a job for more than a few months, preferring poorly planned get-rich-quick schemes that contradict the work ethic encouraged by the ideology of class. Shawn lived in a run-down trailer home before his mother drove away with it, and his parents did not have any financial plans for Shawn whom they left behind. He also does not obey his high school teachers or take his classes seriously, apathetic towards the prospect of higher education because of the mental application it requires. The Hunters are perceived as careless and lazy, contrasting the values of hard work and sacrifice that promise financial stability. The situations and images in the episode substantiate the consequences of defying the behavioral expectations of the dominant ideology of class. Although this episode spans over several days, Shawn wears the same clothes everyday, wearing a single outfit for the last three weeks that he has stayed with the Matthews. His personality is that of a scavenger, unrefined and aggressive, evident when Shawn drinks milk directly out of the carton and Amy marks the container with a black “S,” only to reveal that the entire refrigerator is filled with similar containers that Shawn has contaminated. Shawn also cuts the sleeves off of a sweater that Mrs. Matthews bought for him, and cringes when she patched up his torn and dirty jeans, indicative of his rugged upbringing. Furthermore, he has very few possessions, able to fit all his belongings in a single duffle bag and even having to borrow Eric’s bathrobe and Alan’s shaving razor. Shawn and his family do not fit the conventional mold of families in terms of class, but still affirm the hegemonic ideology in that a lack of hard, dedicated work correspondingly yields a lack of material wealth and comfort.
The ideology of class advocates for the mainstream, exemplified by the functionality of Cory’s upper-middle class family. The Matthews, a typical nuclear social unit, abide by the traditional conventions of class and family, and are therefore successful. Since Cory’s parents have raised a normal family, their children also act in accordance with social norms, a product of complying with the accepted ideology of class. For example, Eric is determined to reach his academic potential, and is seen obsessively studying for the SAT exam in order to go to college which will later in his life, dictate his class. He also helps their next-door neighbor, Mr. Feeny, with the gardening in exchange for counseling on preparing for the college entrance test. Cory is obedient as well, following the “9 o’clock curfew on a school night” that his parents have established (“Home”). Moreover, the family is unified, openly communicating even their small problems with one another and reaching rational, agreeable solutions. The Matthews exemplify the dominant class ideology, and are therefore socially and economically prosperous. The series interpellates, or “calls individuals into a certain ideological frame,” middle class families into the position of the Matthews family, who are represented as well-off and functional in the show (Lecture, 27 July 2010). The audience is interpellated into a situation of comfortable socioeconomic background, similar to the lives led by the Matthews, in order for the audience to relate to the show in terms of its identity. “Boy Meets World” puts its audience into this position because these audiences have the financial capability to consume the media, and accordingly depicts this group in a positive, successful manner to stimulate further profits. The families mirrored by the Matthews benefit from the portrayal of conforming to the status quo yielding life success, because this representation becomes the way of thinking of the general public. This interpellation positions the audience in terms of its cultural and social identity, characterized by “Boy Meets World,” so that society will associate nuclear families like the Matthews with success and functionality.
On the other hand, the Hunters as an unconventional family that are members of the working class, are consequently dysfunctional, supporting the hegemonic ideology of class. In line with Chet’s irresponsibility in reaction to his wife’s abandonment, Shawn is similarly headed towards an unsuccessful future. In spite of his parents’ financial instability, he disregards school as a waste of time instead of viewing education as an opportunity for economic mobility. His behavior in this episode affirms the consequences of being raised in an irregular working class family. Shawn repeatedly runs away from the Matthews’ home, sneaking out the window proclaiming, “I don’t do bedtimes, I don’t do curfews,” in response to Cory’s insistence on following his parents’ rules (“Home”). Shawn is belligerent in his attempts to control his own life since his parents do not take care of him. After leaving the Matthews’, he is caught by the police for vandalizing the local school, and does not show remorse for his actions. Furthermore, he is openly disrespectful to his teachers and caregivers, defiantly addressing Mr. Turner’s counseling with, “We’re not in class. I don’t have to listen to you” (“Home”). Shawn is clearly troubled and his family is fraught with problems, evident in Shawn’s sense of loneliness and abandonment when he shouts, “None of you want me. Well, that’s fine. I don’t need any of you. I never needed anybody” (“Home”). The Hunters are a lower class and non-nuclear family and Shawn serves as a product of the ensuing dysfunction. Because of the Hunters’ nonconformity to the traditional notions of class ideology, and irregular family structure, they are seen as problematic and unsuccessful and therefore support the dominant class ideology as an example of the consequences of challenging it.
“Boy Meets World” upholds the hegemonic ideology of class by juxtaposing Cory’s middle class family, conventional and therefore functional, to Shawn’s lower income family that does not abide by the traditional family model and is subsequently dysfunctional. Though these ideologies are represented through media, they are entrenched in the values and institutions of society. Those with ideological power wield it to their benefit, regardless of the consequences on the people, whose “identities are less stable and unified than they were in previous generations” (Grossberg et al 252).
Works Cited
Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella, and D. Charles Whitney. MediaMaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture. London: Sage, 1998. Print.
"Home - Boy Meets World - TV Shack." TV Shack - Tune in. Web. 03 Aug. 2010. .
Media Studies N10. Lecture, 15 July 2010.
Media Studies N10. Lecture, 22 July 2010.
Media Studies N10. Lecture, 27 July 2010.
