Media Magic: Making Class Invisible. Gregory Mantsios

                                                                                                                   Merida Angelina



         In the article "Media Magic: Making Class Invisible" by Gregory Mantsios; there is a strong emphasis on social classes and the roles (class) play within the mass media, and how mass media has a strong hold on how we as a collective society feel about one another within our environment; Media'driven force in the United States, such as magazines, movie studios, television outlets (as noted in the article) & media coverage is a major theme within our culture today " continually growing in its staying power" with a (profit-oriented) purpose. However there seems to be a bridge between social classes from what is really the scenario to what it actually being publicized, and the false truths attacted to class distinctions, ( poor, wealthy, middle class, upper middile class, etc) and the illusions we as a collective society take part in in which may be hard to decipher being media does a good job (hiding the inequities from from public view).

         The Poor- The poor virtually do not exist. What is even more astonishing to me, it is stated that forty million people in our nation are ignored! When the media does address the poor it is said that it's "contradictory messages and portrayals. The poor are amounted to a mere figure (number) the poor are reduced as human beings (people) and have become a mere statistic. Instead of understanding their plight, their conditions, focusing on longterm solutions (adequate care), the poor are viewed as an "eyesore, black, promiscuious, drug abusers, etc.. it is no wonder that after viweing/hearing, seeing how the media portrays poor people, it then becomes individualistic thus making people very racist, sexist and classist on their outlook, when in fact the U.S. Census (numbers) indicate most of the poor people are "white" not "black or hispanic", However the undertone is set that poor people are poor because "they brought it upon themselves".

         While the media dosn't recognize the poor in its theme, there is one theme in particulr that it does acknowledge, Broadcaster's and print news media conjured a "We-ness" this pertains to individuals that are like-minded and affluent. I like to think of this one as "keeping up with the Jones". The "we-ness" is to create a sense of unity of like minded individuals that are of a high social status, anything below that is subpar standards. The "haves and have nots" that is because the media sets a tone to have is to be accepted, acknowledged, etc... To appease the wealthy. To be wealthy is to be accepted, However as the poor do not exist, neither does the wealthy; quite controdictive when you look at the "we-ness" aspect. The wealthy are appeared to have no interests other then serving the society in a governing; where as the Middle- Classis the victim, not a working class and blue collar workers are portrayed as a dying breed, that these hard workers bring their luck on themselves.

         In conclusion what I learned reading this article, seegation within social classes; inaccurate information is used systematically to divide and conquer, anything less is viewed as the root our societies problems, the working middle class blame the poor, this is because the media is not spot on when releasing information, monies that are dispensed to the poor for welfare, the needy etc.. are considered the prime reason for our economy's lack of funds; when a large portion goes to the wealthy for public asistance. I don't feel there is anything wrong with the wealthy getting public assistance, however I do feel the unjust that poor people are judged with to be very racist, sexist and classist and the stigma's that follows.