I proudly support Blog Action Day 2008 and have recently noticed ways that Hollywood (and some indepedent) movies depict a certain level of poverty in America, even in their most proactive storylines. It was during this observation that I understood how we all may be poor (Unless you ARE indeed a member of the upper class and having daily lunches with the likes of John McCain which would then determine that this post of not for you) or at least not too far from it.
Wikipedia, a popular online encyclopedia displays a marginal distinction between the "Working class" and the "Working poor". Under their respective definitions, both of these groups in our society are said to fall beyond the poverty line at least once in a decade or if the working class becomes unemployed at any given time.
That is a scary situation for anyone to be in and when thinking about poverty and the working class, a few movies that showcase this way of living came to mind.
Movies such as Million Dollar Baby, Set It Off, John Q, and The Full Monty display in various ways how the average joe could be among the poor at any given time. The characters in each of these movies experience at least some level of poverty. However, they all deal with it differently. In Million Dollar Baby starring Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank, the main character is a waitress and does not even make enough money for food. This living circumstance would more than likely classify her as one of the working poor. However, she uses every bit of her hard earned money for sports training to become a boxer despite the vast discouragement from her trainer and even her own mother.
Million Dollar Baby is a good example of how someone can rise up above difficult circumstances and make his or her life better than anyone could have imagined. However, the main character's triumph appeared to have come from not only her determination to succeed but also from her love of boxing. So when it comes to the subject of poverty, the question then arises....what if the main character in Million Dollar Baby really enjoyed being a waitress? What if the storyline was different? If it were, she would be taking leftovers home from work because her wages and tips do not cover her cost of living.
In Set It Off starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kimberly Elise and Vivica Fox, the main characters have regular jobs but are unsatisfied with what is being provided by these jobs. One character desires a better life and environment for herself but has no idea how to get there. Another character does not mind working hard so long as she can take care of her son. This is difficult to do because her job does not pay enough to cover childcare services. Although these women enter a life of crime to make extra money, there are accidental deaths, faulty accusations and other extenuating circumstances that make the characters in Set It Off wonder if their day-to-day hard work is worth anything at all.
One of the characters even had a higher paying job than the rest of her friends until she was wrongfully fired. From the perspective of these characters in "Set It Off," having a 9 to 5 job (or any shift type of job for this matter) still does not pull any weight when it comes to raising children, relocating or even sending a family member to college. It is only when they obtain more money and are able to accomplish even their short term goals that these characters in Set It Off seem to be happy and ejoying life.
In John Q starring Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall and Anne Heche, the main character has a regular 9 to 5 job with benefits. However, the health insurance that he has will not cover an operation that will save his son's life. In most cases, it would be feasible to just say "Ok, do you take cash, check or credit?" and just pay the cost of such an important operation. In John Q, the wages from the main character's job will not even be enough to cover the medical procedure. Therefore, he is forced to choose between coming up with the money that the health insurance company and job will not offer him OR watch his son die.
In the midst of fundraising, losing the one vehicle that his family needs to get around and having a strained marriage, the main character in John Q is pushed to the edge of his sanity and into a state of mere desperation. Members of the working class would be able to understand the main character's state of anger and even reasoning for his unlawful actions in this movie. He is not a member of the underclass and does not rely on food stamps or other handouts to take care of himself and his family. He has worked long and hard, the "right" way as many wealthier and conservative members of our society would prefer and respect and even has health insurance to cover medical expenses....something of which many working poor and poverty stricken citizens do not have in America. Even with a regular job AND health insurance, it's still not enough to keep his son alive.
In The Full Monty starring Mark Addy, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer, most of the main characters are steel workers who have become unemployed. Based on how class is separated in our society, my guess is that this would deem them as part of the underclass or poor members of society. However, they form a small striptease group to make ends meet so I would classify them as the working poor. One interesting part in The Full Monty is when a few of the main characters are put down by a middle class gentleman and insulted as if they were trash. As The Full Monty progresses, it becomes obvious that this middle class man has also been unemployed just like the very men that he sticks his nose up to.
The only difference is that he has been trying to hide the news of his unemployment. The middle class man later joins this striptease group in order to make some extra money. This movie is based in England so I am not certain what their obscenity laws are (of any) there but many of us are familiar with the Chippendales troupe in America. While touring striptease shows are a booming business around the country, it is not exactly the most respected form of business in our society. Therefore, The Full Monty's main characters have put themselves in a compromising position by choosing to do this type of show for money.
The storyline to The Full Monty movie may be a bit unrealistic for many American citizens because a lot of men and women would refuse to perform in striptease shows. However, The Full Monty movie offers an interesting display of how far the working class and working poor will go just to keep from falling into poverty which could be right around the corner for these classes in society. As I observe these four movies, there is a harsh similarity among the characters. Although they have jobs and work for pay, the characters in Million Dollar Baby, Set It Off, John Q and even The Full Monty are about one second away from living in poverty every day of their lives.
The differences between the "working class" and the "working poor" lie in their level of income and cost of living. While the working class may earn more than the working poor, their standard of living is just adequate. Under this observation, the working class have been able to take care of themselves and live under somewhat modest means, but nothing more. The working poor on the other hand is at risk of poverty most or all of the time. Their financial situation is not stable and they could fall beyond the poverty line at any time.
Having to reflect on the subject of poverty where the United States is concerned only reminds me how discgraceful it is that even those who work still face poverty and the troubles that come with it. The poor (also referred to as the underclass; the loverclass in some encycolpedias) relies mostly, if not entirely on the government for their wellbeing and coverage for their cost of living. These types of individuals are probably comfortable with living in this manner but I am certain that a large number of the working class and working poor are not at all comfortable with their risk of living in poverty.
Automatically increasing the wages 100% for members of the working class and working poor would be extreme. However, it would be helpful if everyone made enough to take care of themselves and their family. No one job should be better than another when it comes to the basic necessities of shelter, food, clothing and even proper health care. Some may argue that members of the working poor and working class would have more money if they did not leave beyond their means. While this would be a valid argument, it does not apply to all women and men in these situations.
Even when I reflect on the four movies profiled here, Hilary Swank wasn't living in a plush house or apartment while working as a waitress in Million Dollar Baby. Denzel Washington's character wasn't living next door to P. Diddy in John Q and one of the Set It Off characters lived in a garage. The problem with risks of poverty in America is that it should not exist. There are so many opportunities here and businesses that there is an infrastructure for everyone to be able to live peacefully and comfortably. The working class and working poor should not have to scrape by or live paycheck to paycheck. Either the minimum wages should increase OR the cost of living should decrease in many areas of the country.
Is there a movie that reminds you of Poverty related issues? Name it and leave your opinion below in the comments box!
I am also curious to know if you are part of the working class or working poor OR if you are affected by the levels of economic class in America. Leave your comments below?
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Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 8:47PM 
