Social Inequality In The Media Analysis

Yes, I agree that the media distorts our perceptions of social inequality. The rich control the media, because they own it. It is inevitable that as a means of maintaining social order, the wealthy satiate the people’s perceptions of reality, subjective as it may be. This is executed by justifying the entitlement of the rich- by depicting that they are the epitome of success in this hierarchy where everyone achieves their lot through hard work. Within Kendall’s piece, this was exhibited in lines such as “the media involve themselves in a social construction of reality that rewards the affluent and penalizes the working class and the poor” and “the media typically take ‘the heaviest of topics,’ such as class and social inequality, and trivialize it” (Kendall 1).

With this justification, the people are led to “vicarious living”: they attempt to purchase what the affluent purchase. As a result, these actions also precipitate in “conspicuous consumption” or “unnecessary consumerism”: the middle-class and working-class crave for more and more of what the wealthy have, even though they could never afford it in the first place. They want it, because not only do the rich have it, but also since it seemingly exudes the wealth that the rich