Poverty Party!

We've all heard of shows like "Duck Dynasty", "Honey Boo Boo", "Trailer Park Boys" and "The Beverly Hillbillies"and for the most part we understand that these people are portraying an uneducated lower class. The means by which they slack off and joke around prove to us why they find themselves in that position, thus the media portrays this standing as their fault. An assistant professor of Creative Writing at Georgia Southern University, Jared Yates Sexton, states in his article, "Honey Boo Boo could be my neighbor", that despite all the negative aspects of living this "poor" lifestyle, the characters of these shows are always seen having a great time. They live out their daily lives with little worry or concern and interact with one another, allowing entertainment to ensue. But, why are they always seen living as if being impoverished is some type of "party"?

The glorification of the poor is not accepted by everyone. Many of those who actually find themselves in this situation are not anything like those who we see on popular TV shows. Sexton also states that these people work hard but are tied down with expenses like "credit-card debt, student loans, mortgages, and under- and unemployment". As a college student with a world of loans on his shoulders, it is easy to see how people can entrap themselves in this downfall. I have been approached multiple times by members of this lower class who sought nothing but to give me their advice. Some have told me to stay in school, avoid drugs, and watch who you spend your time with, but others have said that they simply could not manage many of the complications that are present in the "real-world". These people are forced to work dead-end jobs with little to no hope of arising to anything but a simply weekly paycheck. Believe it or not, there are in fact many situations where no matter how hard someone works; they still cannot make a change in their quality of life.

-Stuart Cowen