Category Archives: Kathy M. Newman

America’s Cross-Class Romance with Mare of Easttown

Posted on June 14, 2021 by knewman4

In the waning days of the great pandemic of 2020-2021, something surprising happened: the nation fell in love with Mare of Easttown, a depressing television series about a burned out town, an unsolved murder, and, as the Saturday Night Live … Continue reading →

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Sea Shanties and the Pleasure of Work

Posted on April 12, 2021 by knewman4

I thought that the viral TikTok sea shanty trend had run its course when, just before Passover, I saw a link to a video called the “Red Sea Shanties.” Here the Jewish a capella group, Six13, changed the lyrics of … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Work | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Christmas (and Class) Behind the Scenes

Posted on December 14, 2020 by knewman4

I love Christmas movies because they are always about work. Want to see executive fat cats who are forced to work on Christmas Eve? Check out Scrooged, Elf, and The Family Man. Want to see elves being mistreated, overworked, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

No Class: Why You Should Be Getting Your Labor News from Teen Vogue

Posted on August 31, 2020 by knewman4

Last Wednesday NBA players refused to take the court for their playoff games in order to protest the latest police shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who survived the shooting but is now paralyzed. In … Continue reading →

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Class, Capitalism, and Coronovirus at Disney’s Newest Attraction

Posted on March 30, 2020 by knewman4

Last week the Coronavirus forced Disney to announce that its American parks are now closed indefinitely, resulting in the longest interruptions of any kind since they opened in 1955 (Disneyland) and 1965 (Walt Disney World). Disney has been on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Working-Class Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2019 by knewman4

During this Christmas season, there is a tweet making the rounds that shows the number of paid vacation days in thirteen different countries by law: France             30 Denmark         25 Finland            25 Norway           25 Sweden           25 … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Religion, Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Working-Class Culture | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Censoring the Working Class

Posted on September 9, 2019 by knewman4

Does the first amendment work the same for all Americans? What kind of freedoms do working people have to read, look at, and say what they want? The subject is on my mind this month as I gear up to … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Education, Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Labor and Community Activism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Doris Day: Working-Class Hero

Posted on May 20, 2019 by knewman4

Doris Day was one of the hardest working entertainers of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as one of the highest paid female singers/actresses of all time. Many of us probably associate Doris Day with a certain kind of middlebrow … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Class(room) Warfare

Posted on April 15, 2019 by knewman4

The actress Felicity Huffman—along with 13 other parents charged in the college admissions scandal—entered plea deals last week, putting pressure on actress Lori Laughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, to do the same. Prosecutors are hinting that if Laughlin … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and Education, Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Labor and Community Activism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

ABC Sitcom The Conners: The Struggle is Real

Posted on December 3, 2018 by knewman4

Life expectancy for Americans has fallen to an average of 78.6 years. This is a drop from the most recent estimates—indicating a downward trend that is virtually unheard of in Western countries. A report just released from the Centers for … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment