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Subscribe to Working-Class Perspectives - Working-Class Perspectives offers weekly commentaries on current issues related to working-class people and communities. Contributors discuss a variety of issues, from what class means to how it intersects with race and gender to how class is shaping American politics. We welcome relevant comments of 500 words or less.
For questions or comments about this blog, e-mail Sherry Linkon. For assistance with news stories about working-class politics and culture, call or e-mail John Russo, 330-207-8085. Categories
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The State of the Working Class
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Category Archives: Kathy M. Newman
A Working-Class Christmas Story Christmas
If you have an extra 10 million dollars lying around, little Ralphie Parker’s house from A Christmas Story (1983), is for sale. The iconic mustard colored house, located on the outskirts of Cleveland, is currently owned by Brian Jones, a … Continue reading
Marilyn and Elvis: Dead Labor in the Age of Streaming
When Marilyn Monroe was cast as a spunky cannery worker in Clash by Night (1952), she took “an all-night bus to Monterey to observe cannery workers and to practice being working class.” As biographer Lois Banner noted, she was even … Continue reading
Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman
Tagged Class and the Media, Elvis Presley. Blonde, Marilyn Monroe
6 Comments
Immersed in the Work of Art
This summer, five different immersive Van Gogh opportunities are circulating in dozens of cities around the world, including Detroit, Buenos Aires, and Perth, Australia. If you live in one of the cities that has (or soon will be) hosting one … Continue reading
Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Work
Tagged class and art, immersive art exhibit, Van Gogh, work
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Sidney Poitier: Nobody You Can Boss Around
In the 10 days since we learned of Sidney Poitier’s death there have been hundreds of tributes to Poitier—an undeniable icon. Most of these tributes have focused on Poitier’s brilliant acting, for which he received innumerable awards, as well as … Continue reading
Work is a Real Life Squid Game for the Global Precariat
I’m assuming you’ve heard of Squid Game, but have you also heard that Squid Game is the most watched television show in Netflix history, inspiring 1.65 billion hours of viewing in its first month? This week we learned that Squid … Continue reading
Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman, Work
Tagged precariat, Squid Game, workplace violence
1 Comment
Some Dreamers of the Rusty Dream
In the new Showtime series, American Rust, set and filmed outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and based on the 2009 novel by Philipp Meyer, we see the aftermath of an industrial collapse so devastating that the fictional town of Buell, PA, … Continue reading
America’s Cross-Class Romance with Mare of Easttown
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
Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, Kathy M. Newman
Tagged Black Lives Matter, Mare of Easttown, policing
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Sea Shanties and the Pleasure of Work
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 TikTok, Wellerman, Work songs
2 Comments
Christmas (and Class) Behind the Scenes
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 Elf, Holiday movies, Netflix, workers
2 Comments
No Class: Why You Should Be Getting Your Labor News from Teen Vogue
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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