Author Information
Margaret Tally, State University of New York and Empire State University, United StatesAbstract
Contemporary television demonstrates an unprecedented proliferation of wealthy characters across all genres, from prestige dramas like "Succession" and "The White Lotus" to reality programming like "Selling Sunset" and "The Real Housewives" franchise. This phenomenon coincides with historic levels of economic inequality, raising critical questions about how media both reflects and shapes cultural attitudes toward wealth and class. This paper examines the emergence of the "eat the rich" genre in television, analyzing how contemporary shows navigate the tension between critique and consumption of extreme wealth. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Gramsci's cultural hegemony, Bourdieu's cultural capital theory, and Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model, this research conducts content analysis of twenty television series produced between 2020-2025, examining narrative patterns, character development, and audience reception. The study reveals three dominant modes of wealth representation: aspirational voyeurism (reality TV), critical satire (prestige drama), and moral punishment narratives (dark comedy). Preliminary findings suggest that while many contemporary shows appear to critique wealth inequality through dark humor and moral complexity, they simultaneously reinforce existing power structures by transforming economic anxiety into entertainment commodity. The research demonstrates how "hate-watching" wealthy characters provides cathartic release while potentially depoliticizing real structural inequalities. Emily Nussbaum's concept of "empathy manipulation" proves particularly relevant, as shows like *Succession* create viewer investment in morally reprehensible wealthy families. This analysis contributes to media studies scholarship on class representation while offering insights into how cultural texts process economic trauma.
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