No One Ever Got Rich Over Estimating What The American Public Wants To Taste!

(I decided to post early because there is five blogs you all will have to comment on and it may be more convenient time wise for you:)

The movie Working Girl can be related to what we have already been discussing about this past week on social class. This movie provides great representation of what we have seen in People Like Us and read in Fussell’s book about the differences between social classes.
I believe Tess makes up the lower middle class of Staten Island. She lives in a small apartment with her boyfriend, rides the Staten Island Ferry to work, uses taxis, or walks to where she wants to go. Like most females in her office, Tess works a typical lower ranking job, as a secretary for two male managers that hardly have time to see her or care about what she says. Tess is educated, friendly, and well known at work but she cant seem to get into the Entrée Program. In the movie her managers think it is because she is “up against Harvard and Morgan grads” and her five years of night schooling, honors degree, secretarial time, and Christian Lyons Test don’t measure up to get her the job she wants. Here it is evident that Tess may have been over looked possibly because they employer has pinpointed her into a certain class and does not like how or where she has obtained her higher education from.
Katherine Parker is an upper middle class woman who is at the top of her department, mergers and acquisitions, at the firm Petty Marsh. When she arrives the office grows silent, the workers scramble to get back to their desks, and sit down to look like they are working. Katherine seems to have her head on straight, enjoys spending her money, boss’s people around, establishes ground rules, enjoys looking attractive, and likes impressing her other male colleagues.
Tess lands a new secretarial job for Katherine and discovers how different it is than what she is used to. This is the first time Tess has worked for a woman, been encouraged to share her thoughts, and viewed a manager as a possible mentor. Katherine never asks Tess about her educational background or about other secretarial experiences but instead expects Tess to do her job well, and live up to the standards she expects. Katherine believes Tess should be, “ tough when it’s wanted, accommodating when you can be, accurate, punctual, and never make a promise you cant keep.” She views Tess as “Her link to the outside world” suggesting Tess must handle the little people and make Katherine look good while doing it. Katherine persuades Tess to accept the same views she has on life by saying things like, “watch me Tess, learn from me,” and “ You don’t get anywhere in this world by waiting for what you want to come too you, you make it happen!” The way Katherine talks to Tess reminds me of the lady in People Like Us-How to Marry the Rich and how she was telling the other women how to dress, act,stand ect.
After Katherine’s skiing accident Tess soon learns how an upper middle class woman often lives. In the movie Tess walks around Katherine’s house admiring her possessions such as her artwork, make up, exercise bike, jewelry, and clothing. Her friend Cyn equally becomes mesmerized by the house the big chandelier, and how much one of the dresses costs. Tess moves into the house and begins living her life as if she is in a higher class, which allows other people to view her differently- just like people in Fussell's book. Mick even tells her she looks “different and classy” when he sees her at the engagement party. She wears Katherine’s expensive clothing, says things that Katherine typically would, and even goes to two events Katherine is invited to. She even uses what she has learned from Katherine to attract a handsome investment broker and says things like, “I have a head for business and a body for sin.” She doesn't think twice about going to see Mr. Trask at his daughters wedding reception, just so she can get her foot in the door. Showing up to the Union Club and being in the presence of Owen Trask seems to overwhelm her.
At the end of the movie Tess learns that her true job as Katherine’s secretary may not have even allowed her to present her idea. Katherine makes a big deal by storming into their meeting and stating “She is my secretary!” This alone shocks everyone and Mr. Trask is embarrassed because a secretary has tricked him.
Tess identifies her class and low ranking job by telling Jack “ If he knew she was a secretary he would have never booked a meeting with her.” She even tells Owen Trask, “ Well no one was going to listen, not to me. I mean you can bend the rules plenty when you get upstairs, but not while your trying to get there, and if your someone like me, you cant get there without bending the rules.”
This movie gives pure examples of the different individuals that make up the hierarchy of business and of social class. One newly recent reality show, Undercover Boss, is the complete opposite of the overall just of this movie. High Executives of a particular company are disguised and are put to work in the companies lower ranking jobs. These executives learn how the employees are treated and how dangerous, and hard these jobs are for individuals. At the end of the show they often reveal the true identity of these executives and they make changes to their company that benefit the little people that make things happen.If you haven't seen this show I would recommend it.-Sunday night's on CBS (channel 12) @ 9p.m.