Out with the Class , In with the Sass 2 WAN C’2 N N Y L E Y GRAC ATION B ILLUSTR
SASSY COMMENTARY COMBATS CLASSISM ON THE BIG SCREEN (KIND OF)
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THE WALK MAGAZINE
BY: EMILY LIU C’22 Think about the biggest movement in Hollywood in the last decade: what comes to mind? There’s a high chance most people would say the #MeToo Movement. It seems that Hollywood has started to actively call out the triple “-ism”s: sexism (not really), racism (to an extent) and classism. But one -ism that they’ve truly turned a critical eye towards is classism. We now find that more and more movies providing scathing commentary on class divisions are hitting the big screen and scoring major awards. Renewed attention towards classism gained traction after the 2008 financial crisis, the worst recession since the Great Depression, when millions became jobless. The poor became poorer, and the rich became richer, creating an income gap that is incredibly hard to close. In fact, this is something that is reflected here at Penn, with about 70% of the student population being in the top 20% income bracket. The film industry is no stranger to this trend either.
SPRING 2020
