Class Conundrum

One of the shows I regularly watch, although oftentimes in reruns or after the seasons come out on DVD, is The Big Bang Theory. In our discussion about class portrayal on TV this week, I came to look at this show more critically and decipher why and how exactly they portray the class of the characters on the show.

A joke that is made consistently throughout the seasons is that of the limited earning potential of the main characters. Even though 3 out of 4 of the male leads hold doctorates in a science related field, it is joked that none of them will ever reach a large salary. With that being said, it is even more interesting examining the home life of the characters that the audience is shown. Living in Pasadena, which is notorious for being not cheap, in a relatively large apartment, as well as having all of the latest technological gadgets, seems to be stretching past the budget of two young doctors working at a local university.

In the show, the subject of class is never mentioned and therefore never thought about. All characters seem to live in their own world where money is not a problem and budgets don't require restriction. Yet, if this were reality, how realistic is it?