Class Act Case

In Rebecca Traister’s “Class Act” the show Ugly Betty from ABC is depicted. It explains how discrimination that’s displayed throughout this soap opera is actually a big problem in today’s world. Why do people do these things? When someone is above someone else they feel like they are different. They believe that everyone has to be like them or of higher existence, and that lower than them is pretty much unacceptable. In the show, Betty obviously comes from a more low-income family then those she works with. They insult her in many ways just because she differs and there are many direct quotes from the movie throughout “ Class Act” displaying these scenarios. These quotes from direct scenes in the show relate to real life experiences that go on today, many people encounter these feelings of being discriminated or found of racial stereotypes, and something needs to be done about it, people need to realize that everyone deserves to be treated with equality and then this would no longer remain a problem.

People are downgraded, judged because of their differences. Despite Betty’s struggles she succeeds and finds a job working for a magazine. While working under this magazine company, Betty is often offended by other workers. While walking into her first day on the job, the receptionist questioned her “Are you DE-LIV-ER-ING something? Assuming that a brown girl in a bad outfit can only be a messenger”. (697) “Sale at the 99-cent store?” was also another comment made to her when she missed a party (697). Also, when Betty took a book home back to queens (where she lives) the comment that “she was going to give it back with chimichurri sauce all over it” (698) was made to insult her ethnicity. Lastly, a comment made to her regarding the stuffed bunny on her desk, which was a gift for graduating college, her co-workers make comments offending it, just because it isn’t as highly prized as a car or expensive jewelry.

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