Lisa A. Kirby likens the successful reality television series, Deadliest Catch, to the popular myth of the cowboy in U.S. national culture. How does the show idealize white, working-class men’s aspiration to achieve the American Dream? Kirby argues that the show is particularly popular with affluent white men. Why do you think a show about crab fishermen in the Bering Sea would be popular with more affluent male viewers?
I realize that’s more than one question. In your response, you can choose to focus on only one.
April 24, 2019 at 2:50 pm
The themes that Kirby brings forth regarding the shows about rugged jobs that middle class men are a part of, are ways that I have never thought about before. Though I haven’t watched these shows, just from hearing about them I have always thought they were fascinating because of the drama and undesirability of the jobs.
The appeal to watching shows like “The Deadliest Catch” among white, affluent men could be because it is something they have never experienced, and never will, and it is fun to live vicariously through the shows. The affluent men do not need to face the actual realities that the men on the show must deal with- money problems, safety, etc, but instead get to be a part of the “fun” in the job in the safety of their homes surrounded by family they do not need to be away from. A stereotype for males in general is getting dirty, being hands-on and handy, and since these affluent men do not get to incorporate this into their daily life, watching it is a close second. The show also romanticizes the working class, exaggerating the drama and hero character which makes it more for viewers to watch as it is an idealistic version of these people.
April 24, 2019 at 1:49 pm
I think that the show is particularly popular with affluent white men because it shows a side of the working world that they may not be accustomed to. Affluent white men are most likely used to working at a desk in an office. Deadliest Catch presents to this demographic a whole different way of life. While affluent men are in the comfort of their homes, they can watch and see how the fishermen of the Bering Sea fight off sleep deprivation, the elements, and all the dangers associated with the job. Having seen the show many times, the danger I believe is the main appeal to many of these people. The show is very exciting in that anything can happen at any given time. During the show, many injuries happen and some of these can be quite severe so this lures many people in. The attraction of this world of blue collar workers putting themselves in harms way represents how affluent males simply view these jobs as entertainment for themselves.
April 24, 2019 at 11:01 am
I had never thought about the show in this context. Similar to the show Dirty Jobs, I always figured the appeal lied in the fact that it offered exposure to jobs not often held by the majority of Americans, rather than the hardworking roots of the jobs themselves. However, after watching scenes considered to be “The Best” of season 13, and reading the piece by Kirby, it is apparent how readily the series plays on ideas of the American dream. Even within the few minutes, the aspects of danger and risk that the fishermen face are key aspects of the storyline. For these men, work is more important than all other aspects of their lives. They risk their bodies and health, as “on the sea, nothing is easy”. For example, in one episode, the lead deckhand Nick, battles what is speculated to be lung cancer, while continuing to put himself in dangerous and exhausting situations.
In this way, they act as hyperbolic figures for the masculine American dream. Unlike blue-collar workers with normal jobs, they go a step further by risking their lives to provide for their families. Kirby asserts that these men are “American icons, cowboys of the high seas, cheating death and redefining working-class masculinity”. The everyday work of the fishermen brings up additional themes of family, work ethic and the desire for upward social mobility. These common values held on each of the rigs are values that have traditionally been deeply woven into American culture and in this way, the show idealizes the American Dream.
In terms of why the show may cater to affluent white male audiences, I think it is connected to our discussion on other reality TV series as well as the demographic of the characters themselves. For one, all of the fishers are white. However, they are hyper masculinized as well. This exposure could provide an escape from what is understood as the normal masculine blue-collar work life. Similarly, it could allow these viewers to picture themselves within an extremely masculine and physical profession, and inform their opinions on what it stereotypically takes to be a “real man”.
April 24, 2019 at 12:18 am
Kirby argues that shows such as The Deadliest Catch are gaining popularity due to society’s increasing tendency to “mythologize” and celebrate the heroic nature of some blue-collar working class professions. Portraying the working man in his labor intensive environment allows the audience a nostalgic glimpse of the American Dream. Although it is possible that the men depicted on the show do not follow a traditional American Dream path, they are shown as working hard and being honest. Alongside this, as Kirby points out, the extreme dangerousness of the Deadliest Catch exaggerate the stereotype of the tough working class man.
Promoting the “everyman” is a theme that has been ingrained in American society for generations, but Kirby claims it has increased in post 9/11 America. Now, not only is the working class the “backbone” of the nation, but they are also our heroes. The romanticization of the hard working blue collar men is especially fascinating to affluent consumers. Kirby argues that for rich white men, shows such as the Deadliest Catch are the only lens through which affluent men see the working class. I believe the appeal to upper class men is more of a vicarious experience, however. The working class men depicted in the show exhibit some of the traditionally “ideal” stereotypical characteristics of a man. Their hard work, toughness, determination, and lack of fear is valorized. Their American Dream attitude and heroic masculinity allows affluent men the opportunity to experience the American Dream at arms length.
Lastly, because the job is inherently dangerous, it is not difficult for producers to create entertaining and suspenseful scenes which can be alluring to a whole host of other viewers.
April 23, 2019 at 11:59 pm
Lisa A. Kirby likens the successful reality television series, Deadliest Catch, to the popular myth of the cowboy in U.S. national culture. How does the show idealize white, working-class men’s aspiration to achieve the American Dream?
Building off of Caroline’s point, I believe that Deadliest Catch, similar to Swamp People, tends to show working-class white Americans–yes–attempting to achieve the American Dream, but always in a way that typecasts individuals with condescending stereotypes.
I guess the question becomes: How are these representations comedic for people who have already achieved the’ American Dream?’ Successful Americans use shows like Deadliest Catch to serve as a looking glass into the lives of these poor white families. In essence, these people’s poverty becomes a spectacle–an evolution of the anthropology that used to showcase ‘primitive’ lifestyles for consumption purposes, if you will.
I find this notion problematic because I doubt these individuals on Deadliest Catch will ever be accepted into upper-class America as they are. The do not exude the same lifestyle of leisure that the elite does, therefore they will always be considered outsiders.
April 23, 2019 at 8:46 pm
Kirby analyzes the appeal of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch in a very thought-provoking way. She explains the depictions of the characters within the show as representative of working-class males, striving in pursuit of the elusive American Dream. She compares this show to the majority of others within current mainstream television that often skew representative classes towards the upper ends. And, while the working-class is occasionally represented among these, it often is done so with condescension, comedic appeal, and stereotyping.
In Deadliest Catch, the significant fascination draws from the show’s preoccupation with danger. Kirby describes this through the show taking on a “manly writing style,” painting the characters as “hard-working ‘everymen’ who aspire to the American Dream” (Kirby, 113). Grit is emphasized along the show’s endeavors, emphasizing the “rough and tumble” nature of a romanticized masculine past.
This accentuation of hypermasculinity reminded me of the previous discussion questions about the Real Housewives. In both of these shows, characters are represented with overaccentuated aspects of traditional gender roles. While Deadliest Catch does this through focusing on the wild, strong, hearty, and self-sufficient qualities of masculinity, the Real Housewives emphasized the characters’ femininity through stereotypes of materialism, emotionality, and gossip. When I asked my Real-Housewives-obsessed friend about the reasons for her interest in the show for the last assignment, she explained that “[The show displays] everyday life, something relatable, but in more lavish and theatrical terms.” This could be applied to the displays of everyday life in the Deadliest Catch, something relatable through reminiscence but adapted to heighten hyper-exhibitions of gendered representation (e.g. the rough-typed hypermasculinity). In both shows, these exhibitions are, in a way, contradictions to normal, run-of-the-mill, modern ways of being. And, while such displays may seem obsolete, they actually seem to be quite the opposite – magnetizing viewers to bask in the refreshing appeal of contrast.
Kirby discusses the particular attraction of upper-class individuals to Deadliest Catch as deriving from it being one of their only instances to experience the “working class life.” Through emphasis of a “rough and tumble” and family-oriented man, the show reminisces on the romanticized idea of an American-Dream-driven working-class man. This becomes especially relevant today – a time marked by a supposed “masculinity crisis” – one in need of reminders that the “real man” still exists: one emissive of a “familial atmosphere of solidarity and common values” (Kirby, 116).