This Week In Joe’s Basement, episode 44: Class

Air Dates: March 23, 30, 1992

Description:

The crew sensibly heads back out to the streets, to try to expose American attitudes towards social class.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to discuss something that people don’t acknowledge the existence of.  A few nuggets turn up, mostly from a homeless man who “pities the rich, who are terrified of being poor.”

For counterpoint, legendary artist Cosmo Campoli offers some Dada recitations and sings the Banana Song.

Production Notes:

The idea for the show came from Paul Fussell’s book,  Class. Written in the 1980s, it suggested that Americans could be placed in the traditional social classes by their taste in clothing, food and entertainment, regardless of their actual income level – so that a self-made millionaire who still goes bowling might never attain “upper class.”