Most of the characters are handsome males, who are intelligent, educated and well employed. However women are tending to be portrayed as unemployed and dependent on a man in a mother type role. This stereotypical portrayal of the sexes influences how people perceive these gender roles in today's society. Minorities are often depicted as lower class, poor, and often victims in some sort of way. Television representation of economic classes is very disproportionate in comparison with the situation in contemporary North America. Most employed people on television have jobs with high income and high social prestige such as doctors and lawyers, in reality the largest portion of North America's work force are blue collar workers such as factory workers. Many people watch the news on television to learn about the activities around the world, but can we believe this portrayal of the global events? The camera cannot capture the whole picture, only a small portion of what is happening in the world, yet people rely on these shows to educate them about the world we are living in. .
"Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see".
- Proverb.
What are the consequences of this misrepresentation of society? We make assumptions about people, places and things of fictional sitcoms, soap operas and dramas. People's view of the real world will be influenced with what they see on television, and they will modify their behaviour to conform to what they believe are the successful, normal lives of the characters on television. .
"People will willingly watch a show designed for them 95% of the time and will imitate someone on television as readily as they will imitate a live person".
- Parke and Kavanaugh .
People strive to be as beautiful and intelligent and successful as their favourite TV characters, this of course is impossible, as these lives are false. This desire to achieve this perfect "TV" life often leaves viewers feeling disappointed and with low self-esteem.
