A few days ago we talked about the myth of the American Dream and how people like the story of coming from a humble background and ascending the social class ladder by making a lot of money. This reminded me of a scene in the TV Show Entourage, which follows Vincent Chase, a movie star, and his friends. Vince is talking to Eric, his manager and friend, about how they are going to make $500,000 for a days work by singing at a girl's birthday party. Vince says "You know my father didn't make that in in his whole life." Eric responds, "No, mine either. He owed it though." This scene shows how they both came from families without much money but pulled themselves out of the rut and rose to where they are now, making half a million dollars for a days work, an exemplary accomplishment of the American Dream. The writers of Entourage could have had Vincent Chase and Eric grow up in million dollar houses and merely follow in their parents footsteps by making a ton of money as well, but they decided to have him come from poor beginnings. They did this because people like to see characters living the American Dream, succeeding against all odds, not rich people making even more money.
I find this post very interesting. I see this with many shows. There always seems to need to be a character who has started from below and made it to the top. I think you bring up a great example of that. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. This is a great reflection of the American culture.
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