Class Prejudice


What I find a little strange about this movie is that, while nearly all the students had anti-Semitic prejudices, nearly none of them harbored class prejudices. All of them knew right from the start that David was from a working-class family in Scranton, PA, only came for the last year (which was unusual, as the coach observed in the beginning of the movie), and had to work at the school diner because of not having enough cash to pay his tuition. However, it seems like no one was bothered by it - not Dillon, not Van Kelt, not even Sally. However, once David's religion was discovered, everyone turned against him.

Could it really have happened? The rich and powerful are just as likely (or even more so) to have class snobbery as religious prejudices.

Any thoughts?

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I grew up in a very white and Christian milieu, but also egalitarian and not privileged. I was exposed to a lot of Jewish literature, and I thought Jews thought of themselves as different but not in a bad way. Once in high school a couple friends bantered and one said the other guy was Jewish. The guy's last name was, I believe, Schnorr. The guy looked a little stunned then denied it. Almost seemed like he was uncomfortable with what might have been true. I remember pondering that and wondered why people would not want to be Jewish. Many years later I had another friend who's last name ends with -stein, as in Frankenstein. He's German, and once he made it clear he had nothing against Jews but his name is pronounced Stine (like "spine") not Steen. I guess there's a difference.

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I think there are a couple of moments in the first half of the movie when it's shown bubbling below the surface, but they keep it there because, as already been posted on this thread, David's still the popular star QB (plus his room-mate Reece would still have his back at this point)
For example, the grin on Dillon's face when he sees David as a waiter, the bit when he doesn't understand Mac's tunnel vision with Princeton and Mac says "can someone explain this to our friend from Scranton" etc
Once they turn against him though, it really shows itself.

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I graduated high school in the early 90s and I remember an example of being invited by my buddy to a privileged local golfing club that he and his parents were members of a few times during the late 80s/early 90s. Mind you, I am white middle class and I recall other members of the club (usually older) looking down on non-members no matter the race. In my case I wasn't well versed in all their social customs but I remember you couldn't wear a hat in the dining hall no matter if it was lunch and the conversations at the dinners could make you feel cringe because you knew you weren't a member nor did you belong to their upperclass social circles. So basically I just kept my mouth shut if I wasn't spoken to. They always had the best of everything at the bar and I also recall at the annual 4th of July outdoor function on the greens it was all you could eat lobster and prime rib or steak and shrimp so I didn't complain too much about their social etiquette rules since the food and drinks were billed to my buddy's family membership. So yes, there is class prejudice no matter the race.

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yes you are corrects.

they rich boy in this film more than likelys have bashed brandon fraser for being poor boy than for being jew.

this film is unrealistics. im sure one or two boys would be anti-semitex, but half the school boys in year? and if nazi flag put up, those boys all be expel!!!

good film though. 7.5/10.

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