ruling in a rolls

Running head: RULING IN A ROLLS-ROYCE 1

Ruling the Roost in a Rolls-Royce:

Societal Class Representations in The Apprentice (UK)

Daniel Park

RULING IN A ROLLS ROYCE 2

Ruling the Roost in a Rolls-Royce:

Societal Class Representations in The Apprentice (UK)

Exiting a television show in a Rolls-Royce, as a result of pleasing a member of the

upper-class, is one way to reinforce the importance class plays in Western society. That was

precisely how each series of The Apprentice (UK) ended; Sir Lord Alan Sugar picked his

process winner and sent him/her away to enjoy a new life in upper-class society with a ride in

his personal Rolls-Royce. The Apprentice (UK) became one of the most popular shows on

British television in late 2014; episode two “Wearable Technology” of series 10 was

analyzed in this paper and reached viewing figures of 8.22 million (Broadcasters Audience

Research Board, 2014). Due to the vast number of people who watched “Wearable

Technology,” its representation and messages became extremely influential to the British

public.

The representations of class on television in Western societies, particularly in

“Wearable Technology,” aligned with the dominant ideology of the society. Abercrombie and

Turner (1978) described the dominant ideology of Western society as white males of the

higher classes. This paper explores how “Wearable Technology” of The Apprentice (UK)

maintained the dominant ideology of class through the representation of power and control

among the different societal classes. To explore how “Wearable Technology” maintained the

class aspect of the dominant ideology, this paper begins with an explanation of cultural

studies before an analysis of how “Wearable Technology” displayed control and privilege

among members of the higher classes to support cultural hegemony.

Explanation of Cultural Studies

According to Fiske (as cited in Brasted, 2004, p. 1) “culture consists of the meanings

we make of our social experience and of our social relations. Culture is the meaning we

ascribe to life.” The researcher also argued that culture gives an insight into who people are


by looking at how they fit in with those around them. One way in which people create these

identities is through messages communicated in media texts (Kellner, 2003). The images

presented in media texts such as television and film mold how people view the world and life

values (Kellner, 2003). This gives a huge importance to the producers of broadcast media; the

images that the producers create and publish have an influence on how the public values

aspects of society.

Power and Dominant Ideologies

One concept of cultural studies that is particularly influential on societal relationships

is power (Barker, 2008). As a way of enabling order and relationships, power is a key

concept of cultural studies and one that is a component of dominant ideologies of Western

society (Barker, 2008). Barker (2008) also described cultural studies as a way of looking at

power and how it was communicated through media messages, distribution, and audience

targeting. Cultural studies use the communication of power in media texts to analyze whether

the dominant ideology of that society is maintained or challenged within the text (Barker,

2008).

Kellner (2003) explained how the University of Birmingham Centre for

Contemporary Cultural Studies focused on race, gender, and class representations. This three-

way split of society allowed media texts to categorize the worth of individuals and create

ideologies. The Birmingham group analyzed whether media texts supported or challenged the

dominant ideology of Western society defined as white, middle and upper-class males

(Kellner, 2003).

Societal Class

The Western societal dominant ideology of white, middle and upper-class males

results in the domination over, and subordination of, individuals who do not fit the

hegemonic rule (Kellner, 2003). As explained in Kellner (2003), ideologies of class


“celebrate upper-class life and denigrate the working class” (p. 11). Maintaining and

reproducing this ideology in media texts aimed to create a perception among the audience

that this is the way the world should work; upper-class life is superior and should be

empowered with control in society. Abercrombie and Turner (1978) explained how the

dominant class was able to “impose its system of beliefs on all other classes” (p. 151). The

researchers also found that by adopting the dominant ideology, the ruling class was able to

subordinate the working class (Abercrombie & Turner, 1978).

Marxism, as explained by Barker (2008), focused heavily on class and how culture

expressed class power. Marxism gave explanations for how culture was directly affected by

class power and the ideologies of the ruling class (Barker, 2008). By maintaining power

among the upper classes, the ideas that become universal truths for a culture are simply the

ideas of the ruling class (Barker, 2008). The Marxist approach helped to understand how

societal class played a major role in the maintenance and creation of hegemony among

cultures; the ruling class manipulated the views perpetuated in media texts in order to impose

their own views and sustain the status quo (Barker, 2008). The television industry also helps

to sustain the status quo (Brasted, 2004). By refraining from the production and distribution

of “radical products”, the television industry maintains the dominant ideology and ideas put

forward by the ruling class (Brasted, 2004, p. 1).

Aims of Cultural Studies

As all media texts are polysemic, they are open to the audiences’ interpretation

(Croteau & Hoynes, 2014). Brasted (2004) argued that the critical cultural approach to

studying media resulted in a movement from studying what ideologies were embedded in

texts, to how these ideologies are understood by the audience. The subjectivity of many

media texts means that although many people may have viewed the same show, the meanings

and opinions taken from the show would be different (Brasted, 2004).


Cultural studies aim to play on the subjectivity of media texts by providing audiences

with an insight into how the texts obscure the relationship between dominant ideologies and

power (Kellner, 2003). Focusing on dominant meanings within texts, cultural studies also

give the audience the tools to resist and create an awareness of the manipulative messages

embedded. Cultural studies provide the skills necessary for people to critically interpret

media texts and therefore understand their own culture (Kellner, 2003).

Higher Class and Control in “Wearable Technology”

Episode two in series 10 of The Apprentice (UK), “Wearable Technology,” illustrated

numerous instances whereby those in the higher classes of society were given control over

those in lower classes. All of the instances resulted in a cumulative maintenance of the

dominant ideology of higher classes.

Height Connected to Power

The first two examples of power and control over lower societal classes were through

the visual display of those in the higher classes. When meeting Lord Sugar at the Imperial

College in London, the candidates were shown entering the front door of the building after

walking up a flight of stairs. The candidates entered from a lower height than where they met

Lord Sugar, suggesting that they had to physically rise to meet a person of higher societal

class than themselves. Contrastingly, Lord Sugar first appeared in “Wearable Technology”

stepping out of his Rolls-Royce before walking down a ramp toward the candidates. Lord

Sugar was shown coming from a higher elevation to meet with the candidates, which

suggested he had to lower himself to meet and talk to the candidates. Displaying elevation

and descent of the two classes maintained the dominant ideology; the higher societal classes

can only ever interact with the lower classes by lowering themselves to their level.

A second example of how height and the visual display of those in upper-class society

maintained the dominant ideology of class was the camera angles used in “Wearable


Technology.” According to IMDb (n.d.), Lord Sugar stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall. During the

initial meeting scene of “Wearable Technology,” the camera angle was a low-angle-shot.

This angle gave the impression that Lord Sugar was taller than in reality which further

emphasized the power he had over the candidates. Whenever the candidates were shown on

screen during this scene of “Wearable Technology” they were shot at eye-level. The

difference of camera angle between Lord Sugar and the candidates visually depicted the

difference in societal class and power, which further maintained the dominant ideology.

Timeliness and Control

The initial meeting scene in “Wearable Technology” showed Lord Sugar arriving late

to the Imperial College of London. At the beginning of each episode of The Apprentice (UK)

Lord Sugar gave the candidates a time and location to meet him, and each episode Lord

Sugar was the last to arrive. By consistently arriving late, Lord Sugar demonstrated his lack

of regard for time restraints given to the candidates. What was an imposed time on the

candidates was not an imposed time on Lord Sugar; rules that were set for the lower-class

members of “Wearable Technology” did not apply to those of higher class.

Timeliness was also a factor during the exit meeting in Lord Sugar’s boardroom

toward the end of “Wearable Technology.” The candidates were told to enter the boardroom

by Lord Sugar’s assistant, yet Lord Sugar only entered the boardroom once all candidates

were seated. By entering the room after the candidates were told to enter, Lord Sugar asserted

his control over the candidates. Lord Sugar was not restricted by what the lower-class

assistant said and this further maintained the dominant ideology; members of the higher class

are not required to follow the same rules as lower-class members.

Ability to Make Demands

Lord Sugar and the candidates, as upper and upper-middle class members, were both

allowed to make demands of lower class members in “Wearable Technology.” The most able


to make demands and set tasks throughout “Wearable Technology” was Lord Sugar. The first

occasion of Lord Sugar setting tasks occurred in the meeting scene at the Imperial College of

London. After setting a time deadline for candidates to arrive, Lord Sugar began to explain

the episode’s task for candidates; “Not only have you gotta come up with a brilliant and

innovative idea, you gotta make sure that a consumer is going to be happy wearing it.” By

very bluntly giving the candidates his expectations, Lord Sugar demonstrated his power and

control over the members of lower societal classes than himself which maintained the

dominant ideology of class.

The candidates also made demands of lower class members in “Wearable

Technology.” When in the manufacturing scene, candidate Katie in the “ladies’ team” gave

clear orders to the manufacturer of their product; “Right I’m going to take charge here

because I don’t think we’re getting anywhere. The three functions that we would like are

mobile phone charger, LED’s in the lapel’s trim, and the heat pads.” By asserting her

authority over the manufacturer, and making demands for her team’s product, Katie displayed

her control over what is depicted as a member of a lower societal class.

During the final scenes of “Wearable Technology” in the boardroom, Lord Sugar

made demands of a different type. Lord Sugar reviewed the task for both teams and

demanded justifications of their decisions by asking candidates questions; “So, Nuren, tell me

about how you became the project manager?” and “what’s the purpose of that, someone to

land their plane on you or something?” By asking questions in this way, Lord Sugar only

allowed the candidates to speak once they had been spoken to. Much like in Philipsen (1975),

power and control were expressed in “Wearable Technology” through the opportunity to

speak.

“Wearable Technology” maintained the class aspect of the dominant ideology of

Western society through the illustration of power among higher class members. The episode


used height, timeliness, and demand making to create a distinct gap between the higher and

lower classes. This could have affected viewers in the sense that they believed this gap should

have been present, and that the actions performed by higher class members of “Wearable

Technology” were to be expected and accepted in everyday life.

Privileges of Higher Class

Higher class members, and individuals that pleased or were associated with them,

were given privileges in “Wearable Technology.” In many instances these privileges did not

come as a reward, they were presented as standard procedures for members of higher societal

classes. By doing this, “Wearable Technology” presented an image of the higher class as

deserving the privilege and therefore maintained the dominant ideology of class. This could

have caused viewers to accept privilege among the higher classes in everyday life and to have

done so without question.

Methods of Entry and Exit

“Wearable Technology” showed the candidates leaving the suburban house at 5:40

a.m. in a number of black, Chrysler, sports-utility vehicles. This seemingly insignificant

moment became a pivotal display of class privilege in the episode. The next vehicle image

displayed on screen during “Wearable Technology” was Lord Sugar’s Rolls-Royce. By

clearly displaying both types of vehicle, the producers of “Wearable Technology” attempted

to create a gulf of class between Lord Sugar and the candidates. Although the Chrysler

vehicles appeared elegant and classy, there were trumped by the arrival of Lord Sugar in his

extremely luxurious Rolls-Royce. The privilege of arriving in a different and more luxurious

car was given to Lord Sugar as a way of maintaining the dominant ideology. The members of

higher societal classes were presented as different and superior to those in classes below

them.


Similarly, the end of “Wearable Technology” showed a method of exit that created a

gap in societal class. Following defeat in the task, Robert and Scott were fired by Lord Sugar

and removed from the process. This led Robert and Scott to exit the building and step into a

black, London cab where they were driven away by a meter-paid taxi driver. By placing the

losers of the task in a standard, more dated, common vehicle “Wearable Technology” further

maintained the dominant ideology; the losers of the process were represented as stepping

down a further societal class from Lord Sugar by riding in an old black cab.

Comfort and Luxury in the Boardroom

The end of each episode of The Apprentice (UK) saw the candidates return to Lord

Sugar’s boardroom in the heart of London. Here, the candidates sat and stood in front of Lord

Sugar and his two advisors; Baroness Karen Brady and Nick Hewer. Before Lord Sugar and

the candidates entered the boardroom, their respective chairs were shown on screen; Lord

Sugar had a large, leather rotating chair, whereas the candidates had basic, black metal chairs.

A difference as small as this was likely consciously unnoticed by the viewers of “Wearable

Technology” but it added to the dominant ideology. By providing Lord Sugar with a much

plusher seat than the rest of the candidates, and showing that prominently on screen before he

entered the room, the producers further represented the difference in class between the

candidates and Lord Sugar. This small difference in seating attempted to show the audience

how the upper class deserved nicer things even in the most straight-forward of daily

activities.

Also during the boardroom scene of “Wearable Technology,” some of the candidates

were shown standing. This would have usually signified a heightened power, as the

candidates looked down on Lord Sugar. In this instance, however, the candidates were made

to stand for nearly 10 minutes while Lord Sugar reviewed the task. They were also stood

behind other candidates and at times looked excluded from the conversations between Lord


Sugar and those seated candidates. By forcing candidates to stand in this occasion, Lord

Sugar demonstrated his power and control over the people in the classes below him. The

dominant ideology of higher classes being in control and manipulating those in classes below

them was maintained in this scene.

Representations of Working Class Occupations

Throughout “Wearable Technology,” the candidates encountered various members of

the public enacting their daily occupations. One of these encounters was between the “ladies’

team” and the mailman to the candidates’ house. The mailman was shown on screen for a

total of six seconds and the camera position made it impossible to see the man’s face. By not

showing the mailman’s face on screen, even though he occupied the scene for six seconds,

the producers of “Wearable Technology” represented the occupation of mailman as one of

lower class and unimportance. The mailman was not deemed worthy of television notoriety

which showed how lower class workers were not equal to the higher class candidates and

Lord Sugar.

Another occupation that was encountered by the candidates was an office assistant.

The office assistant told the candidates when they could enter the boardroom, both before and

after the results had been announced. During the scenes where the office assistant could be

heard in “Wearable Technology” person was not seen on screen at all. There was no visual

acknowledgement of the person which suggested that the person was not important to the

show or viewers. By not acknowledging the office assistant with screen time, the viewers

could have interpreted the scene as a downgrading of the occupation and people who occupy

those positions. The absence of the office assistant from screen displayed cultural hegemony;

Not showing the assistant on screen was an attempt to further manipulate the perceptions and

values of the office assistant position to the viewers.


A final occupation that was shown on screen in a negative manner was a taxi driver.

At the very end of “Wearable Technology” both Robert and Scott left the process in the back

of a London cab. The driver was shown on screen, but only from behind as a point-of-view

shot from the candidate. The taxi driver was not given the privilege of frontal screen time, nor

was his voice heard. The driver was shown on screen as a message to the audience that even

after being fired from the process the candidates were in a higher class of society than many

occupations. Downgrading occupations of the British working class was a common theme

throughout “Wearable Technology.” By limiting screen time, or simply ignoring the person

all together, the producers presented a show that gave importance to those of the higher

classes only. This representation of the working class as not being television worthy and

upper classes being privileged with screen time was a way of maintaining the dominant

ideology. By pushing the working class aside on screen, the producers created an episode

whereby the audience saw upper-class members as more being important and worth listening

to in society.

Conclusion

This paper found that “Wearable Technology” of The Apprentice (UK) maintained the

dominant ideology of class. The episode did this through a number of ways that aimed to

show how power and control differed among the different societal classes. To explore how

“Wearable Technology” maintained the class aspect of the dominant ideology, this paper

focused on how privilege was given to higher class members of society through greater

association with luxurious objects and more significant screen time. This paper also looked at

how the members of higher societal classes in “Wearable Technology” displayed control over

those in lower classes. By visual displays on screen and the ability to make demands, the

members of higher societal classes were represented as more powerful and knowledgeable.


These factors resulted in “Wearable Technology” maintaining the dominant ideology of

upper class.

The findings of this paper are significant because they help to explain how media

texts can serve as manipulative agents on the general public. Although the texts are open to

the viewers’ interpretation, the producers of shows on network television channels such as

British Broadcasting Company (BBC) have the means to produce shows that are heavily

influential. What viewers see on shows that are broadcast by reputable stations such as the

BBC likely results in what they value. This paper should help educate viewers in being able

to look at shows such as The Apprentice (UK) with a critical eye and ignore the maintaining

of the dominant ideologies.


Works Cited

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