I watched an episode of a series called Pretty Little Liars with one of my daughters. And I was wondering, for those that have see it, how close is the town and houses, etc. to a realistic depiction of an average US lifestyle. Of for instane an average middle class family.
The fictionaly town they live in is based on Rosemont which straddles Radnor Township and Lower Merion Township just outside of Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
The median income for a family in Lower Merion Township was $148,123 as of 2007.
The median income for a family in Radnor Township was $113,601 as of 2007.
So, even if it is a realistic depiction of Rosemont, Pennsylvania, it still wouldn’t be a realistic depiction of an average US lifestyle. I’ve watched a few episodes of the show since it’s a favorite of my roommate’s teenage daughters. Also, I know that area of the Philadelphia suburbs- I went to an all boys highschool in Philadelphia and when the drama department put on plays we’d get the girls from an all girls school in Merion to join our production and likewise when the all girls school put on plays we would go out to Merion to play the male roles in their productions.
There is plenty that strains credulity on that show as far as the plots are concerned, but in terms of the lifestyle of the characters, I actually do see in the show a lot of how I remember the girls I knew in highschool from that area. The characters on that show who are depicted as struggling or facing hardship still live lifestyles that I would be envious of. The same can be said of the real life Rosemont.
But, typical of the average U.S. lifestyle? No.