I tend to think that (a) white working class has its own "mythology" and romanticism attached (b) a lot of the time working class/blue collar/lower class isn't necessarily portrayed very realistically on tv.
The Winchesters and Veronica Mars strike me as example of shows where the writers wanted the working class mythology/flair but didn't portray any downsides. Here the implication of working class is just supposed to be "not spoilt" rather than doing a realistic portrayal of the lack of education and other downsides that come with it.
In that sense I think Rose, Faith and Xander are comparatively more realistic portrayals (Rose and Faith were often uncouth, Xander showed the way being blue collar can limit your options in life). Incidentally, I have met a lot of people who were particularly deeply attached to just these characters because they saw them as realistic portrayals of slightly less upper class life and they saw themselves in it deeply and were glad to finally see themselves be represented properly on tv.
As for race/class. I think it's often more a question of education rather than money. That the tilting point is more about seeing a character of color in an inherently familiar setting, whether it is high academics or nice little house and family middle class or acting as the boss of their own company as enterpreneurs. Maybe there is also the implication that if you have a character of color who has gone through a certain amount of education that they have somehow bought more into our value system (maybe some sort of creepy "being tamed" association? Or just the idea of education as the great equalizer).
I don't think that there is just one stream of fans that either flock naturally to lower class or middle class or higher educated/academic characters. Rose's lower class background might be the specific appeal for some. While precisely Martha's middle class being pitted against Rose's lower class migth have resonated with others. Just like academics are yet again a specific attraction for others. Or the same kind of temptation might exist in the same person. Attraction to academic characters becaus they are academics themselves. Attraction to middle class/lower class conflict or middle class/upper class confict because that's where they find themselves at the moment. And attraction to lower class because it might be something they recognize from their youth or family background. [and of course working class romanticism as its own attraction just like upper class romanticism a la The OC and similar soaps exist]
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The Winchesters and Veronica Mars strike me as example of shows where the writers wanted the working class mythology/flair but didn't portray any downsides. Here the implication of working class is just supposed to be "not spoilt" rather than doing a realistic portrayal of the lack of education and other downsides that come with it.
In that sense I think Rose, Faith and Xander are comparatively more realistic portrayals (Rose and Faith were often uncouth, Xander showed the way being blue collar can limit your options in life). Incidentally, I have met a lot of people who were particularly deeply attached to just these characters because they saw them as realistic portrayals of slightly less upper class life and they saw themselves in it deeply and were glad to finally see themselves be represented properly on tv.
As for race/class. I think it's often more a question of education rather than money. That the tilting point is more about seeing a character of color in an inherently familiar setting, whether it is high academics or nice little house and family middle class or acting as the boss of their own company as enterpreneurs. Maybe there is also the implication that if you have a character of color who has gone through a certain amount of education that they have somehow bought more into our value system (maybe some sort of creepy "being tamed" association? Or just the idea of education as the great equalizer).
I don't think that there is just one stream of fans that either flock naturally to lower class or middle class or higher educated/academic characters. Rose's lower class background might be the specific appeal for some. While precisely Martha's middle class being pitted against Rose's lower class migth have resonated with others. Just like academics are yet again a specific attraction for others. Or the same kind of temptation might exist in the same person. Attraction to academic characters becaus they are academics themselves. Attraction to middle class/lower class conflict or middle class/upper class confict because that's where they find themselves at the moment. And attraction to lower class because it might be something they recognize from their youth or family background. [and of course working class romanticism as its own attraction just like upper class romanticism a la The OC and similar soaps exist]