When highbrow meets lowbrow: are educational differences visible in the consumption of “Trash TV”? How higher- and lower educated millennials legitimize their consumption of reality TV, tabloid TV and talk shows.

This qualitative research examines the different ways in which both higher- and lower educated people legitimize their consumption of the three categories of trash TV. These categories consist of reality TV, tabloid TV and talk shows. There is already research done when it comes to the different ways that people from a different educational level legitimize their consumption of lowbrow culture. But there is not much research done that combines the three categories of trash TV and the differences in the way people legitimize their consumption of these genres. It is thus interesting to do research on these three particular trash TV genres and to see if there are clear differences among the way higher- and lower educated people legitimize their consumption of it. Research shows that higher educated people usually are more omnivore than lower educated in their television consumption. This means that higher educated people both consume lowbrow television, such as reality TV and tabloid TV and also highbrow television such as the news and serious talk shows. The only difference in their consumption can be found in the way they legitimize this, where lowbrow television is usually legitimized in a more guilty pleasure or ironic kind of way. Lower educated people on the other hand are usually consumers of more popular, lowbrow, culture. It is considered that they can identify more with the popular subjects of these shows and are thus more serious viewers of these genres. This research wants to find out if there is also a difference visible between educational level among a specific age group, namely millennials between the age of 24-39. This group grew up with the emergence of trash TV so it can be assumed that they are familiar with this form of television. For this research fourteen interviews were conducted, seven with higher educated and seven with lower educated respondents. During these interviews, fragments were shown from the three different trash TV genres. Also, multiple questions were asked about their television consumption behavior, if they identify with the different genres and why they either watch this program or not. After analyzing the data, it became clear that there were some differences among the higher- and lower educated respondents. Especially when it comes to the consumption of reality TV and the serious talk show. As was expected, the higher educated respondents were more ironic consumers of the reality TV show and more serious watchers of the serious talk show. The lower educated respondents on the other hand were more often serious watchers of reality TV and tabloid TV than of the serious talk show.