It wasn't. Bill, from the Cosby Show, was a physician, Tony, from Who's the Boss was a former baseball player, the dad from Full House was a TV broadcaster, etc.
It's probably the reason "blue collar" sitcoms were popular in the 90s (Rosanne, Grace Under Fire).
I really don't like this self loathing mentality on HN. I work really hard to keep up to date in IT, even after I'm off work.
Sorry to burst your bubble but most people just go home from work and get high or drunk then watch 5hrs of TV. Thats the reason they can't work tech jobs. I didn't go to school for CS but I still make lots of money in tech because I want to and I keep myself up to date.
Its not all poor single moms without any time or some other tragic story.
And it never will go up when conservatives have a majority in the Senate, but regardless wages have been growing (1)
> How often have wages gone up at a rate higher than inflation? I can't remember it
According to the same source, there were multiple periods since 2007 where wages rose faster than inflation
That's not to say that wages shouldn't grow higher or make up for the periods where wage increase is below inflation... but at the same time, it's dishonest to point to the floor set by the government as evidence, when in periods of high labor demand and economic growth we see wages go up in (since you can't hire anyone at the minimum wage!)
One issue is that while costs of products, housing, etc is adjusted pretty much instantly with supply, demand and inflation, wages aren't. When inflation numbers are introduced, companies jump to announce they're raising prices, citing cost of resources or... whatever. But they don't increase wages.
How often have wages gone up at a rate higher than inflation? I can't remember it. So basically people are expected to continue living on a currency that is decreasing in value constantly. Or they're expected to switch jobs or grow in their career, not to have a better life, but just to be able to maintain their current lifestyle.
Remember these tropes from the 80's and 90's and before where people bought a sizeable house, one or two cars, and put money away to put their kids (they could afford kids too) through college, all on a single income? Yyyyeeeaahhh. actually I don't know if that was the case for most people, it's what sitcoms depicted.