in broad daylight,Netflixday shiftis released as a run-of-the-mill buddy comedy about hunting vampires in the San Fernando Valley. Lurking in its shadows is a rather clever social satire about Southern California's socio-economic terrain. Bud (Jamie Foxx) drives a run-down Valley Pool Services truck through the sun-drenched valley pretending to clean pools. Maybe he does sometimes - we see him get a raccoon out of a pool in the very first scene. But the pool cleaning gig is really a front for another worker gig: hunting vampires.
The dramatic imperative of the plot is set in motion when Bud returns home and learns he has seven days to raise enough money to pay for his daughter's private school and braces. If he can't raise the money, his ex-wife threatens to move to Florida. It's a formulaic catalyst that has been used by countless films. But it works wonders here - it transforms our hard-working, estranged father into a devoted worker. It's the perfect trope, as it makes the blood, sweat, and tears of Bud's hustle seem noble, selfless, and heroic.
Unfortunately for those who are in the working class it is not easy to get money. And we soon see how stacked the cards are against Bud. A non-union vampire hunter, Bud has to pawn his fangs at the local pawn shop. Unfortunately, this is a world of petty negotiations and superficial accusations. The pawnbroker argues about the age of the detoxified vampire, points out cigarette stains, and so on.
Bud is therefore forced to return to the vampire hunting union - a bureaucracy that offers higher returns at the expense of stifling oversight and bureaucracy. There's also history to add to the suspense - Bud's aggressive, unorthodox hunting style has already made him a union outcast. But with the help of Big John Elliot (a Snoop Dogg in a cowboy costume, leather boots and a ten-gallon hat) and some steady supplications, Bud gets a second chance.
 "Day Shift bites into White Collar vs. Blue Collar tensions (1)")
However, there is one important stipulation - Bud must team up with Seth (Dave Franco), a literal union clerk. However, Seth's role is not to support Bud in any way. Like most employees, he is instead charged with the meticulous responsibility of serving as Bud's conscientious overseer - sent to shadow and criticize Bud's misdeeds. The antagonistic professional frictions that develop between the two easily become the film's most inspirational interpersonal dynamic.
Right from the start, Seth embodies exactly a desk job acolyte - we meet him in a juniper green summer suit while stationed behind an ergonomic desk. His role to launch the film is similar to that of a bank teller (who trades vampire fangs for lump sums of money). Bud's hopes for a fair bribe aren't much better there than at the pawn shop: Seth's fastidious loyalty to union statutes, bank charges, tax cuts, and meager rebates (a 15% off coupon at the Cheesecake Factory) show him as a sycophantic do-gooder. Hoping to climb the hierarchical ladder, he is cowardly subsumed into the union's corporate ideology.
The striking irony of this scenario, of course, is that the union, ostensibly formed to protect workers' rights, is antithetically exploiting its primary constituency. Seth may be innocently sheltered and stupid, but his symbolic position in the system puts him furthest from Bud's allies. As the union's flagship, he doesn't want to help the working class, but overcharges them for a safe and easy cut of their hard-earned money. It's only after Seth is forced to join Bud that he begins to see the light - humbled and reawakened to his role as a privileged manager who sucks up the currency produced by toiling proletariat.
Here,day shiftcapitalizes on one of modern America's most pervasive injustices—the way in which an ignorant and lazy corporate class not only dictates the layman's grueling working conditions, but also has the audacity to make the greatest cutback. Seth's shock and horror is a testament to how oblivious business class can be to the dire conditions of those who work on the front lines in most industries.
In one scene, Bud defends his unconventional vampire-hunting style by responding to Seth's constant nagging: "I haven't read the book. I'm out here living it.” This angry retort succinctly sums up the mangled asymmetry between policy and practice. Seth may be able to recite codes and verify violations—it's a minor worker—but he has no understanding of how the codes and violations actually affect the work itself. So he's just another naive, ignorant bureaucrat upholding orders with no understanding of experience.
Of course, Seth isn't unable to make a change of heart and make his contribution. Although he initially writes down Bud's failures in breaking protocol, he eventually begins to realize just how inhumane and arrogant his supervisor is on the whole. He realizes that he should be lucky enough to be able to enjoy every cut as an office pansy - infantilized by his inability to handle the stress of vampire hunting without peeing his pants. He is enlightened of the grueling and dangerous dangers of the hunt - filled with a newfound empathy for the field worker.
Seth is ultimately quite sympathetic. Basically, he's just a cowardly, lovable geek - a nice kid who wants to enjoy his yogurts and bran muffins in private. He follows orders blindly and is just an ignorant cog in the corporate machinery. He just needs to be given a heavy dose of visceral weekly reality. It's important to point out that Seth's extensive knowledge of vampire classifications and union loopholes also comes in handy. So until the endday shift, we get an idealized Marxist reunion - the development of a mutual respect between the worker and the legislature, between the hands-on tactician and the suitably dressed strategist.
From whereday shifthas faltered in its flimsy vampire setup. Frustratingly, when it comes to the blood-sucking populace, the screenplay's burgeoning narrative themes and threads are not fully fleshed out. For one thing, the vampires are just a random collection of commoners living in the larger community. There are few details on how they are tracked down, how they manage to live with other citizens, or what their role in society actually is.
During the running of the film alone I considered a few possibilities. The writers could have categorized the vampires as stockbrokers, trust fund babies, pension-eating retirees, welfare leeches, or most importantly, landlords. It almost seems like the writers wanted to assign such roles for the vampire class (the goals include an old lady, a vampire swarm house full of players, etc.). Unfortunately, these ideas are not outlined well enough. Instead of socioeconomic archetypes and subtext, we get silly vampiric categorizations (Southerns, Familiars, Spiders, Ubers, etc.) and mandatory reinventions of vampire-hunting weapons (garlic grenades, silver wires, etc.).
The host motif would have been the strongest continuous line of all. After all, this is a film about people making cuts they don't really deserve. Who is more to blame for this than landowners who serve as feudal lords of modern society. This approach would have matched the real estate subtext ofInherent Vicequite nice, and it seems to have been on the tongues of the screenwriters. In fact, reality is quite explicitly touched upon by the character development of vampire ringleader/villain Audrey (Karla Souza). It just never really comes into play.
After all, Audrey is introduced as a real estate agent who lays the foundation for a new suburban development. She tells a vampire strapped to the house's foundation that she has grand plans to expand the valley's sprawl over the next century, seconds before the victim is covered in wet cement. Leaving the site, she wonders smarmily, "Why rent when you can own?" Audrey clearly represents the evil forces of gentrification and land ownership. Or does she? We also learn that Audrey is trying to buy as much land as possible so the vampires can move back down the valley. She's fed up with her class being slandered for living in the shadows. Their agenda is easy to follow, which becomes problematic for the story.
I just wish Audrey got a more detailed backstory and overall treatment. We later learn that she bemoans the vampires' transformation from worshiped gods to a persecuted class and wishes to restore them to their former glory. If all vampires were landlords or real estate agents this could have worked beautifully as a comment on the souring of the zeitgeist (particularly post-Covid) towards those who own property and charge monthly rental fees. Additionally, Bud's situation might have been more consistent with the overarching narrative if his goal had been to pay off mortgage or rent debts rather than to secure funds for his daughter's braces.
The setup is there to go. As a pool cleaner, Bud gains unique access to the upscale homes across the valley. We see the rich living in their spoiled suburban enclaves. And in many ways there is no greater villain in any quasi-Marxist story than the class of slovenly parasites who quietly collect the spoils and excesses of everyone else's hard work.day shiftdepicts the socio-economic topography of Southern California quite well. It just had to stick to its guns and expose the entrenched cabal of deed and lien holders working behind the scenes in a skin-searing, metaphorical exposé.
FAQs
What is generally the difference between blue collar workers and white collar workers? ›
Blue-collar workers are those who do manual labor and are paid on an hourly or piecework basis. White-collar workers are known as suit-and-tie workers who work in service industries and are paid salaries.
Is white collar better than blue-collar? ›White-collar jobs tend to pay better than blue-collar jobs. But again, there are exceptions. For example, a skilled machine operator (blue-collar) might make more money than a bank teller (white-collar). It is common for white-collar jobs to offer an annual salary based on a consistent 40-hour workweek.
Are there more white collar or blue collar workers? ›The Current Population Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, categorizes 11 major occupations by the color of their collar: Two are white collar and nine are blue collar (see table, at bottom). As a result, blue collar jobs currently make up a little more than 70 percent of all part-time jobs (see Chart 1).
Is groundskeeping blue-collar? ›Blue-collar jobs - some examples
A significant amount of manual labour is at the heart of blue-collar work. Some of the most common industries that employ these individuals include construction, landscaping, warehousing and manufacturing.
“White-collar workers generally report experiencing more positive emotional states such as smiling, laughing, enjoyment, and fewer negative ones like feelings of worry, stress, sadness and anger,” Jan says.
What is GREY collar work? ›The rise of grey-collar workers
The term “grey collar” refers to an employee whose career path has taken them from the field to management. In other words, they are a “blue-collar” employee who has become a “white-collar” employee.
/ˌpɪŋkˈkɒl.ər/ A pink-collar job is one that is traditionally done by a woman: Until recently secretarial work and nursing were very much pink-collar professions. Compare. blue-collar.
What is red collar job? ›Since most of the natural products we get are from agriculture, dairy, forestry, fishing, it is also called Agriculture and allied sector. People engaged in primary activities are called red-collar workers due to the outdoor nature of their work.
Are blue-collar jobs stressful? ›We found that among both white-collar (53.0%) and blue-collar (63.6%) workers there was a higher percentage of such individuals who reported high perceived stress.
Why do blue-collar workers quit? ›Most said they quit their blue collar jobs because they wanted more flexible hours and better benefits. That is leading manufacturing, construction and other industries to rethink salaries, benefits, etc.
Why is blue-collar work still male dominated? ›
More importantly, employers anticipate that men will work longer hours, so may statistically discriminate in their favor. The overall downturn in demand means that even as “pink collar” jobs are growing, women lose out. Men have capitalized on the growth in interpersonal work, even though it was historically feminine.
Who lives longer white-collar or blue-collar? ›But employed blue-collar workers have more severe disease than employed white-collar workers, and look forward to fewer years of healthy life -- approximately 11 for blue-collar workers and 14 for white-collar workers.
What is a black collar job? ›Now, black collar workers are the creative types of professionals like artists, graphic designers, and video producers. The moniker has transferred over to them due to their unofficial uniforms, which are generally comprised of black attire.
Is Amazon considered blue-collar? ›Overall, the majority of Amazon's current positions are for white-collar jobs such as Software Development, Sales & Advertising and IT, though the greatest increase in job listings has been for blue-collar jobs like Fulfillment & Warehouse Associates (Amazon calls many of its warehouses 'Fulfillment Centers') and Loss ...
Are doctors blue-collar workers? ›Medical doctors are white collar workers! Blue collar workers are the auto mechanics, drivers, and factory employees.
Are white-collar jobs middle class? ›Even though both groups believe they sit between rich and poor, people in white-collar jobs today are often referred to as the middle class, whereas those doing blue-collar labor are called the working class. Yawning gaps in income, wealth, education, and social status, of course, separate the two groups today.
Are white-collar jobs stressful? ›According to the final statistics compiled by the BLS study, white-collar jobs were associated with a considerably higher level of psychological stress. Sales and technical support was found to be the most stressful area, with 48 percent of all cases that required short-term or long-term absence from work.
Why are more Millennials choosing blue-collar jobs? ›Remarkably, these types of trades often deliver better job security and better benefits than even white-collar positions. In this way and many more, millennials are proving canny at seeing through some of the traditional thinking that goes into society's ranking of employment types.
What are 3 white-collar jobs? ›- Academia: Teachers, professors, and researchers are white-collar workers.
- Administration: White-collar administrative workers include jobs as human resources representatives, accounts processing officers, and office managers.
Examples of skilled blue-collar jobs: Carpenters, cooks, electricians, painters EMTs, firefighters, plumbers, police officers and welders.
What color collar is a teacher? ›
Traditionally, teaching is also classified as a pink-collar job, in fact, one of the best-known pink-collar careers. They can also be considered grey collar workers. They have a bachelor's degree at least; some even hold advanced degrees.
What is blue and grey-collar jobs? ›They are unlike blue-collar workers, who can often be trained on the job within several weeks, whereas grey-collar workers already have a specific skill set and require more specialized knowledge than their blue-collar counterparts.
Are doctors white collar? ›White-collar jobs typically are higher-paid, higher-skilled jobs that require more education and training than low-skilled or manual work. Examples may include managerial roles or professions like doctors or lawyers.
Is a maid a blue-collar? ›an employee who does what is traditionally considered women's work, such as being a teacher, secretary, nurse, day care worker, florist, or maid.
What is brown collar? ›Brown-Collar Worker – People working in Military services and Those who serve in the army like soldiers, army, navy, marines, air force, space force, and sometimes coast guard.
Are nurses white collar? ›The dress code associated with a white collar position may be somewhat higher than for other positions. Those performing routine support work, such as clerks, nurses, and laboratory technicians, are not considered to be white collar workers.
Is a nurse a blue-collar job? ›A registered nurse is also highly knowledgeable and can act autonomously to some degree. Therefore, they are white collar professionals. The nurses working on credentials and degrees who follow the directions of the rest seem to fall into the blue collar zone.
What are the top 5 most stressful jobs? ›- Anesthesiologist assistant. ...
- Judge. ...
- Phone operator. ...
- Acute care nurse. ...
- Obstetrician and gynecologist. ...
- Public safety telecommunicator. ...
- First-line supervisor of retail sales workers. ...
- Nurse anesthetist.
- Social worker. Job title: Social worker. ...
- Newspaper reporter. Job title: Newspaper reporter. ...
- Registered Nurse – ER. Job title: Registered nurse – ER. ...
- Police officer. ...
- Commerical airline pilot. ...
- Firefighter. ...
- Surgeon. ...
- Enlisted military personnel.
Due in large part to increasingly common college-education requirements in the workplace, most older millennials aren't able to land good jobs until their early 30s, according to new research from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce.
Are blue-collar workers less educated? ›
Blue-collar workers are those who work in skilled or unskilled manual labor jobs. These jobs often require less education than white-collar jobs, though a growing number of employers are demanding that blue-collar workers have college degrees.
Why millennials are quitting their jobs? ›Burnout is a major problem for millennials in the workforce. In fact, it's one of the leading reasons why millennials are quitting their six-figure jobs. According to Deloitte, in comparison to 77% of all respondents, 84% of millennials claim they have experienced burnout at their present employment.
Do blue-collar workers have higher testosterone? ›' According to Sullivan, a 1992 study shows that blue-collar workers have higher levels of testosterone than professionals; men in inner cities - where dangers can increase the need for quick, forceful reactions - may generate more than suburbanites.
How do males survive in dominated industry? ›- Find your allies. ...
- Empowered women empower women. ...
- Don't be afraid to speak up. ...
- Never stop learning.
Blue-collar workers have relatively high rates of heavy alcohol use, and heavy use of alcohol is a risk factor for developing an alcohol use disorder.
How old is the average blue collar worker? ›Union construction workers, on average, are older than nonunion workers, and production (blue-collar) workers are younger than those in managerial and professional occupations. The average age of all construction workers in production occupations is 37.8 years (median 37).
Why is white collar so good? ›The biggest factor that works for this FBI drama is the chemistry between its lead characters, Burke and Caffrey. They turn from friends to foes, to friends again so quickly that it's hard to remember when they despised each other and when they cared for each others' families.
Can white collar crime compare to blue? ›The difference between blue and white collar crimes is typically divided by social class. White collar crimes are usually committed by those in a higher social class, whereas blue collar crimes are usually committed by those in a lower social class.
Is a CEO a white collar job? ›In the above list of 25 professions, you can see that CEOs, dentists, doctors, and politicians all appear to be the highest paid white collar workers.
What social class is blue-collar? ›The term blue collar refers to a classification of people, especially those in the workforce. Blue-collar workers are considered the working class. They typically work in manual labor and are compensated by the hour or through piecework. The term was adopted because of the darker-colored clothing these workers wore.
Are blue-collar workers unskilled? ›
Quick Reference. Is a worker engaged in manual work, who by tradition wore blue overalls to a job in a factory. Blue-collar workers can be unskilled, semi-skilled, or skilled but they have in common their experience of working with their hands in an industrial enterprise.
Is working at a grocery store considered blue-collar? ›A blue-collar job is typically some sort of manual or trade-related labor. Some examples of industries with many blue-collar jobs include retail, manufacturing, food service and construction.
Are nurses considered blue or white collar? ›Occupations. Pink-collar occupations tend to be personal-service-oriented workers working in retail, nursing, and teaching (depending on the level), are part of the service sector, and are among the most common occupations in the United States.
Can blue-collar workers be rich? ›You Can Take Blue-Collar Wages and Become a Millionaire
The same way anyone else does: financial discipline, planning, and hard work. However, one important caveat is necessary… it's easier to become a millionaire with a high-paying blue-collar job than it is to become one anywhere else.
Brown-collar jobs are military jobs.
What is generally the difference between blue-collar workers and white-collar workers brainly? ›Expert-Verified Answer
White- collar workers are suit- and - tie workers who work at a desk and, stereotypically, eschew physical labor. Blue- collar worker stereotypical refers to workers who engage in hard manual labor, typically agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining, or maintenance.
Blue collar workers are members of the working class who typically perform manual labor and earn hourly wages. White collar workers are salaried professionals or an educated worker that normally does not perform manual labor.
What is the difference between blue-collar and white collar crime? ›White collar crime refers to financial crimes like embezzlement and insider trading, whereas blue collar crime refers to street crimes like assault, burglary, and drug crimes. The terms “white collar” and “blue-collar” originally referred to different types of jobs.
How did white collar jobs and blue-collar jobs difference quizlet? ›White collar jobs were often office-based, clerical, and non-physical, while blue collar jobs often involved physical labor, factory or on-site work, and the creation/modification of a product.
What percentage of jobs are blue collar? ›Also, based on a 2018 Washington Post article, about 13.9 percent of workers are in blue collar professions.
What percentage of jobs are white collar? ›
According to the Bureau of the Census data, white-collar workers increased from 17.6 percent of total employment in 1900 to 59.9 percent in 2002 (analyzed and reported by the Department for Professional Employees 2003, p. 5).
What is considered white collar jobs? ›Typical white-collar jobs include company management, lawyers, accountants, financial and insurance jobs, consultants, and computer programmers, among many others. Many jobs that require a shirt and tie today are actually low-paying and high stress, especially in the modern services and technology sectors.
Are blue-collar workers healthier than white-collar workers? ›But employed blue-collar workers have more severe disease than employed white-collar workers, and look forward to fewer years of healthy life -- approximately 11 for blue-collar workers and 14 for white-collar workers.
What are the 4 types of workers? ›- Pioneers.
- Drivers.
- Integrators.
- Guardians.
Adjective. gold-collar (not comparable) Of or relating to skilled knowledge workers, traditionally classified as white-collar, but essential to a business. Of or relating to young, low-wage workers who invest in conspicuous luxury.
What are the top 3 white-collar crimes? ›The Bottom Line
Securities fraud, embezzlement, corporate fraud, and money laundering are considered white-collar crimes, perpetrated traditionally by those in corporate or office settings.
Examples of skilled blue-collar jobs: Carpenters, cooks, electricians, painters EMTs, firefighters, plumbers, police officers and welders.
What is the opposite of white collar job? ›A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor and either earns an hourly wage or is paid piece rate for the amount of work done. This term was first used in 1924.
What are 3 main differences of a job career? ›You may not have as predictable of a schedule, potentially working part-time hours. Education: Careers tend to require more education and training than jobs do. With a career, you typically need some kind of degree or specialized skill set. Intentions: The purpose of working a job is to earn money.
What is the 4 differences between a job and a career? ›A job is just a role, but a career is made up of the combination of roles, experiences, education and pathways you take to achieve your goals. Of course, it's fine if you need to take a job to pay the bills - you may not always have the luxury to be selective.