# If I were wealthy, I think I would be a snob **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053 "2014-05-23T01:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/21 "2014-05-24T21:23:20Z")
Would you have any Grey Poupon? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/22 "2014-05-24T21:43:39Z")
> [@Zulema](#): > > Wealthy people are no less tedious, goal oriented, unimaginative or conformist than the middle class . . . And you don’t have to be rich to be a snob, either. The middle class is rife with snobbery of various kinds. When the rich do it, it’s “snobbery.” When the middle class does it, it’s called “having standards.” ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/23 "2014-05-24T21:52:24Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > “And it’s not even proper snobbery. It’s the snobbery of an expense-account man.” > Only in England. 🙂 That was a spot-on review of Flemming’s writing, and this characteristic wasn’t self-conscious at all. Flemming really thought it was important for his reader to know just how expensive Bond’s clothing and accessories were, as if that would make him more of a spy. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/24 "2014-05-24T23:13:53Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > “And it’s not even proper snobbery. It’s the snobbery of an expense-account man.” > Only in England. 🙂 I love this quote. I never heard it before; it kind of hits the nail ion the head for me. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/25 "2014-05-25T13:23:43Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > Would they be your own turds, or the turds of your minions? Please. The turds of my minions hardly meet the proper, superior quality and consistency of my own. Only the finest turds to light on fire will do. _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/26 "2014-05-25T15:57:35Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > Annoying people knocking on your door? Send for the goons/trapdoor/hounds to deal with them 😛 Or the dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/27 "2014-05-25T21:30:55Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > That was a spot-on review of Flemming’s writing, and this characteristic wasn’t self-conscious at all. Flemming really thought it was important for his reader to know just how expensive Bond’s clothing and accessories were, as if that would make him more of a spy. True. A lot people have wondered if Fleming was slyly making fun of Bond’s snobbery. Bond was essentially an early yuppie - he favored things with expensive labels rather than genuine quality. Of course that might not have been intended as a joke - it might have been a reflection of Fleming’s real tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/28 "2014-05-25T21:51:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > True. A lot people have wondered if Fleming was slyly making fun of Bond’s snobbery. Bond was essentially an early yuppie - he favored things with expensive labels rather than genuine quality. Of course that might not have been intended as a joke - it might have been a reflection of Fleming’s real tastes. Didn’t you say upthread that you would has opulence if you were wealthy? If you know the difference between quality and expensive labels, wouldn’t that indicate you would handle wealth well? Now I’m just confused. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/29 "2014-05-25T22:09:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > True. A lot people have wondered if Fleming was slyly making fun of Bond’s snobbery. Bond was essentially an early yuppie - he favored things with expensive labels rather than genuine quality. Of course that might not have been intended as a joke - it might have been a reflection of Fleming’s real tastes. That’s an interesting consideration. If this is true, then Fleming was pretty adept at injecting Bond’s adolescent weltanschauung across the board, such as with the narrator’s description of women, which are presumably Bond’s perception of them. They do come across as almost comical today, but that was a long time ago–a lot like Madmen. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/30 "2014-05-25T23:15:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Bond … favored things with expensive labels rather than genuine quality. But items of genuine quality are seldom inexpensive. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/31 "2014-05-26T01:16:41Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > I have a fairly simple definition, wealthy is when you can maintain a comfortable and secure lifestyle without having to work or be on a government program. You may or mat not work, but it will not effect your lifestyle drastically. Someone with say 2 or 3 million dollars who owns their home outright and makes a passive income of say 60 or 70 thousand a year above inflation through very low risk investments is wealthy to me. Someone who makes 120 thousand a year through working and needs to work to continue to receive income is not wealthy to me, even though they may be currently making more income than in the first example. Yeah, there are people who make LOTS of money, but have expenses to match. I know lawyers and doctors who make tons of money but have these uber expensive lifestyles (and wives) so in essence they are still living paycheck to paycheck. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/32 "2014-05-26T03:29:55Z")
I have read one writer who said that Fleming was catering to his audience. Britain took a long time to recover from the war. Food rationing did not completely end until 1954. To Fleming’s readers, the fancy clothes, fast cars, and gourmet meals were as lurid a fantasy as the promiscuous women. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053/33 "2014-05-26T04:13:49Z")
I’ve said it before… If I won a lot of money in the lottery (say, over $100 million after taxes), I would buy a Tuxedo with tails, a top hat and a monocle. Just for giggles. Show up late for the Monday night game store session, adopt a faux british snobby accent and make fun of the peasants and their quaint little pencil and paper game. 🙂 Then instead of people calling me strange, wierd, an ‘asshole’ or whatever, I would officially be ‘eccentric’. I think that would be nice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-were-wealthy-i-think-i-would-be-a-snob/689053.md?page=1)