PBS has been running a documentary called “People Like Us” this past week. It deals with class in America. Some of the findings aren’t too revelatory - ooh WASPs are snobs! But the fact that wheat bread versus white bread can basically be boiled down to a class issue is fascinating.
They interviewed a woman who grew up lower class and married rich who now hires herself out to help other women marry rich. Another woman who was interviewed lived in a trailer with her three sons in Ohio. They didn’t have any heat or car and she walked to work at Burger King. One of her sons constantly belittled her and mentioned how ashamed he was of their living conditions. Quite a stark contrast in inerviewees.
I’ve felt that a lot of the problems in America basically stem from class issues. Acquaintances, who grew up well-off, flatly deny that there’s a class system in America. Working class/middle class acquaintances acknowledge the American class system and usually there is a level of hostility/resentment. According to this quiz, I’m middle, middle class.
Since I saw the documentary, I chatted with my parents about class. My mom’s family was basically working class and my dad’s was landed gentry in Europe. So, I teased my dad for marrying below his station. We basically agreed that our family was middle class with a yearning for serfs to do our dirty work. How do you stack up?
I saw this documentary before a couple of years ago, but only really caught the segment with the hard working poor woman with the mean, Vanilla Ice-wannabe son. And wasn’t there a story revolving around a small town and the debate about the new grocery store and whether it should be an organic co-op or a “white bread” grocery store? I thought that was interesting because I had never figured bread could indicate class.
According to the test (which was so fun and cute), I am “middle middle”. Everything was “middle middle” about my selections, except for the 32" color TV (trailer park, apparently).
On the furnishings one, mostly middle middle with dabs of old money and nouveau riche thrown in.
On the “name that class” nouveau riche until the spouse question - where I went with the trailer park answer. (I go to the opera and ballet alone, on my own now, there’s no requirement that he would want/need to go with me.)
I took the third quiz and got put in “blue collar”. I was unhappy with the choices. Like, when I have time off, I don’t go to Disney World, Branson, floating casino, or Nantucket. I stay home and read. And if I traveled, it would be to natural or historical destinations, not scary tourist traps.
The choices were either very stereotypical or very strange, I thought. I always knew exactly what to choose to be labeled “old money,” but it isn’t what I actually have, because I’m sorry–I’m not old money! I guess it was a fantasy living room.
There is definitely a class system in America; movement between classes is very fluid, of course.
I can’t get flash to work either but I suspect I’d be working class. I distance myself from things that I consider too tacky, trashy, or redneck but I doubt my taste is “sophisticated” enough even for the middle middle class that everyone else seems to be getting.
No Flashplayer at work, but I wouldn’t have time to take the quiz anyway. I have to go make sure “those people” did a good enough job detailing my BMW before cocktail hour.
Well, in 1st Edition, I might consider being a ranger – they get two hit dice at first level. But really, the class with the biggest overall kill power potential has got to be the paladin. Particularly if you have a Monty Haul DM who hands out holy swords when you’re still below 4th level.
I thinik I probably walk the line betwenn upper to middle-middle class if that makes sense. However most of my core group of friends are mostly lower middle class. This larglely due to the type of family I grew up in. I’m just used to hanging out with these kinds of people.
I’ve always felt guilty for thinking this but sometimes I do wish I had some more friends that were a little more financialy secure. Only because I’d like to have friends that could afford to go on vacations with me.
Last year I was so deprate for a vacation I took three friends on a ski trip with me. All expences paid on guess who? ME! :rolleyes: My credit card is still smoldering from that one.
I live very cheaply, but I make good money (low six figures).
I have three college degrees, but since they’re in engineering (and applied math), I’m mostly self-educated.
I was unsure about how to answer some of the questions (especially the Branson/Disney/casinos one), so I took it several times. The results always placed me in either blue-collar or the trailer park. Yee ha!!
(Except for furnishings – they suggested I take that test again, because it couldn’t peg me – I think what threw it off was my selection of the worn Chippendale chair [which I picked because it was the only arm-free choice, so I could sit in it and pick my guitar]).
Upon reflection, I conclude that since there were no direct references to music, books, politics, health habits or economic viewpoints, the people who created the website are shallow idiots.
How do you stack up?
