Tomorrow's Oprah: What class are you?

[FreshTressa]

Except for the bikes and dog, I could have written this post - LOL!

Woot! Glad to know I'm not alone in my insanity

 

[Aisling]

Making over $100,000 a year makes you upper class? This is SO not true. Our income is over $100,000 and I consider our family middle class. DH's father is a physician who makes a lot more than $100,000 a year, and is still middle class. Who came up with this? Class surely can't be determined by income, as maybe it could have been 100 years ago. Look at the Beverly Hillbillies! Are they upper class? I'd say no!
I guess I think of the movie Titanic when I think of class...Rose was actually broke, but she was still upper class in my mind.

 

[Alice28]

I find this thread fascinating. I guess DH and I are pretty solid middle class. I feel like we're always struggling to make ends meet, but we own our home, make decent money,enough to pay the bills anyway and both have college educations. (Well, DH makes enough money so I can stay at home with the kids- a true luxury in this day and age). We also contribute monthly to our children's college funds.

Our parents are both middle class too, but according to some, I guess they would be considered upper, as they are millionaires. But millionaires like so many people have said on here- my MIL would die before paying Nordstrom prices on ANYTHING. She loves to shop at the discount stores and outlets. She and my FIL were teachers with master's degrees. They made their fortune by buying real estate in the CA Bay Area in the 70s, and now own several homes. My parents also had middle class jobs- mom a managerial position as a nurse (MS), my dad no college education and worked manual labor. But again, scrimped and saved, and worked hard, and now they are millionaires.

I would say the neighborhood I live in is working class ---> middle class and I love it. There is no pretentiousness here, like what we grew up with in San Jose. no keeping up with the Jones's. Everyone works hard, tries to keep their yards nice looking, and is genuinely friendly and caring. I am glad we are raising (ok, rearing) our chlidren in a nice, working class community, than move 5 miles over and live in snobville, USA. I've been there, done that, and I hate that feeling of 'not good enough.'

 

[DVC Sadie]

Making over $100,000 a year makes you upper class? This is SO not true. Our income is over $100,000 and I consider our family middle class. DH's father is a physician who makes a lot more than $100,000 a year, and is still middle class. Who came up with this? Class surely can't be determined by income, as maybe it could have been 100 years ago. Look at the Beverly Hillbillies! Are they upper class? I'd say no!
I guess I think of the movie Titanic when I think of class...Rose was actually broke, but she was still upper class in my mind.

Rose was considered in the genteel poverty class who had no choice (parents) but to wed a newly rich young man to infuse money into Roses family. The man Rose was going to marry was buying his way into what was once considered the upper class benefiting both families. Believe it or not that still happens today but no one discusses it openly.

 

[Aisling]

Rose was considered in the genteel poverty class who had no choice (parents) but to wed a newly rich young man to infuse money into Roses family. The man Rose was going to marry was buying his way into what was once considered the upper class benefiting both families. Believe it or not that still happens today but no one discusses it openly.

If Rose was considered poverty class, I don't she would have been given the royal treatment and respect which first-class passengers obviously got. Her poverty was a secret, that only she and her mother knew. If she were considered gentile poverty class, why would a newly rich man want to take a wife from that state of social inferiority? Tell me.lease, I love that movie! OMG it seems like that movie has been on so many times lately, I have to stop watching it!

You said it happens today, but isn't talked about openly. That breaks my heart that someone is told who they must marry.

Does anyone want to give an opinion about the Beverly Hillbillies? Were they upper class? (Doesn't this discussion make you think how foolish the whole "class" thing it? )