Trashy If You are Poor, Classy If You are Rich.

I want to discuss the discrepancies of the styles, trends, habits that make people classy if you are wealthy, and trashy if you are rich. I want to discuss the contradictory nature of this in my society. For example, why is it seen as fashionable if you dress from thrift shops if you are wealthy but cheap if you are working class and can only afford items from a thrift or charity shop? Why does money change the way we treat people? 

First Example: Langauges

Knowing multiple languages can be perceived in a multitude of ways. I think that if you can speak multiple languages, it shows a sign of intelligence. But for some, learning languages comes as a privilege, something that is taught by a school or parent or in some cases maybe even a private tutor. But looking at this from another angle, there are people who have had to learn a different language for many reasons, like immigrating to another country where they do not speak the native language. If you are of a lower-income family and move to a different country to start a new life, for your family or even just yourself, this should be praised, not degraded. Staring a new life in another country, in which they speak a language different from your own is a huge transition. The bravery alone should be commended, but unfortunately, many are looked down upon for their attempts in learning a language that is not their first. On the contrary, if a person came into a conversation stating that they spoke French due to their education or repeated trips to Paris, we would not have the same reaction. We are then faced with this contradiction, dealing with one person who knows a language for pleasure and one for necessity. 

Drugs/Hard Drugs

This is a big one in my opinion. Tell me the difference in these photos…

One is a picture taken from the film “Wolf of Wall Street,” where during their lunch breaks from being successful men of wall street, the men indulge in hard drugs, one mainly being cocaine. Now, if we see a person in a suit snorting cocaine on their lunch breaks or if we know they participate in taking drugs regularly, they are depicted as ‘wealthy’ and well within their rights to do that. It is talked about like a necessity of becoming successful. It is also seen as essential because after long and strenuous hours they put in at work, these men then become reliant on drugs not only to handle stress both at work and home but also for recreational purposes.

Now, the second image is from the show “Shameless.” This show revolves around a working-class family and their struggles with day-to-day life, particularly as the older sister raises her family in place of her alcoholic father. Now, in the same sense, her character turns to drugs for either recreational purposes or as a stress reliever. But if a working-class person is seen indulging in drugs the judgment lays heavy on them. One might argue that rich people have the money to spend on drugs, while working-class people don’t. But here’s the problem with that: we have accepted the narrative that wealthy people are allowed a free pass when indulging in anything that working-class people do, because of their social or financial status. 

We have imagined the face of addiction differently: wealthy people love to indulge in drugs just as much as those working class, but for them, drugs are portrayed as a mark of social stature rather than a police record.

Tax Avoidance

This one speaks for itself. If a big company avoids taxes, none is as outraged at them as they would be at a family or person who could not afford it. The company avoids taxes as a luxury because they are wealthy, while those in the general public who cannot afford their taxes are condemned. 

Childminding

If someone of a lower income has a family member or a babysitter watch over their child, they are characterized as bad parents and are told they do not spend enough time with their child. I knew girls at my school and college who became pregnant and chose to keep the child but received so much abuse for wanting to still pursue university or education. On the contrary, if a celebrity or someone of a higher income family has a child, they do not receive the same treatment for having someone look after their child. If a celebrity has to film for 11 months in a different country, that’s fine, but if a person wants to counite to pursue their education or life with their newborn that is not okay. 

Teen Parenting

We praise celebrities if they are having a child young and we eagerly watch for updates on Instagram. But we look down upon the girls and boys in high school or early twenties who choose to raise children. Spot the difference. 

What I actually find very interesting is that with celebrities or those who are wealthy, we appreciate and love to watch the transition in their pregnancy and child-raising. But with working-class people, we ridicule and laugh at their attempts of trying to do the same thing. 

I remember the whispers of outrage when people at my school would get pregnant and chose to raise their children. But on the same day, people would gossip about the latest celebrity baby and indulge in everything around the occasion.  The best example I can think of this is Kylie Jenner: she got pregnant at 20 years old with a boyfriend that she was seeing for less than a year. No one criticized her, and my newsfeed was full of the baby’s possible name, pregnancy pictures, and excitement. I have known people in a similar position who have been ridiculed and bullied for their choices. If you think I am wrong my best example is the show “Teen Mom” or “Sixteen and Pregnant.” These shows are about new parents navigating pregnancy at adolescence and are used as a form of entertainment, to laugh and ridicule. That does not happen with other celebrities, as we do not get to see them at the exact moments of terror or awkwardness, and if we do it’s planned and rehearsed.   

Celebrities and wealthy people will allow you to see what they want you to see (and they are allowed censorship), whereas the working class are used for entertainment value and told to put on a show for all those to witness.  

We need to stop letting money be the reason we give people respect.