People Share What They Think Defines Someone As Middle Class With A Dash Of Humor

Mostly from the perspective of people who are definitely not in the upper-middle class.

Elana

• Published in Funny
• April 15, 2020

As the divide between upper class and poverty widens, people find themselves discussing what does it even mean to be "upper middle class?" In fact, most people would argue that the middle class as it was supposed to be doesn't even really exist anymore. According to thestreet.com:

"The middle class is loosely defined as those who fall into the middle group of workers compared to the bottom 20% or top 20%. However, the middle class has also been defined as those earning between 67% to 200% of the median income or even those with certain consumption or wealth metrics."

But really, most of us are just basically poor. With that said, Reddit users decided to answer this question: "What SCREAMS 'I'm upper class.'"

1. The difference is insignificant.

Rich: having a shitload of money to throw around and vacation time to spare

Upper class: when you meet other upper class people and you say that your last name is “X” and they, “Oh why yes of course. You are the son/daughter of..”

2. Brand Awareness

Dressing your 5 year old in a Canadian goose jacket. (Chicago)

They cost like $800+

3. What even is...

Asking questions like “What’s Birmingham?” (UK edition)

4. Admit it or else.

Having a butlers pantry.

You just have two kitchens, admit you are rich.

5. I'm definitely NOT upper middle class, lol.

I work in a private school with international boarding students. At the end of each school year, students leave behind computers, gaming systems, apple watches, designer clothes, etc. They just … leave it.

6. The boat life.

Sitting on your boat, on a Tuesday.

In water, of course. Sitting on your boat in the driveway on a Tuesday, is middle class.

Edit* Thanks for the Silver and Gold! Now I can go get a boat and sit on it next Tuesday, in the water!

7. Who are they really tring to impress?

Being offhand about things that are very expensive for the plebeians. I’ve found that many rich people are less obnoxious about showing off wealth than are people who are almost “rich” that feel they have to match up to people who make more than they do.

8. Wow.

I grew up attending private school in a developing country. Majority of my classmates were in the 1% of the country.

These are some of my observations.

• Connections : You’re visiting a foreign country? Friends’ parents know the now ambassador to said country from back in the day. You arrive in the airport and you’re picked up by a caravan of black Suburbans.
• You don’t visit people’s “houses”. You visit their estate (Fincas).
• You know that famous building/plaza/national park? Yeah it’s named after so-so’s grandfather.
• Their family owns <Professional Sports Team>, <National Newspaper>, and <National Television Channel>.

Edit: please stop trying to guess. I’d rather not disclose but the general guesses are in the area. It’s not Colombia though.

A few more.

• Our school’s soccer/football tournament final was held in the country’s National stadium. Money can’t do that.
• Family members of classmates are presidential candidates going up against family members of other classmates. A few became the eventual president. We got a lot of free stickers, shirts and pens.
• Most had private drivers and maids. I’d go over my friend’s place and he’d ask me if there was anything I’d want to eat. The chef could make it. I always asked for spaghetti because they’d serve it with real Parmesan cheese and I never had that in my life and it was impossible to get in the country at the time.
• Friend of miner’s family owned an airline. He’d have Big Macs flown over from Miami once a week. There was and there still is no McDonald’s in the country. He would let me take a bite.
• Powerful families marry each other. Someone I know married a Joe Schmo. She pretty much got excommunicated from the family… Until she had kids. They’re back in it but the husband is not spoken about.

9. Like a cashmere sweater.

I come from a rather wealthy family and i’v noticed a pattern. They never say their rich, they always say the exact same phrase! “We live comfortably” every time.

10. Amazing.

Using “summer” as a verb, especially with the prepositional phrase “in the Hamptons”.

11. A gift.

Living on an estate granted to your family by Queen Mary.

12. STOP RUINING FLOORING.

pulling up perfectly beautiful $100,000 floors to put in different $100,000 floors. i worked for folks who did this.

13. Custom fit all the clothes.

Wearing tailor fitted custom clothes. True wealth don’t mess with labels and all the things lower class folks try to prove worth by wearing.

Edit: Bespoke clothing was what I meant. Pre coffee me forgot there was a word for what I was trying to describe. I just knew what it looks like and the type who wear it.

14. It's not a yard anymore.

Calling your yard “the grounds”.

15. Casually recommends "the steak."

Being a regular at the "high end" restaurant. Guy I know eats there with his family every other day. Recommends the steak. Its $150 a plate...

16. Just do it, NO BIG DEAL.

"Just take a week off."

17. Spending money.

My brother’s friend stole his Grandma’s credit card and racked up $2500 in charges on it towards various X-Box store shit like Fortnite and Forza currency and a bunch of pre-orders on new games. I was like wow, he must have gotten that X-box taken away and was probably murdered shortly after? My brother told me all that they told the kid was ‘you should have just asked us’. Upper class bullshit.

Elana