People Are Sharing Things That Used To Signal You Were Upper Class, And Now Signal That You're Lower Class
This weekend, Reddit user u/kaybee666 asked, "What used to mean you were rich but now means that you’re poor?" People provided some examples of how small/big things that used to be signs of status and wealth have, well, changed to mean something else.
Here's what they said:
Note: BuzzFeed is not referring to anyone or any objects as denoting "poor," it is solely meant to highlight this Reddit thread depicting how certain signs of status and/or wealth has shifted over time.
1."A 35-inch TV."
2."Giant satellite dish in the yard."
3."I read once that rooms on the bottom floor of apartments used to be the more sought after ones before elevators, so poor people were usually on the higher floors."
4."Carpet in the bathroom."
5."Having extra weight meant that you had enough food to gain weight, while being thin was a sign of being poor. Very interesting how that has switched!"
6."About a hundred years ago, poor people had horses and rich people had cars."
7."Flip phones."
8."Lots of shares in Blockbuster Video."
9."Back in the '80s, people showed off they were rich by opening their wallet and a long plastic sleeve of credit cards dropped down. Now, it just means you’re a broke ass living off of credit."
10."Faux cherrywood paneling with avocado colored appliances."
11."Waterbeds."
12."Earning $20,000 a year. That was the salary of my first career job in 1984. It was considered a good salary. Today, it's well below the poverty line."
13."Wallpaper. 50 years ago, the nicest homes had wallpaper, and married couples picking it out was the same caliber as middle-class couples now choosing paint colors. Today, any time I see a rental property or house for sale with wallpaper instead of a fresh coat of paint, it's always a place that's significantly cheaper, looks poorly managed, and in need of repairs."
14."White bread. Trends shifted to whole/less milled grain flour-based bread. Sold as less processed, thus natural, thus healthy, etc. to the upper class."
15.“Wall-to-wall carpeting. Not just a rug, mind you. All the way from one wall to the other! It used to mean you're rich."
16."Shag carpet covers for toilet seat."
Did they miss any examples? Let me know in the comments below!
Responses edited for length/clarity.
