19 Of The Most Painful Double Standards That Still Exist Between Rich And Poor People
It's not news that there are double standards when it comes to many things in today's society. So, we recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the things broke people do that are considered "trashy" but when rich people do them, it can be considered "classy." Here's what they said:
1."Rich people who lease vehicles can be considered classy, but broke people who do not own their vehicles can be considered trashy."
2."Getting married in your backyard."
3."Any creepy, weird behavior...if you're rich, it is eccentric. If you're poor, it's deranged. If the guy in 50 Shades of Grey was broke, it would have been a Criminal Minds episode."
4."Classy: purposely wearing clothes that have pre-made holes, rips, and stains because you paid $$$ for them. Trashy: wearing old clothes that have holes, rips, and stains because you can't afford to buy 'new' clothes."
5."Having 'help' if you're not rich and if you have a house cleaner come once a month, you're considered 'lazy.' But, if you have money and a daily housekeeper, it's a completely different story."
6."Speaking a language other than English (in America specifically)."
7."Not finishing your education."
8."Owning, or even just living on, a farm. For poor people (like my mom’s ancestors), it’s survival. For a rich person (like Tom Selleck’s avocado farm), it's a hobby or a way to live an equestrian lifestyle, or family tradition, or a tax dodge, etc."
9."Swearing (watch Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father — it is 'fuck/fucking' this, that, and the other). But if someone from a disadvantaged background swears that much, they're considered aggressive and unintelligent."
10."Living in a hotel."
11."Showing off things you got for free and also expecting free stuff. The super-wealthy expect and are given free stuff all of the time, and it's a norm. Try and persuade people that giving something to a poor person is a good idea, and 9/10 the response is: 'Why should we give them handouts to make up for their life choices?' It boggles my mind."
12."Working on your career and getting others to look after your child. AKA a nanny if you're rich but babysitter if you're poor."
13."Multiple marriages. If you're working class, you're trashy and have 'baby daddies,' but if you're wealthy, it's almost like a status symbol."
14."Lingerie. You put it on a high-society white woman and it's oh la-la and so (wink) naughty, but any other lower-class woman and it's trash. (I personally do not feel this way.)"
15."Smoking."
16. "'Rewearing clothes.' Celebrities are praised when they re-wear outfits, but if lower-class people do is, it is often not as 'cool.'"
17."Cooking homemade meals from scratch — as in cooking the dish yourself, and not having someone else like staff cook for you."
18."Asking for charity and thrifting (thanks to influencers and the rich, my $1 thrifted jeans are now more expensive than the brand new ones at Walmart)."
19."Living in your car or having 'van life' is cool if you're rich but not if you're broke."
Do you have any to add to the list? Let us know in the comments!
NOTE: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.