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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Social Classes
Oprah had a semi-interesting show yesterday about social classes. People spoke about how they judge other people and place them in social classes (in their mind).
One said she views obese people as being in a lower class...another said that dirty nails and certain types of jobs (she gave mechanic and sanitation worker as exampls) equated to a lower class...while another said the way someone spoke (using the word "huh") indicated a lower class for them. While others said that those in the upper class were snobby and couldn't care less about others.
Do you view people in society and secretly judge what class they are in? Does a woman who wears a certain type of clothing or makeup equate to a certain class for you? What about their job?
Is it fair to judge? Is it unavoidable?
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Posted 1/4/07 9:04 AM  |
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Moehick
Ready for the sun!
Member since 5/05 30339 total posts
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Re: Social Classes
I saw that show too and while I don't think it is fair to judge people I think everyone does, myself included.
I never really thought about what class I, my friends or family were in before that show and I still don't care.
The saddest thing about that show is that the middle class is rapidly decreasing where soon this country will be limited to rich and poor....sad indeed
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:09 AM |
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JennZ
MY LIFE!!
Member since 8/05 25463 total posts
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Re: Social Classes
Is it fair? No Do people do it... YES.
I think people try and classify people all the time, most have the common sense not to say anything I think that woman who said being a mechanic is "lower class" who the hell is she? If you make a living and can care for your family and keep a roof over your head who cares how its done ( legal ofcourse). She is showing her lack of class as far as Im concerned.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:11 AM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
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Re: Social Classes
yup- that irriated me, too! especially the part about mechanics and people with "dirty hands" being low class.
my parents own a garden center, make over $200,000 a year, own 2 houses, get to travel 2 months out of the year, ANd will get to retire by the time they are 54... i would say thats worth havnig dirty hands sometimes! you can't always judge a book by its cover...
it is sad that middle class will no longer exist soon though. i can see it already happening. its becoming so expensive just to live, that i think its pushing people who would be "middle class" into the "lower class".
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:28 AM |
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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Re: Social Classes
I thought the one woman who said that other women who wear glitter eye makeup and big hoop earrings equated to lower class, was confusing the definition of class! B/c look at Paris Hilton - she's upper class but has NO class.
It was interesting (though I've heard it before) when they mentioned how the middle class was being squeezed out and how the country's 1% hold 40% of our wealth! How the country's 1% hold more money than the country's lower 90%! It's definitely skewed and if things keep going the way they're going, we're not headed anywhere good. 
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:30 AM |
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TheLorax
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Member since 2/06 5581 total posts
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Re: Social Classes
That is the first Oprah I have watched in forever. I found it SO interesting that Warren Buffett will not be giving money to any of his children/grandchildren. He has already donated HUGE sums to the Bill Gates run-charities.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:32 AM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by TheLorax
That is the first Oprah I have watched in forever. I found it SO interesting that Warren Buffett will not be giving money to any of his children/grandchildren. He has already donated HUGE sums to the Bill Gates run-charities.
yeah... i found that really interesting, too. i guess he really values education and being self-made. and, i guess it makes sense when you look at people like paris hilton- i mean, realy what is she doing valuable with her families money?! she doesn't appreciate it. warren buffet is probably trying to keep that from happening in his family.
lol still stinks for his grandaughter, though. i'd be like ' can't you just give me a millon?!" LOL
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:39 AM |
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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by TheLorax
That is the first Oprah I have watched in forever. I found it SO interesting that Warren Buffett will not be giving money to any of his children/grandchildren. He has already donated HUGE sums to the Bill Gates run-charities.
There was a huge thing about that a few months ago. He announced that he would "only" be leaving something like a couple of million to family and the remaining BILLIONS would all go to philanthropic causes, mot notably, the Bill Gates charities. Despite his enormous wealth (2nd wealthiest person!) he always seems so down to earth.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:40 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by ml110
Posted by TheLorax
That is the first Oprah I have watched in forever. I found it SO interesting that Warren Buffett will not be giving money to any of his children/grandchildren. He has already donated HUGE sums to the Bill Gates run-charities.
yeah... i found that really interesting, too. i guess he really values education and being self-made. and, i guess it makes sense when you look at people like paris hilton- i mean, realy what is she doing valuable with her families money?! she doesn't appreciate it. warren buffet is probably trying to keep that from happening in his family.
lol still stinks for his grandaughter, though. i'd be like ' can't you just give me a millon?!" LOL
He did leave them millions (only a small percentage of his billions). He said "I want to give my kids enough so that they could feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
Message edited 1/4/2007 9:43:35 AM.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:43 AM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by nov04libride
He said "I want to give my kids enough so that they could feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
THAT is a great quote. But I think what he's saying is that he's not going to give them enough so they can live off of it. In other words, they would have to work.
That's really commendable.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:46 AM |
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SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
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Re: Social Classes
unfortunately I think it is human nature to judge people. and yes, I think appearance plays a huge part in 1st impressions.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:47 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
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Me
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by greenfreak
Posted by nov04libride
He said "I want to give my kids enough so that they could feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
THAT is a great quote. But I think what he's saying is that he's not going to give them enough so they can live off of it. In other words, they would have to work.
That's really commendable.
I don't know, they did get millions. They could live without working, but maybe not in the style to which they are accustomed.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:47 AM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by nov04libride
[
," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
actually, yesterday when his granddaughter was on, she said she did work- she said she works as a assistant or housekeeper or something for a wealthy family. i dno't think she would be doing that if she didnt' have to...
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:47 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by ml110
Posted by nov04libride
[
," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
actually, yesterday when his granddaughter was on, she said she did work- she said she works as a assistant or housekeeper or something for a wealthy family. i dno't think she would be doing that if she didnt' have to...
I don't know, I know they got millions. You think even without that she would have gone to college and had enough education that she wouldn't be working as a housekeeper. 
ETA: Nothing against housekeepers!
Message edited 1/4/2007 9:52:42 AM.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:49 AM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by nov04libride
Posted by ml110
Posted by nov04libride
[
," so while he gave the majority of the fortune away, it's not like they would ever have to work.
actually, yesterday when his granddaughter was on, she said she did work- she said she works as a assistant or housekeeper or something for a wealthy family. i dno't think she would be doing that if she didnt' have to...
I don't know, I know they got millions. You think even without that she would have gone to college and had enough education that she wouldn't be working as a housekeeper.
yeah... it wasn't really clear what she did for the family, she just said she works for a wealthy family. which, either way, i would think shed be donig soemthing different if she had enough $$. she did say that warren buffet paid for all of his grandchildrens college/room and board during college. lol not sure what she did with that education.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:51 AM |
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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by nov04libride
I don't know, I know they got millions. You think even without that she would have gone to college and had enough education that she wouldn't be working as a housekeeper.
It was stated (last year) that he was giving 85% of his fortune to charity. That leaves 15% for 3 children and I don't know how many grandchildren.
On the show the one granddaughter said that he paid for college and room & board while in college. She apears to be an artist so I can only assume that is what she went to school for. I suppose it is her perogative if she wants to work as a housekeeper/nanny (wasn't clear what she does for the family)
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:54 AM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by Colleen9304
That leaves 15% for 3 children and I don't know how many grandchildren.
Good point, he could be splitting that money up amongst 10 people or more.
How much money would you really need to be setup for life, that you wouldn't have to work? I can't even fathom a guess.
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:59 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by Colleen9304
Posted by nov04libride
I don't know, I know they got millions. You think even without that she would have gone to college and had enough education that she wouldn't be working as a housekeeper.
It was stated (last year) that he was giving 85% of his fortune to charity. That leaves 15% for 3 children and I don't know how many grandchildren.
On the show the one granddaughter said that he paid for college and room & board while in college. She apears to be an artist so I can only assume that is what she went to school for. I suppose it is her perogative if she wants to work as a housekeeper/nanny (wasn't clear what she does for the family)
OK, so he gave 35 billion away, which was 85 percent, so his family got only 6 billion then?
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| Posted 1/4/07 9:59 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by greenfreak
Posted by Colleen9304
That leaves 15% for 3 children and I don't know how many grandchildren.
Good point, he could be splitting that money up amongst 10 people or more.
How much money would you really need to be setup for life, that you wouldn't have to work? I can't even fathom a guess.
Well, they got 6 billion, so I would think that should be enough...
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| Posted 1/4/07 10:00 AM |
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DaniJude
You're My Home <3
Member since 11/06 14815 total posts
Name:
Danielle
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Re: Social Classes
Posted by Moehick
I saw that show too and while I don't think it is fair to judge people I think everyone does, myself included.
I never really thought about what class I, my friends or family were in before that show and I still don't care.
I agree with this- it's pretty much the same for me too.
I actually thought the most upsetting part (and kind of offensive) was the guy that described himself as "Working Lower or Poor Class"... That he feels people, who have more money, look at him in a bad way and look "down on him" or whatever... He had no actual proof of this or factual examples- Just how he feels in his own head... And I don't know... I'm no "Oprah" or "Rockafeller" but I shop in places where people have a good amount of money and I go places with people of the upper class and I don't see them looking down on anyone- ever. NOT to say that it does not exist but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think he was over-doing it a little and that it is basically all in his head... and that he is just bitter b/c he does not have a lot of money... and they treated what he said like it was concrete proof rather than just a feeling he gets.
The show overall was pretty interesting- I guess you just have to work hard to get ahead... That Johnson kid was a dish!!   
Message edited 1/4/2007 10:03:40 AM.
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| Posted 1/4/07 10:02 AM |
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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Re: Social Classes
I sort of agree - it was his opinion - however without walking in his shoes, it's hard to tell if it's factual or not. We don't know what his life it like or what circles he runs in.
I found the comparison of the lower class and middle class families interesting. Their disciplinary techniques were totally polar opposites.
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| Posted 1/4/07 10:51 AM |
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