What is the “upper” in upper middle class?

[Anonymous]

I’ll bite here. I know exactly what you are talking about. I’m an educated professional who listens to country music. My major was an upper class one. A lot of the country music to the masses is like “AA” as in Alcoholic anonymous, and another about taking the girl to Wendy’s and Applebee’s. It’s such a gross song, I usually tune that one off. I don’t identify with it at all. I never take my kids to Wendy’s or Applebee’s. But for that MC person, I guess they do.

The UMC country songs are geared to the young UMC. There’s definitely a tier in country artists. This is exactly what the Paul Fidel book talk about and how you don’t escape your class. You can move up the ladder, make $8M but if you drink Diet Coke then it’s a part of you that’s still there. If balanced people find it endearing.

[Anonymous]

If we say we are middle class we get scolded for being “out of touch” or “in a bubble” and if we claim we are well-off we get told our income is a barely a pittance.

We can’t win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:upper middle class has more education (advanced degrees), more money and more refined tastes. if you meet all 3 criteria you are a good example/safely in that category. many people are borderline. like, a surgeon who makes a lot of money but listens to country music and eats at applebees vs. a low paying adjunct with a harvard phd etc.

What is upper middle class music?

In my experience: Bluegrass!

Absolutely. It's amazing to see how the places that used to draw working class crowd are now overrun by hipsters.

Oh yes. This is a trend too. I think there was a book about this. How the class tried to copy each other with kids names and the names became unpopular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A number of baby boomers moved from UMC to lower upper class. This would be educated professional with a net worth of over $8M.

Interesting. They grew up UMC, then moved to lower upper class? Where did this move happen?

I've seen the reverse with some friends who are now adult children of baby boomers/Gen X parents. They grew up UMC/"low" rich, but professional choices/other extenuating circumstances preclude living like they did as kids through their mid-20s. A couple are subsidized by their parents though not all. I grew up working class and DH and I have ended up doing well. One of these friends has ended up rather bitter even though she will probably inherit 6 figures or more when her parents pass away.

My kids are growing up UMC, though my wife and I grew up solidly MMC. It’s going to be tough for our kids to maintain this level, or go higher. Everything would have to break the right way for them- schools, spouses, career etc. The ladder in the US seems to have gotten very slippery in the last couple of generations.

Everything DID break right especially for older professional baby boomers. Cheap education and housing followed by housing boom and rising stock market. But they are too busy traveling to post here.

Oh, yeah. The baby boomers took full advantage of the various educational and economic infrastructure that the generations before them built up through their sacrifices. Affordable education, cheap housing, an economy that provided plentiful middle class jobs. The baby boomers were born on third, but absolutely certain they hit a triple.

What’s worse, though, is that they then proceeded to pull the ladder up behind them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll bite here. I know exactly what you are talking about. I’m an educated professional who listens to country music. My major was an upper class one. A lot of the country music to the masses is like “AA” as in Alcoholic anonymous, and another about taking the girl to Wendy’s and Applebee’s. It’s such a gross song, I usually tune that one off. I don’t identify with it at all. I never take my kids to Wendy’s or Applebee’s. But for that MC person, I guess they do.

The UMC country songs are geared to the young UMC. There’s definitely a tier in country artists. This is exactly what the Paul Fidel book talk about and how you don’t escape your class. You can move up the ladder, make $8M but if you drink Diet Coke then it’s a part of you that’s still there. If balanced people find it endearing.

What is it with you people and your disdain for Diet Coke? It’s such a weird thing to believe that drinking soda is a signifier of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll bite here. I know exactly what you are talking about. I’m an educated professional who listens to country music. My major was an upper class one. A lot of the country music to the masses is like “AA” as in Alcoholic anonymous, and another about taking the girl to Wendy’s and Applebee’s. It’s such a gross song, I usually tune that one off. I don’t identify with it at all. I never take my kids to Wendy’s or Applebee’s. But for that MC person, I guess they do.

The UMC country songs are geared to the young UMC. There’s definitely a tier in country artists. This is exactly what the Paul Fidel book talk about and how you don’t escape your class. You can move up the ladder, make $8M but if you drink Diet Coke then it’s a part of you that’s still there. If balanced people find it endearing.

What is it with you people and your disdain for Diet Coke? It’s such a weird thing to believe that drinking soda is a signifier of anything.

I don’t have an issue with it as a signifier. It’s just that with all we know what it does to your health, it’s like smoking at this point.

[Anonymous]

It is the first word of the phrase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper Middle Class - Real Housewives
Middle Class - Seventh Heaven
Working Class - Roseanne

Working Class-The Middle
Upper Middle Class-Modern Family

Love these examples. There are no shows to give a glimpse into lower upper class. Billions is more neurotic than reality.

Real Housewives could probably be split up to fit into a few by series.
Upper Class - Beverly Hills
Lower Upper Class - Miami
Upper Middle Class - Salt Lake, Potomac, Atlanta
Middle to Upper - Dallas

[Anonymous]

Middle and lower middle class post here. Nice to be with my fellow trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll bite here. I know exactly what you are talking about. I’m an educated professional who listens to country music. My major was an upper class one. A lot of the country music to the masses is like “AA” as in Alcoholic anonymous, and another about taking the girl to Wendy’s and Applebee’s. It’s such a gross song, I usually tune that one off. I don’t identify with it at all. I never take my kids to Wendy’s or Applebee’s. But for that MC person, I guess they do.

The UMC country songs are geared to the young UMC. There’s definitely a tier in country artists. This is exactly what the Paul Fidel book talk about and how you don’t escape your class. You can move up the ladder, make $8M but if you drink Diet Coke then it’s a part of you that’s still there. If balanced people find it endearing.

What is it with you people and your disdain for Diet Coke? It’s such a weird thing to believe that drinking soda is a signifier of anything.

I don’t have an issue with it as a signifier. It’s just that with all we know what it does to your health, it’s like smoking at this point.

No, it’s really not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:upper middle class has more education (advanced degrees), more money and more refined tastes. if you meet all 3 criteria you are a good example/safely in that category. many people are borderline. like, a surgeon who makes a lot of money but listens to country music and eats at applebees vs. a low paying adjunct with a harvard phd etc.

What is upper middle class music?

In my experience: Bluegrass!

Absolutely. It's amazing to see how the places that used to draw working class crowd are now overrun by hipsters.

Oh yes. This is a trend too. I think there was a book about this. How the class tried to copy each other with kids names and the names became unpopular.

there are many books about this, starting at least with thorstein veblen, if not earlier. lower classes imitate upper classes, therefore upper classes need to constantly update class signifiers.

[Anonymous]

Lower Class- Roseanne/The Connors
Middle Class - Family Matters
Upper Middle Class - Full House/ Modern Family
Wealthy - Modern housewives of Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper Middle Class - Real Housewives
Middle Class - Seventh Heaven
Working Class - Roseanne

Working Class-The Middle
Upper Middle Class-Modern Family

Love these examples. There are no shows to give a glimpse into lower upper class. Billions is more neurotic than reality.

Real Housewives could probably be split up to fit into a few by series.
Upper Class - Beverly Hills
Lower Upper Class - Miami
Upper Middle Class - Salt Lake, Potomac, Atlanta
Middle to Upper - Dallas

How is Billions (I assume you’re talking about the tv series) more neurotic than reality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A number of baby boomers moved from UMC to lower upper class. This would be educated professional with a net worth of over $8M.

We have this at 41/44. But I do like Diet Coke so…I guess we are still middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll bite here. I know exactly what you are talking about. I’m an educated professional who listens to country music. My major was an upper class one. A lot of the country music to the masses is like “AA” as in Alcoholic anonymous, and another about taking the girl to Wendy’s and Applebee’s. It’s such a gross song, I usually tune that one off. I don’t identify with it at all. I never take my kids to Wendy’s or Applebee’s. But for that MC person, I guess they do.

The UMC country songs are geared to the young UMC. There’s definitely a tier in country artists. This is exactly what the Paul Fidel book talk about and how you don’t escape your class. You can move up the ladder, make $8M but if you drink Diet Coke then it’s a part of you that’s still there. If balanced people find it endearing.

LOL - this is a hilariously stupid post. Can someone save it for posterity?