it is astonishing when we look back at the evolution of the signs of money.
From fashion to food to decor darling, the poor have created and fashioned the style of the rich.
Sadly the rich keep all the coin and steal the style.
If some stogy old dead rich people could see what their generational wealth is buying today... they'd die again.
Redditor Wezard_the_MemeLord wanted to discuss how the representation of money has shifted over time. They asked:
"What used to be a symbol of poor person 50-100 years ago but now literally says 'this guy is really rich?'"
Money has evolved so much over the years. I'm intrigued to see where I fit now.
On Top
will ferrell elf GIFGiphy"Before elevators were common, the higher up you lived in a building the poorer you were."
User Deleted
"When I lived in apartments, I would always try to get something on the top floor. Sure, moving is easier on the bottom, but bugs and robberies and upstairs neighbors are less of a problem on the top."
JADW27
"Too far"
"Handmade clothes made of natural fabrics. 50 years ago, people with money had paisley polyester shirts and bell bottoms."
zoqfotpik
"Yo. That was me. Early 70's. I had leisure suits. More than one. Navy blue with flared bottoms. Mostly synthetic. My favorite shirt was polyester with a giant collar, opened to the third button. The colors were mostly gold and blue, featuring images of swans. Mostly. Tony Manero would have taken a look and said, 'Too far.'"
SuboptimalButHopeful
Chaos
"Here in Brazil the floor of most houses is made of ceramic, but not so long ago it was really expensive to have your entire house with ceramic floors, which are usually square, so poor people went to the stores and asked for remains, shards, pieces etc."
"Theoretically they wouldn't be as beautiful as the whole floor but this 'chaotic' and 'rustic' style ended up falling in the taste of the rich, today it is more expensive to pay for a floor made of shards than a floor made in whole and large pieces."
ReiDosNSFW
Size Always Mattered
"100 years ago being tan and muscular was a sign that you were poor and had to work all the time. Now being tan and muscular is a sign that you can afford to eat healthy and have the free time for an exercise routine."
jerrythecactus
"Well, back in olden times, a large, fat person like this was a person of power. A person who had money, who could buy food. A person of respect, like the regional manager of the day. Whereas someone athletic and trim like myself was somebody who worked in the fields, and I was a peasant."
KypDurron
The Burroughs...
Giphy"Living in Brooklyn."
Vast-Bend6076
"I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo. For like 2 million. That same building today is worth 25 million. Guess how I'm feelin'? Dumbo."
beardedkingface
Ahh Brooklyn. I feel like this thought can define MANY parts of NYC. But yeah, Brooklyn is now unaffordable.
fried or steamed?
Cancel White Rice GIF by John Crist ComedyGiphy"Brown rice. Used to be poor/prison food in China. Now it's expensive (and healthier) option over white rice."
Deliximus
"natural"
"Currently very en vogue in Germany are 'natural' construction materials like clay, hemp wool and wood. I had workers on my house from Rumania, and they were all laughing, because they are happy that they don't have to use this dirt and crap back at home anymore, and now they come to Germany just to work with it again for big money."'
Barackenpapst
The Menu
"Eating brisket. Brisket was consider poor person food. It is the toughest piece of the steer and difficult to cook properly. Now brisket and smoking meats are considered almost gourmet."
Dogstarman1974
"Eating lobster and crab was the same way. They were bottom feeders fit for peasant tastes before it became fashionable to eat."
Blacksun388
Fashion...
"Ripped jeans."
Silvan_Foxy
"I was in college in the 1980's. I wore a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee home for a visit and my Grandma gave me $5 to buy a new pair. (NOTE: Jeans did not cost $5 in the '80's, but there were a few outlet stores around which sold Levis for $10. I wish that were still true today!)"'
whatyouwant22
Shades and Color
Wig Hair Style GIF by Reba McEntireGiphy"Having a tan and hair highlights. People pay good money for those things today but 100 years ago it meant you likely had to work outdoors in rough conditions."
Anticrepuscular_Ray
Well now I feel super rich! I'm glad times have changed.
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The rich lead radically different lives from the poor.
But so do the middle class—and others with even less means than they.
When you don't have any money to spare, you'll find creative ways to survive.
You quickly learn that you can add cheap "bulk" to your meal by eating plenty of rice and beans.
You discover that drinking water can satiate you when there's no food around to speak of.
Redditor walterwhite997 asked:
"What is something you only know if you grew up poor?"
I had a friend who lived like this and they did not grow up with a healthy attitude toward money. It was heartbreaking to see.
"The embarrassment..."
The embarrassment of people comparing Christmas gifts with you when they got expensive electronics and toys. I used to hate when teachers asked the class what they got for Christmas.
Definitely not fun. Few moments really highlight the socioeconomic divide and harm a child more than that.
Sleep for dinner is the cheapest dinner because it costs you nothing.
Sad, but many live like this.
"Everything..."
Everything around you can be a toy. My action figure collection included a stick, a mason jar, an off brand Barbie given to me by an older cousin, and a bunch of melted green army men that looked like a giant. We had the best adventures.
This has actually been studied! Poor children know how to make their own fun and they do it better than kids with more means.
That says a lot, especially when the food is so widely available and taken for granted.
"Going to your extended..."
Going to your extended family's houses usually resulted in leaving with bags full of tinned food.
When you have no money, you rely on community.
"Knock-off brands are..."
Knock-off brands are enjoyable when you first get them but can quickly become a point of ridicule when found out.
This is true. Children can be cruel. The quality of these knock-off brands isn't great either.
"A slice of bread..."
A slice of bread = hotdog buns, hamburger buns, biscuit and gravy biscuit, makes a sandwich from any meal/leftover to make it more filling, sloppy joe bun, dip in soup...
Spot on.
A slice of bread can be used to improvise—and quite well.
"Walmart is typically 24 hours..."
Walmart is typically 24 hours and is a good place to escape the cold and riff raff of the streets when you're a homeless kid. Also back when arcades were a thing a lot of people would drop coins under the machines so that was a good way to scrounge for food money.
Also learned how to turn the water and power on in empty houses when I was willing to risk getting thrown in jail, which honestly would have been an improvement. My brother and I grew up harsh and with no support system other than each other. We still only have each other but we made it through and the experiences made us better people.
In many places, Walmart is often the only lifeline, the one place where people can find work.
"Making lots of friends..."
Making lots of friends meant you could go to other kids houses and get invited to stay for dinner. I would always sneak something to eat back home for my mom. She never asked me to do that, but I knew she was hungry.
This is heartbreaking. You were a good kid despite the circumstances.
Chobani founder and CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya has made it his mission to use his $1.7 billion net worth to make the world a better place.
After hearing about a decision by the Warwick Public School District in Rhode Island to serve nothing but sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches to students with outstanding lunch bills, he decided to do something about it.
Many were outraged after hearing of the policy change and took matters into their own hands.
A GoFundMe was set up to raise the funds via crowdfunding.
Ulukaya, who has more than enough capital to cover it, simply stepped in and paid the debt—in full.
In a statement on Twitter, Ulukaya said:
"as a parent, news of #WarwickPublicSchools breaks my heart. every child should have access to natural, nutritious & delicious food, so @Chobani is doing our small part to help pay this debt"
"business must do its part.. our responsibility as members of community. who will join us?"
He expanded on this in a video clip.
"We'll take care of this school's bill, because everyone at Chobani was [heartbroken], and they're stepping up, and they're going to do something about it."
"But it's just small. We need everywhere, everywhere around the country, to eliminate this for all. Forever."
You can view that video statement below:
as a parent, news of #WarwickPublicSchools breaks my heart. every child should have access to natural, nutritious &… https://t.co/J0d3jD9Ujn— Hamdi Ulukaya (@Hamdi Ulukaya) 1557431577
Chobani is also donating yogurt to the school district to further alleviate their food costs.
The Chobani Twitter page recently posted a call to action in support of the Anti-Lunch Shaming Act of 2019, which has been read by the Senate and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, to prevent schools from passing policies that discriminate against students with outstanding lunch bills.
Access to better food should be a right, not a privilege. No child should go hungry or be shamed if they can't affo… https://t.co/4WX9YQL7oM— Chobani (@Chobani) 1557501613
Many on Twitter were thankful for Ulukaya's donation, and his assertion that we need to do better.
@hamdiulukaya @Chobani You have given me my daily ration of hope. 🙏— Not well adjusted to our sick society 🏳️🌈🇺🇸🆘 (@Not well adjusted to our sick society 🏳️🌈🇺🇸🆘) 1557497024
@hamdiulukaya @Chobani Thank you! I knew it would be a small expense for some business and good advertising for sam… https://t.co/msw8XYZNmZ— Elena Carlena (@Elena Carlena) 1557452860
@hamdiulukaya @Chobani As a Rhode Island resident, a parent, and a human being, I wish to thank you for your kindne… https://t.co/zOiery25Gy— Chéri Smith (@Chéri Smith) 1557442680
@hamdiulukaya @Chobani As a teacher who has paid school nutrition debts for many students who would otherwise be de… https://t.co/Nz0YI6CBaB— Anastasia, M.Ed. (@Anastasia, M.Ed.) 1557540419
Many also appreciated Chobani's support of the Anti-Lunch Shaming Act.
@Chobani Chobani - well done. This makes my heart melt. Being a young child growing up in a low income household,… https://t.co/8BKZqOt6gf— Brother Resister (@Brother Resister) 1557516212
@Chobani Yay! Chobani has earned my respect and my business. Thank you for your humanity— Michael Bird (@Michael Bird) 1557502153
@Chobani I LOVE your heart! Thank you from all those who have had moments when money meant the difference between a… https://t.co/aAVeH4VK4f— Julie Wierson (@Julie Wierson) 1557631971
There were also many calls for all school meals to be free and there are districts throughout the country where that is the reality.
All children need good nutrition to learn and grow, and to be successful in school.
Shaming those whose parents are unable to pay their lunch bills is not the way to help students succeed.