to wonder why we worship rich people?

I'm more afraid of how we keep putting these narcissistic billionaires like Elon Musk on pedestals and in positions of power, just because they can turn a profit (quite likely at the expense of good morals realistically, getting to that level of profit) doesn't mean they have a shred of intelligence to apply it to matters of state, they're too individualistic.

Some of it is clever marketing. Made a lot easier through social media.

Think about it, a lot of people are rich / staying rich because we buy the products they promote.

Well very simply there is also a gnawing fear of looking 'poor'. The vast majority of people can't afford this stuff so they turn to Shein, Temu and Primark to at least buy NEW. This is enormous wealth inequality in action.

The gap between rich and poor in the UK has NEVER been greater.

That's why that TikTok shit is so popular, because for £20 they can buy a new or a fake item.

Someone said up thread that they had high hopes for the young and their eco mindset. I wish that was true as all I see all over social media is hideous enslaved cheap, fast fashion.

I'm calling the young now 'the anxious generation' as I'm seeing first hand as a therapist how anxious the 15-30 age group are. It's awful for them, so much pressure.

I think inheritance tax has largely got rid of “old money” as it was designed to do and the reason for not flashing their cash is they don’t have anywhere near as much as they’d like people to believe.

The huge houses they built historically were hardly understated. But now that they do t have that amount of cash they want to look down their noses at people who do.

Media and celebrity culture is the roots of the idolisation, unfortunately.

That's fantastic to hear! At last; cause for hope! 😃

Sadly it is still very much not the case in media or the arts ☹️

Totally get what you mean, OP. It's a tale as old as time, though, to do with the image we want to portray to others about our position in society. Old money > new money because it says "I was 'ere first".

Saying that, if it's a choice between emulating old money style and some of the chavs people in my town then I know which I'd prefer! I'm not sure I can see Vogue doing a feature on see-through leggings worn as trousers/matching grey tracksuits/shiny black puffer jackets anytime soon!

The media (including social media) is now controlled by plutocrats for the most part. It's inevitable that they will promote (unconsciously or otherwise) values that affirm them.

We're expected to listen to the views or rich people on all manner of subjects regardless of their own expertise. Meghan on cooking. Musk on politics. Various slebs on health / social justice / what have you. Trump on climate change. It's all the same.

A generation ago this space was held by politicians, professors, clergy and public intellectuals.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9122750/

inequality of wealth

Huge swathes of hedge funds and banks, for example, are switching to blind applications. It’s impossible now to offer internships to family or friends. Nepotism is not dead, but it definitely does not have the same leverage as before.

Tremds come and go, but there does seem to be a fundamental shift taking place. In the UK we are in transition. It will be exciting to see what happens.

The disparity between wealthy and poverty has grown more since 2008 than any time since 1900

if you have such a gulf between to fractions of society then you’ll end up with a situation of wanting to cross that gulf and looking at the other side with a longing to be there

I hope you are right. Certainly my young adult DCs are like this and their friends. it does give me hope.

On the dark side though, having been truly more optimistic about forming a more meritocratic society in the 90s, it does seem nowadays that it’s fashionable again to come from ‘old money’ and there are more nepo babies than ever before. It’s still very much about who you know which is pretty depressing.

I can't say I do. I admire people who march to the beat of their own drum and think outside the box. Whether they are rich or poor doesn't come into it.

The Musks of the world are going to shake things up and some. The old hierarchy is already taking its last breath so to speak. The old order is falling away, and dying out. There is fear - there is a growing anti capitalist movement taking root. Many say we are already a post capitalist society and are witnessing it devour itself.

Time is now the new luxury,

Rich people in the UK in the past had very privileged public school education and spoke with a plum in their mouth (now not fashionable so greatly toned down even by the king) and had an arrogant confidence. In the past eg 1950s the workers doffed their caps to their bosses and landowners. Possibly because further education wasn't seen as available to them and ?they knew their place, or might lose their job if disrespectful.

Now the reverence has rightly gone. Many more go to public school.

Today I've no idea about envying rich people as I'm not so into fashion that having a ridiculously priced bag would be something to envy. There's always been huge discrepancies of wealth but not the tv, internet to have that fact made so obvious.

I would amend this statement to 'MNers worship old money'. Why is beyond me, especially since a lot of that old money was taken from the poor, earned by exploitation or even stolen.

Of course people have historically worshipped the rich and powerful as the two often come together. The ancient Egyptians literally worshipped their monarchs as Gods and the Roman emperors tried the same. If you read Dickens, Eliot, Austen respect of wealth and desire for status thread through many of these texts and we are all.aware of the rigid social hierarchies during these times as well as an expectation to diff you can to your betters.

Are we really that surprised then that we have the same attitudes but possibly with a distinctive take on 2025? I think a lot of old style magazines such as country life and vogue essentially advertise houses and clothes for the rich and probably more importantly the aspirational rich. The internet and influencers are just extending the trend a bit.

I notice a lot of posters are getting edgy and trying to project the you are socialist when I think this is an interesting question. Maybe the middle classes feel insulted that all their career focus to get the nice house,car and holidays is being dismissed as emulating of wealth and the motivation a crude desire follow others.

Interesting points.

I wonder if it has something to do with more mindful consumption. Most of us are on a treadmill of passing fashion trends - speaking for myself anyway - and are now wanting to shift to less clothes better quality. The wealthy have always bought quality items that don’t date the way high street clothes do, or if they do date, become retro classics with a resale value.
On one hand I find fashion fun, on the other hand the sheer volume of poor quality clothes crammed into high street shops nowadays is depressing.

Times are changing fast. ‘old money’ is now associated with slavery not class. An emerging distaste and questioning where inherited wealth has actually come from is definitely gaining traction now.

Young people want nothing to do with it, and are very conscious of inequality.

A new class is emerging before us of creative super technology, this is going to leave the current class structure in tatters. The intelligence and innovation is breathtaking, and in some cases is most definitely worthy of admiration,

The vast majority of young people do not want social equality. Many won’t wear any labels at all. Nor do they like cars. Or obvious wealth. Or even less obvious wealth but alluding to it. A growing consensus that previous generations have been very selfish, and uncaring of the planet, the future.

It will be the young of today and their ideals that will shape tomorrow, not so much emulating past ideals rooted in dubious inherited wealth. Young people are far more conscious of the truth.

I have high hopes for the future based on the general values of the young.

I am not sure why OP thinks this. I don't think anyone asking questions about "how rich people live" worships them and I haven't seen that many questions about it.

People have always wanted more money to buy nice things but that's not worshipping rich people.

If anything as a society we have become less deferential to wealthy people and more deferential to celebrities.

Because we conflate wealth with hard work - and the previous Tory government took this to a whole new level, which the current government are continuing. We assume those who are wealthy are better, superior beings as they’ve worked so hard for their money whereas the poor are to be pitied and are lazy. It’s utter shite in the vast majority of cases but the narrative has stuck now 🙁

Labour government from 97 to 2010. I think that held things together or slowed down the obviousness of decline.

Also we won the Olympics in 2005. That was a massive national distraction and promise of hope.

I think also in a way the 90s care free generation kind of let the younger generation down. We could have/ should have done a lot more to push a green agenda and community cohesiveness. But fell into apathy that someone somewhere had a plan.

The only thing I do know holds true is people eventually realise its not about money but that people matter more.

I sometimes wonder if people think if they fawn over them enough they’ll be given some money

I don't think most people have ever "worshipped" anyone!!

So OTT!!

I don't think most people "worship rich people" at all!!

Wish they were in that situation, yes! Totally different!