Why are MNers so absolutely fascinated by matters of class and money?

[CommeIlFaut]

There are so many interesting topic boards on here, but the theme that seems to guarantee eighteen pages of fascination, strong views and disagreement is class and money:

My income is 500k, ask me about my handbags

Does owning a spaniel make me middle class?

I’m a Marchoiness but live in a bin, come and share your strong views about this

AIBU to feel positively sorry for those vulgar enough to have their needs met with expensive holidays to nice places and clothes that fit?

What is it that makes these threads so magnetic for people? Is it the opportunity to communicate the crashing snobbery that would make them unpopular in real life? Or to fulfil their unmet need to stand on a virtual park bench and let everyone know how rich they are (‘although no one would ever know in real life, we drive a battered estate and dress only in waxed cotton’)?

I am sure the class anxiety (and fascination with rich people) is greater on here than in the general population. What’s that all about?

People can ask questions and express views on forums that they would not in RL. HTH

AIBU to feel positively sorry for those vulgar enough to have their needs met with expensive holidays to nice places and clothes that fit?

There is such a thing as reverse snobbery of course.

And you see just as much of it and it's hardly edifying.

I don't think MN is any more obsessed with class or money than outside IRL. And arguably less so.

There are a lot of comments full of whataboutery if someone asks about houses, handbags or holidays though.

And it does tend to be very non middle class people accusing others of being MC.

(Signed: a miner's daughter who lives in a rented house)

I don't think that there has always been such a huge preoccupation with class on MN. Until recently it was wall-to-wall, 'there's no such thing as class, just tribes', which I found even more annoying.

It's because we're all anonymous, so we can admit to our prurient fascinations in a way we can't amongst real life friends.

WAIT A MINUTE ! a spaniel makes you middle class well I've just upped a station 😂

I agree. I don't know anyone in real life as obsessed with class and money. It isn't as if I even click on those threads. In fact, I usually hide them.

I think many posters like to not so stealth boast.

I got 2 KC registered labs, did have a spaniel. Never knew owning a Spaniel was MC.

It's not really class, it's money.

People want to know where they stand in the how much wealth do you have game.

Basically some people only feel better about themselves when they know there are others 'lower' than them.

Because class and money holds the power in this country. I am WC and work in an extremely MC environment - I could write a novel on the micro-snobbery and class bias I have to deal with on a daily basis.

I think the jury’s out. Probably best to start a thread about it.

I would pay a lot of money to read an AMA by a marchioness who lives in a bin. 😄

Nah your ok, I will stick with this one.

Because Mumsnetters like to brag about how solidly MC they are and are terrified someone might think they are WC.

I actually think there’s more class threads by people ready to bash people with money, I feel sorry for anyone who asks about something then divulges they have a large house/ horse/ business/earn anything over a certain amount. Everyone teams up on them (which is awful ‘op probably did such and such’), rolls eyes, says things like ‘my heart bleeds’ etc etc. they get answers like ‘it was your choice,’ etc etc. Very few solutions to their original problem

There's plenty of threads about other things too, and they get very lively. It's not a preoccupation, it's just something people talk about. Maybe it's your preoccupation, if you're seeing it everywhere? You've certainly spent some time coming up with amusing examples of what you mean. Why have you spent your time preoccupying yourself doing that?

There is such a thing as reverse snobbery of course.

There really isn't. Poverty is the opposite of wealth, not the reverse of it.

Anyway OP, all societies everywhere are interested in wealth and class. If you think a country is classless it's because you don't understand it.

The sociologist in me is interested in this too. I think it's fascinating.

I don't know if anyone is obsessed.

There's millions of users on here; if 1000 people post a response to a thread that's a very small percentage of people who are interested enough to have a view on the topic.

You can say any old shit on an anonymous forum. I think the people who are into those threads probably live in a basic 1 bed flat & don't talk to many people day to day so they come here and live out make-believe.

But you often see MNers saying they’re ‘proudly’ WC.

I never really understand that - it’s not as if it’s down to some achievement of theirs, or because they were asked pre-conception what class they’d like to be born into. ‘Ooh, working class please! FGS don’t give me to some horrible MC family!’

People want to see how they fit in society. They want validation on line. In real life, you already know kind of how you present to those who are interested in such things.

There was a "proud" workingclasser on that recent handbag thread that gave hereself away on a separate bit of the thread by saying she "wouldn't be seen dead shopping in Primark"

I think people all over the world are very interested in money. I think people in the UK are very interested in class.

I'm always surprised that people think "only on MN" are people preoccupied with class/ money/status. It's just (unfortunately) a very British thing in general, and it's nothing new. There are sitcoms and books about it. There's a Zoopla ad at the moment that plays on the fact that Brits are all fascinated by how much their friends' houses are worth!

I've got friends who make it no secret they love and are in awe of money. Like to know who's who and what's what.. and make it their life's mission marrying off their kids into 'good' families.