How can you tell if Americans are "poor"?

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Like most of us I watch quite a bit of US drama and box sets but remain baffled about the characters based on things like the house they live in etc...

Can American audiences tell that someone is poor or rich (or in between) based on things such as house size, style of house and other things that are part of TV series?

I know (well think I do so not assuming - please correct if wrong!) that middle and working class may mean different things to UK - but can US viewers pick up more based on cultural norms and things that may need explaining to non-American audiences?

An example is I watched some episodes of True Detective and thought the house was lovely and spacious but everything else in the plot pointed to the fact that this was a "poor rundown neighbourhood with substance issues etc..."

Are there any rules of thumb? Do American audiences get confused my things like this when watching UK or European dramas?

I’ve lived in the US for almost fifty years. I’ve spent most of the time in New England but recently moved to the mid west. I can usually discern class differences by someone’s speech. There use of “ I seen that” instead of “I’ve seen that “:or “Them children over there instead of those children over there”

Georgia mainly - right wing heartlands

Some of Georgia is right wing heartland, but thanks mainly to urban areas of the state, Georgia has two Democrats in the Senate, one is Jewish and the other is African American.

Very true, public (state) schools are local and differ from state to state. Having taught in many different states, I do have a good idea of the sadly low - and uneven-level of education. True, not all states are banning wonderful books and teaching creationism. But the mere fact that so many fall into this category is scary commentary on the pervasive anti-intellectualism/ignorance. Of course, the wealthy have a stunning array of options, public and private

I had just moved to the US from London and was living temporarily in New Jersey, and using public transport. Getting off the bus my first week and crossing at a traffic light, a passing driver opened his window and shouted ‘Walk, white trash!’ at me.

Georgia voted for Biden in 2020 (albeit narrowly) and has two Democratic senators. I hope it will go for the Democratic presidential candidate this year as well, whoever that turns out to be.

I never heard anyone criticise the culture and expectation and societal norms of USA. Particular governments, yep. Knocking other people , oh yes. But they don’t knock themselves as a country in way brits do. They learn that from a young age in terms of deference to their constitution and flag. That is a fundamental difference- American culture is their constitution . We don’t in uk have a written constitution , we don’t take oaths of allegiance ..though conservative have a good try with the citizenship tests, 🙄 but most of us would resist adamantly if a government tried to get that into schools. Were happy to knock KC and monarchy and take piss out of it when it deserve piss being taken. We have, in short, no culture of allegiance to our constitution or monarchy.

You never heard Americans criticize the US? You must not have been listening very closely. I hear criticism of the US every single day. It's a proud tradition here.

Honestly, this paragraph is so full of misapprehensions that I'm surprised to learn you had any contact with the US at all.

@NervousSubject

I had just moved to the US from London and was living temporarily in New Jersey, and using public transport. Getting off the bus my first week and crossing at a traffic light, a passing driver opened his window and shouted ‘Walk, white trash!’ at me.

Yes I experienced similar in LA. People literally hurl insults at you if you are in proximity to a freeway or in any form of public transportation as opposed to a car.

Theres much to love about America even in these apocalyptic days but as someone who hates driving I could never make peace living in a country where they always literally worship the car.

I lived in the US for 6 years before getting a drivers license and I never had this experience. When I was online dating , guys would express surprise at this but nothing more. If I was walking sometimes a guy would ask me if I wanted a ride but I would never accept

American here. No, most of us don't get confused by those things, because we are well-aware of what many of us call "Hollyweird." ALL women are thin and willowy, ALL men are drop-dead handsome, ALL houses are way above the means of the family. We expect it from TV and movies, and generally just respond with, "as IF!' LOL, that's why so many of us enjoy British television...looks like real people and real homes. Or at least, to US it does.

Reading your post is the first time I feel like I’ve seen a valid explanation for Trump’s popularity in the US.
Thank you.

Absolutely- but look how many voters STILL reject the legitimate results and tried to overturn the results on Jan 6! Sure, it’s a huge country with fascinating diversity, from Navaho land to Chinatowns to Miami. But it’s an entirely different thing to leave one’s national comfort zone with an open mind, and to question one’s taken-for-granted assumptions

Heating and air conditioning! And we aren't afraid of using it.

@CarolinaInTheMorning They don't understand the fact that Trump became president in 2016 even though he did not win the popular vote. I think the worst thing to happen in the past 50 years is to not remove the electoral college.

Reddit is full of Anti American vitriol, mostly by Americans themselves. All the Americans I know are very aware of the shortcomings of their country.

Even rabid GOPers will admit things are wrong. They just won't say it to a Democrat and their complaints will be different.

If you want to see what different kinds of poor neighbourhoods look like, look some of these up on Street View:

Nickerson Gardens & Watts, Los Angeles

South Bronx, NYC (if you want to see traditional apartment houses that are now being repaired and gentrified, look at Washington Heights in Manhattan).

West Baltimore (there's a whole swathe of this sadly -- try Sandtown-Winchester)

Not sure of the best choice for Chicago these days. Maybe Lawndale or South Shore.

Kensington, Philadelphia, which is home to an infamous open air drug market. Fairhill as well.

Even for comedy, Malcolm in the middle is what made consider poverty in the US - being scared of your unruly children injuring themselves on sometimes one shit income really hit home for me.

I've learned an awful lot since then and it's mental - being seen as quite poor because you are middle-class 😱.

I used to think Malcolm was rich

@knitnerd90
For Chicago try Englewood and Austin.
Also the southern reaches of Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Blvd just west of the University of Chicago campus/Washington Park, and east of the Dan Ryan expressway.

to me the electroral college system seems so undemocratic. why should wyoming or montana, states with hundreds of thousands of unpopulated acres have as much say as densely populated states like New Jersey or Rhode Island?

It's been my observation over several decades living here that Americans tend to avoid politics and any topic that touches on politics in conversation unless they are sure they know their company well. Religion likewise.

People are happy to put out lawn signs in support of candidates for all levels of local, state, and national elections where I live, but conversation isn't going to happen outside of an actual canvassing or meet the candidate event.

The hesitancy over politics doesn't come from an overweening sense of patriotism imo. It comes from a desire to stick to topics that promote connection and harmony - you have a 50-50 chance of ending up in an argument if you dip your toe into politics at a social gathering.

The relative absence of (expressed) revolutionary spirit comes from a sense that they have as good a chance as the next person to reap the fruits of living and working in the US - in a home that is probably big enough, driving a car that is fairly new, in a neighbourhood that is pleasant and peaceful, with their children attending good state (public) schools with a prospect of heading to university, joining a fraternity or sorority, fetting a solid degree, and eventually achieving the same lifestyle as they did, surrounded by public amenities that are well maintained and adequately funded, possibly with extended family not too far away, and a circle of friends to liven up their lives. Many achieve this ideal, which breeds optimism.

Americans are also more likely than Brits to belong to an organised religion, and this can contribute to a sense that their lives have meaning, as well as providing a ready-made community. The same goes for local sports tribes. Americans value harmony and tend to try to promote cohesion in their relationships.

Because it's the United States of America, i.e. a union of fifty states.

It's a federal republic, not a direct democracy.

The tension between the 'republican' and 'democratic' elements has existed since the immediate aftermath of the war of independence. These days, it suits Republicans to emphasise the republic and downplay the democracy.

Roseanne once called herself “white trash with money.”
I agree wholeheartedly.

There is no such thing as a 'national comfort zone' though.

People live in wildly varied regions, and can be as surprised by the culture and ethos of the state next door as they would be if they were plonked down unexpectedly in Amsterdam.

People from the Ozark region visiting Chicago with an open mind will likely find themselves questioning assumptions, and vice versa. Even people visiting other major cities or other rural areas can experience a culture that is new and surprising. There are big differences between New Orleans and Dallas, rural Kentucky and Wyoming.

Exactly. Totally. Sure.
And that’s why Donald lost the House and the Senate and the White House and President Biden won by over 81+MILLION votes.
Because people in the US lack “critical sensibilities.“

Do American audiences get confused my things like this when watching UK or European dramas?

Not TV but the former US ambassador to Denmark thought that the Danish middle classes were poor because they "can't afford to drive a car". Er - no, the reason that they ride bicycles for local trips is that it's the most convenient way of getting around the city. Nothing to do with wealth, not everyone views cars as status symbols.

Given that she only got the job because she donated lots of money to Trump she is an unusually thick outlier though.

I reckon most people in Australia with a backyard will hang their washing outside. Everyone I know (clearly a small sample) only use the dryer for emergencies. It’s so expensive to run! Also we love our clotheslines - all Aussies have a hills hoist in the backyard!