Are the working classes becoming a object of curoisity for the middle classes?

[twinsetandpearls]

We went to the Lowry yesterday primarily to see Maggie the muscial but while there we saw the \link{http://www.thelowry.com/WhatsOn/EventDetail.aspx?EventId=2526Our House} exhibition which dp and I found fascinating as we were both kids that spent time inour childhoods living on rather notorious council estates, dp actually in Manchester.

I am not critisising the exhibition as such as I enjoyed it but also felt distinctly uncomfortable and amused at the attitude an fascination of the people visiting the gallery, It was as if they were looking at exhibits in a zoo not at fellow members of the same city. As did dp which made me think that it wasn't my usual political correct self absorbed paranoia.

While viewing the exhibition dp was talking about one of the estates he grew up on and I heard someone whisper to their partner
"Oh listen he is one of them " To which the woman said " Oh no dear I wouldn;t hvae thought so, not in here"

Nah! I rest my case

The wlesh edition could be called 'Tidy, Mun'

its cos by pointing out "how funny" we workign class are it helps them to feel smug about how well they are doing.

im a cynical old bat though

as dg said, I think it's natural for people to be interested in how the "other half" live. snobbery (like the comments the woman made)is a different thing

Instead of "OK" why not call it "Eh-up!"

Eh up thats a bit northern, need somat more global like 'THE FUCK OFF'

Instead of "Hello!" how about "Wotcha!" Is that universal enough?

Not OK but OYE!

Working class translation of OK would be 'Alright'

It didn't worry me but made me feel uncomfortable, looking and listening to those around me who were quite plainly snobs it made me feel as if I myself should not be enjoyong the exhibition as did that mean I wa sguilty of the same voyeurism.

TenaLady,those mags are already available-Chat,Take a Break ect.

You are dead right about new money=middleclass.

I find social history fascinating & would love to see that exhibition.It sounds as though you just ran into a couple of Daily Mail readers who have been brainwashed into believing everyone from a council estate is beneath them.

Colditz,are you ok?

I grew up on a council estate in Teesside, my family still live there. Would I like to see it as an exhibit in a gallery? Well I don't really know the answere to that. If it just gives people a platform to look down their noses at council estates and the residents then it is not a good thing, this happens enough anyway without it being in a gallery.

People need to realise that on these estates live normal people with hopes, dreams and lives. The scum of society come from all walks of life and all classes.

REgarding the stately home thing I refuse to pay to visit one. Years ago peasants would have been shot for trespassing on their land, now the up keep is so bloody expensive they open up teh doors and charge us to have a peek into their lives. Grr.

The exhibition isn't really about life on a council estae as such but following ther lifes of tenants as their properties are in some cases demolished and refurbished. I genuinely don't think the exhibition was done to allow people to sneer at it but unfortunately on the day that we were there that was what was happening.

Have to say I don;t think they were Daily Mail readers but guardianistas who had come to heckle MRS T at Thatcher the musical.

i think the term 'working class' just doesnt fit anymore,i mean,these people who go on jeremy kyle and trisha tend to be 'chavs',and generally are seen as unemployed yobs(this is not my opinion im just going on stereotypes),so how can they be 'working' class?
i live in a northern town which was a big industrial 'working class' town untill the 1980's
,and now has a lot of unemployment.yet there is a column in the local paper entitled 'chavwatch' where the author tells of amusing/stupid/irresponsible things shes seen 'chavs' getting upto in the town centre.so is there an underclass that even the working class look down on and sneer?

maggie the musical???seriously ????

I think that there is still a huge divide between
working/middle class.

Have been with my dh now for 5 yrs, he's middle class i'm working (brought up on a council estate by a single mum & never really got past passing my secretarial exams at the local college)

His mum was fasinated by me when we first got together, she said she'd never met someone from my background before (A coalmining community) I really do think she expected me to sound like Eliza Dolittle

She now says that i've opened her eyes & she know that working class people can be well spoken and well bred.

divastrop Maggie the Musical was fabulous! Although rather strnage castig of the blonde one from Tikkabilla as one of the maggies but she did well.

divastrop that probably is the issue that typical working class jobs are radically disapeareing so the label has been applied to an under class instead.

I also notice that very few people seem to claim to be working class unless they are using it as a way of saying look at where I have come from and where I am now.

it's social history surely?

we had a letter in our local paper this week from a bloke saying the area 'used' to be working class and it certainly isn't now. can you get a more snotty middle class comment than that.