Caray, Caray!

Snob Hill ? LOL 😆
 

Long time no see Urban!I have been away from Caray Caray for quite a while but i returned!
As for the snob characters ,i hate them with a passion.A recent case was with Aranza from Por Siempre and Daphne.I am liking Daniela from Hasta el Fin Del Mundo because she is not eating my nerves,yet..But i am already hating Irma.I haven't seen Aracely yet because i am only on episode 27 but i am already praying for God's mercy!
 

One of my frenemies in college had serious delusions of poshness. One night when she was working and her car was in the shop, she got really mad at me because I was busy and wouldn't go pick her up. She got even more mad when I suggested she take the bus. The bus was for poor gross people, she insisted. Never mind that all sorts of people and mostly somewhat affluent students took the bus, the bus was totally fine and safe and went DIRECTLY from where she worked to home, stopping almost right in front of each, and she was not exactly wealthy herself. The bus was not good enough for her; SHE deserved to be driven in a private and preferably nice car!

A few years later, she was getting married and I looked at her gift registry. Everything was super-expensive designer versions of ordinary things. The only item I could even think of affording was a single wooden spoon, and I was not spending that much for a wooden spoon. Nearly all her friends were either students or recent graduates with entry-level jobs or still looking for work, and her family was almost all military, so I'm not sure where she got the idea anyone was looking to spend that much. I am 99% sure that money issues were a major factor in the eventual divorce.
 

Personally, the more brand-obsessed and flashy with money a person is, the less I think of their status, financial and social. They're trying too hard.

Really rich people who are comfortable and secure in their richness usually don't feel the need to prove their status to anyone, according to my anecdotal evidence of people I have known. In fact, they often prefer to be lower-key, and even if they buy expensive things like clothes, they're more subtle and don't have visible brand labels or scream "look at me I am so rich!" I have known some VERY wealthy people who buy their kids' clothes at Target and drive very ordinary middle-class type cars.
 

Back to MCET, I think Isa's obsession with buying the most expensive only emphasizes her gaucheness and arriviste status, and Fer sees that. It doesn't make her look like a real longtime upper-class woman.
 

True story: A couple, good friends of ours (who shall remain nameless, as will I), are all about "image" and the importance of "class" and money. They won't go to a cookout unless it's at the home of those of us who have known them for years and know where they come from. Otherwise, they don't want to mingle with "urban" folk who will be eating with their (gasp) hands because that's SO declasse - but how else do you eat bbq chicken and ribs and roasted corn on the cob? - yet, they do it around us! They live in a 10,000 square foot home, complete with an eight-car garage with a helipad on the roof, but when we visit, we know enough to carry our own toilet paper, bed linens, and bath towels and supplies ... because they won't have any there! The home is beautifully designed and decorated, just like a model home, but it is exactly that ... a model home with empty closets (except for the master bedroom) and cupboards, beautiful bedspreads and comforters in all the bedrooms, but no sheets or pillow cases underneath ... empty pantry and kitchen cabinets ... wait, I take that back ... there's paper cups and plates with plastic utensils. They do have pots and pans, but that's because we bought them and left them there so we can cook when we're there. To acquaintances and people that don't really know them they appear to be wealthy, high society folks, with their huge home and large estate. After all, they have several luxury cars and he wears tailored suits ALL the time, wears expensive watches. She's always perfectly coiffed and elegantly dressed, always with beautiful jewelry. But it's all an ILLUSION! The sad part is that they have really become convinced they are who they want others to think they are. But they're not mean-spirited and they are wonderfully generous people. You can come stay with them any time (well, as long as you "knew them when") - just BYOE (bring your own everything)!
 

Remember Don Gil being so hostile to Mari in PSMA ?

Until he finally accepted his son and Mari as a couple in the end.
 

Lady I worked with was Mrs. Richy Rich. Designer everthing. I worked with her. Another co-worker used to sell Avon products. Mrs Rich would not even look at the catalogues because she shopped at Saks. Well, one day she asks me what fragrance I was wearing because she thought it was exquisite and wanted to buy some. I explained (pulling her leg) that it was very exprnsive and over $300 a bottle. "Whats the name???" I want it!!!!" I told her there was only a certain number of bottles made becsuse the flowers were rare specimens. I asked her "do you really really like it??" yes, yes! She was practically hysterical by this time because she wanted me to spit out the name of this very fine exquisite perfume. Ok, then I will tell you. I said "good news, 2 good things.....it really doesnt cost $300 AND you can buy from "wanda" down the hall who sells Avon. All of a sudden, she didn't "just have" after all.
 

Typo....all of a sudden she didn't have "to have it" after all.
 

I can't decide if that's hilarious or pathetic. Great story, Novela Lover!
 

Thanks Urban , for creating subjects to keep things interesting, nice break from the intensity of our beloved tn's.
 

You're welcome!
 

Let me join the discussion with a current snob situation in "Reina de Corazones," my current fave tn.

Here we have Susana, a repressed, attractive, middle-aged ex-wife of a very rich cruel man. Her social position is everything. Maybe it's all she has left.

She meets a guapo, energetic, much younger man from a working-class neighborhood (through a regulation tn trope) and they begin a passionate affair.

We who are watching, know they are made for each other, they just don't know it yet--or at least Juanjo knows, or thinks he knows.

When she begs him to keep it secret, he's stunned. He wanted to broadcast their "love" to the whole world. She makes it clear they come from far too "different" worlds and for her this he is not the love of her life. He interprets it as she's ashamed of him and his humble background. He throws it in her face and walks out--he was serious about her and she'll regret this decision.

Well she does, after several months' separation (and another tn trope-a miscarriage). When they meet again, his ardor returns, but she keeps him at arm's length. She tells another female that she got jealous of his attention to another young lady and he drives her crazy when she's near him. The woman tells her basically *she's* crazy not to do something about it.

At this juncture, she just can't and dumps in in front of his friends. Juanjo is moping. His good friend Lazaro tells it like it is--Susana puts great stock in her social position, you know how she is.

So many of the tns these days are populated by two distinct social classes who interact, but maintain their distance--the snobby super rich plantation owners or CEO of important businesses and the honest, moral, working class, servant or barrio folks. Sometimes the barrio folks are criminals, sometimes the snobby super rich are the criminals, but ni modo, that's not what I'm talking about here.

Whenever the leads come from different social backgrounds--country-city, poor-rich, high society-working class--they manage to overcome their differences and all the obstacles in order to live their love.

That's what we want or we fantasize: for social differences to be eliminated and for everyone to be able to be with whomever they want to be with without rancor.

In societies where rigid social strata have been in place for eons, it's hard to eliminate or reduce. So this doesn't become a tiresome essay, I'll just end by saying that in our fluid society in the U.S., social strata are still there, but much more permeable than in other societies.

I'll stick with telenovela snobbery. It's much more fun to watch.


 

ANita..What a great comment. You are correct. I teach people from many different countries, some of which have very strictly defined social classes.
 

Novela Lover, I loved your Avon story. It reminded me of my sister-in-law from Arizona.
My husband and I are farm folk from South Dakota, but my son attended a private west coast college on a full ride debate scholarship. He had/has always bought $10 jeans from a local farm store here in the Heartland. Well...needless to say as a college boy, his jeans often had holes in them -- especially in the seat since he had a horrible habit of sliding down into the student desks. So when he came home I fixed them. This was when distressed jeans were ALL the rage. One day I come home from work and there is a box with six pairs of jeans sitting on my porch. It seems that several students had asked my son where he'd gotten the really great distressed jeans. They didn't have holes that would continue to tear when washed, but they looked as though they had been lived in for years (which they had.) He told them he had a private distresser that did awesome work and for $50 a pair, they could have their favorite jeans distressed. Believe it or not, I grabbed some bleach and my cheese grater and did some damage and then I repaired them all. His friends loved them and bragged about how stylish they were. Like Ana in Mi Corazon, his good-spirit always let him fit in with kids from a much higher social standing than his own. I'm just glad he doesn't pole dance :)
 

Tn's are so blatant regarding social class. Example, when the rich folks call working class folks, they hurl accusations such as "Igualada", boils down to "don't forget we are NOT equals!!!! How dare anyone consider
themselves equal to them. They are definitely not fans of the doctrine "All men are created equal". However,
they also use "igualada" if they are not given their due respect like the equivalent to "mam, Sra or Sra". But more commonly used to remind or accuse someone of thinking they are not equals! Punto! Also they dismiss their employees "retirate."
 

Snobs are usually insecure people wishing they had social class and money (Isabruja) while all the while not realizing that wealthy folks don't need to flaunt their money.
 

Right Victoria, people often think if they have money means they have class.

The mos truly wealthy or well to do people treat others with respect and dignity and give back. Think Kennedy's, FDR and Eleanor, Sting to name a few.
 

Isabruja's treatment of the first gift rhst Fernando bought for their child was a perfect example of someone spoke volumes about her true personality and desire for all things materialistic.
I'm not sure that we know enough about Yolanda yet, but it seems as if her greediness and poor treatment of the servants is more a reflection of someone who yearns for the stability that money brings.
Giant egos, bragging, and materialism are for people who feel superior to all others.
 

These are great stories.

I think the giant egos, bragging, and materialism are signs that a person WANTS to feel superior, but is not at all secure in their superior status.
 

Years ago my job took me to another branch of our office. while there, i met this really lovely lady who shattered all my stereotypes. she was a black lady, simply dressed, treated all the employees with such respect and warmth. Instantly made me feel like a member of her family. It wasn't till I was handling her account that I realized she was one of the richest women in our state. owned property all over including our office building. Her accountant walks into the office and expected to be given preferential treatment.. The look on his face when he saw his boss was priceless. Taught me never to judge a book by its cover. Learned humility and how not to let money rule you. All from just one encounter.
 

I always think it's funny when the obviously wealthy person with the Louis Vuitton bag bumps into the ordinary person with the knock off. One is $1500 and the other is $50 and you really can't tell them apart!!
 

It's even funnier when the wealthy person has the knock-off because they don't care, it's just a purse and they don't have to prove to anyone that they can afford it, while the ordinary person actually spends all the rent and grocery money on the real thing, then resorts to borrowing or food stamps (I've actually known true cases like this).
 

It really bums me out to think that some people (need I mention the Kardashians) spend more on a handbag or pair of silly shoes than some people earn in a year or more.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if more thought was given to helping others?
 

There are times that a hard working person might wish to treat themselves to something nice, that's fine, that person might be philanthropic as well. The wealthy people in our country are EXTREMELY generous. It is the obvious stamped labels on the purse, clothing that show a weakness in self esteem (or something) to me. I'm not judging, just expressing my impression on the labels.

We have an enormous number of people who are taking advantage of our largess as taxpayers here, many bloggers like the Scarborough, Maine Walmart cashier and the Atlanta ESPN office workers (above a welfare office) tell us about it constantly. I see it myself at a Kroger near me. It seems to be difficult for the social services workers to access need.
 

Anonymous at 7:15 am:
Read the recent published articles about the wealthy giving less to charitable causes since the economic crisis while low and middle income people give a higher percentage of their salary.

One would think that a few less pairs of shoes, ties, or other nonessential stuff would go a long way to helping fight diseases, find cures, or helping others.

I'm not a socialist, I just hate the great economic divide and the utter waste of wealth.

I saw an article just the other day about some girl who decorated her whole car with crystals. REALLY!
 

Victoria,

I should have said that all people in our country are generous, the people who are wealthy, percentage wise can give more. I know that during bad economic times even the wealthy stop giving and maybe they shouldn't. But remember, during bad times the luxury goods manufacturers suffer as well.

On the "waste" of the wealthy' s money, unless their cash is under a mattress somewhere, when it is sitting in banks, it is really invested in business and jobs.

I don't think you or anyone who has a legitimate worry about the wealth divide in the world is a socialist, I just think that rather than mentally critiquing the successful, we should think of a way to bring jobs and success to those who are suffering.

On clothing, purses, I can find anything I want at a TJMaxx!

 

Anon,
I loved your points.
and yes the US is a great place to live, from someone who lived many years in Latin America.
But it is sad that we are losing so many jobs to overseas and so many wealthy take foreign tax breaks.
The social divide is very prevalent and alive in LA and I wonder, all in all, if North Americans give a greater percentage of their earnings than Latin Americans.
 

Victoria,

I too hate seeing empty decaying factory buildings where so many worked just a few years back. It is hard to compete with the small wages paid in other countries. And yes I agree, there certainly seems to be tax inequalities built into our system.

It seems as if we in the US give more, but it is OUR television announcers who report this!!!

Enjoyed our early morning economics conversation!