Things Wrong with the Middle Classes, Part 463

[commonpeople1]

Kevin went to our local fancy schmancy cafe yesterday morning, called Elbows. He was trying to get away from distractions at home and found himself surrounded by mummies and screaming toddlers. The mother nearest to him asked the waitress:

"Can I have a little glass of milk?"

"Do you mean a babyccino?"

"Yes, a babyccino."

Later, another mother arrived and this time her own toddler ordered a babyccino.

Comments

[aca.livejournal.com]

See, I'd always assumed a babyccino was at least steamed milk, perhaps with chocolate sprinkles so the nipper doesn't feel left out. I sit corrected.

Yet one more reason to feel the middle-class shame. Hurray for inherited guilt. :)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

And a little spoon for them to stir the chocolate into the milk? ;-)

[aca.livejournal.com]

but of course! :)

[easterbunny.livejournal.com]

See, this reminds me of the "Have a good one" days when you hate every customer so much that you refuse to give them just a plain cup of coffee and make them say words like "babyccino". Then again, nice people who asked nicely for a cup of coffee got a cup of coffee without hassle. Jerks who prefaced their order with, "Now I don't want any of your fancy-ass choco-mocho-cocoa-cinos, I just want a good hot cup of coffee, missie," they were whipped through the whole, "I'm sorry, sir, I can't serve you unless you tell me if you want dark or medium roast. African or South American? Nano or uber? Half & half, whole, skim, rice, soy...?"

The arch-nemesis of middle class guilt is middle class surliness.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha. That's hilarious.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

who can i slap? i have to slap someone for this.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Google says you must slap Starbucks.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

ah, god. ah, terrible. whyyyyy?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

From what I gather in Google, it's something Starbucks came up with.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

oh jesus christ that's awful!!

[msanthropist.livejournal.com]

I only hope they have a comparable selection for all the purse-puppies that must surely patronize their establishment with equal frequency?! Perhaps a puppyccino?!

[aeonflux.livejournal.com]

I just threw up a little bit of milk in my mouth.

[iejw.livejournal.com]

I so hate the middle classes.

Which is awkward, as I am really very middle class myself.

But I count myself as Inteligencia, rather than Bourgeoisie. Which is a very important difference. It means I can like sourdough, but look down my nose at over-sized prams.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I count myself as middle class sliding quickly into poverty.

[iejw.livejournal.com]

Wealth has nothing to do with it. Growing up, I was one of the poorest in my peer-group, but definitely one of the most middle-class…

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think wealth has a little to do with it. You can't live in a shanty town and go about telling people you are middle-class! But I know what you mean - it's the education you have, and all that (which would make me royalty, actually.) :-)

[iejw.livejournal.com]

You need to read Watching the English, by Kate Fox. It’s a social anthropology of Englishness, and a lot of what it covers are class indicators. The fact that I was driven to school in a Lada made me much more middle class than those who were driven to school in BMWs…

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've heard of Kate Fox. In fact, I have quite a few people on my LJ list who hate her... I so must read that book. ;-)

[iejw.livejournal.com]

Really?! Why do people hate her?!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the reasons. You'll have to ask easterbunny and nisaba.

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

Because she's contradictory, sneering, and a snob. She spend pages on how ties tell the difference in social class, yet repeatedly bleats that money is no indicator. Then contradicts her own argument by using examples in which money clearly is an indicator. Every example where she talks about "typical" class behaviour, if they involve objects/schooling/homes/etc, the upper class ones are expensive and the working class ones are not.

She bleats, repeatedly, that money is no indicator to class, I suspect because, as an academic, and the daughter of one, her family isn't loaded. But she wants to consider herself high up there. Fine, I agree money is not THE definining attribute, but I'll warrant money will give you a more accurate prediction than ties any day of the week.

The book's purpose should have been an interesting overview on English social behaviour, and some of it was. But it's ruined by the constant focus on social class, as far as I can tell used as a vehicle for her to air her own class prejudices and to look down upon those she considers below her. The phrase "chattering classes" nearly made me throw the book through a wall.

I couldn't finish the last few pages, because the air of smugness and grandeur of her own position was growing so rapidly that I wasn't sure I'd survive the apopolectic fit that would have ensued.

Um, in my own humble opinion, obviously ;)

[iejw.livejournal.com]

You just listed all the reasons why I loved it!

I read it on the tube two or three pages at a time over quite a protracted period, so think I missed the inconsistencies... But I'm happy to take your word for it! I did think it a little heavy on class difference though - but as that's something that fascinates me I wasn't too sorry about it...

I still think it's a great introduction to anyone struggling to understand the English psyche, though I do think that only the English can ever truly understand the English...

[yearning.livejournal.com]

this I need to write down somewhere for future reference!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You on the same slip and slide as me? ;-)

[yearning.livejournal.com]

not right now because I live in a very middle class home with room and board provided but after July I can only see a big black hole (which I am actually looking forward to, maybe in a masochistic way).

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

At least you have all those books, in case you need to sell something to raise cash.

[yearning.livejournal.com]

don't think I could make a lot of money with them. and I don't really want to sell them, everything I could give away, I did give away.

I don't mean I will hurl myself onto the streets of paris without any money, I am the kind of girl that always has at least three backups somewhere, but yeah, it'll definitely be different from my way of life now!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you'll land on your feet. :-)

[amanda-mary.livejournal.com]

Holy fuck.

[kevyn-kronycles.livejournal.com]

That's just plain wrong on so many levels.

As a coffee shop an employee, I say

[phyrephly.livejournal.com]

Disgusting. What a disgrace.