Oh, You Fancy, Huh: My Class Dilemma

Oh, You Fancy, Huh?: My Class Dilemma

By : Erika L. Green

 

Today, I need your help but not really. Lol I was reading an article today where the author said a guy asked her if she would move to a particular state. She replied (in her head) she would like to move back there, New York, but to the place it is now not the place she stated in when she was eating Ramen Noodles. He replies, “you too fancy”. Now those words made me think of a song (I heard played on the radio a zillion times as I traveled this past week) where the chorus says “nails done, hair done, everything done”, which implies this particular girl is FANCY!  I couldn’t tell you who the artist was but both the song and the article made me think of economic class issues.

In college, I remember watching an Oprah Show where she walked around Chicago asking people what class did they think they were in. I immediately told my girlfriend watching with me I know I’m middle class. I mean I had the two parent home, I went to public school but I never wanted for anything, pretty much everything in my closet hand name brands on it, I mean I even was a debutante (which had to coincide with middle to upper class). But to my dismay, I phoned The Green’s who responded with pure laughter. They replied we are probably lower class and at best upper lower… maybe working middle class. I watched the rest of the show and was a bit upset. I know what low class means, I thought. In the article I read, Ms. Andrews quoted bad language in connection to the lower class. I just thought that was for people from the hood. Fortunately, Oprah explained it to me. It all made sense after the show. I even set back and thought about how Sallie Mae had to contribute so much to my college fund. So are you too fancy? Do you even know what is your economic class? Well, I’ve included the definitions of the classes below and the links of the article and even the lyrics to the song. Be my guest to review both, and comment on your insight about class issues. I would love to hear it.

Class Breakdown:

Lower class: “working class”- term used to describe those employed in lower tier jobs (as measured by skill, education and lower incomes, often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below average incomes.)

Middle Class:  “professional managerial class”- Under Marxist theory, this is the ruling class or bourgeoisie; have reasonable amounts of discretionary income; salaried mental workers who do not own the means of production and whose major function in social division of labor is the reproduction of capitalist culture and capitalist class relations.” i.e. teachers, social workers, engineers, and nurses.

Upper Middle Class: higher status members of the middle class. Max Weber says it consists of well educated professionals with graduate degrees and comfortable incomes.

Source : Wikipedia

Article: Single Minded: Class Acts By: Helena Andrews

http://www.theroot.com/views/single-minded-class-acts?page=0,1

Song: Fancy By: Drake

http://www.directlyrics.com/drake-fancy-lyrics.html

P.S. I have read Helena Andrew’s book Bitch Is the New Black. I suggest if you like exposes about people’s lives in a bunch of mini stories , you should read it. It’s a comical view of her life growing up and getting through single hood, sort of. I give it a C rating. You be the judge.

 

As always keep the Pages Turnin’- EG.