Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down What Used To Signify Poverty But Now Is A Sign Of Wealth

it is astonishing when we look back at the evolution of the signs of money.

From fashion to food to decor darling, the poor have created and fashioned the style of the rich.

Sadly the rich keep all the coin and steal the style.

If some stogy old dead rich people could see what their generational wealth is buying today... they'd die again.

Redditor Wezard_the_MemeLord wanted to discuss how the representation of money has shifted over time. They asked:

"What used to be a symbol of poor person 50-100 years ago but now literally says 'this guy is really rich?'"

Money has evolved so much over the years. I'm intrigued to see where I fit now.

On Top

will ferrell elf GIFGiphy

"Before elevators were common, the higher up you lived in a building the poorer you were."

User Deleted

"When I lived in apartments, I would always try to get something on the top floor. Sure, moving is easier on the bottom, but bugs and robberies and upstairs neighbors are less of a problem on the top."

JADW27

"Too far"

"Handmade clothes made of natural fabrics. 50 years ago, people with money had paisley polyester shirts and bell bottoms."

zoqfotpik

"Yo. That was me. Early 70's. I had leisure suits. More than one. Navy blue with flared bottoms. Mostly synthetic. My favorite shirt was polyester with a giant collar, opened to the third button. The colors were mostly gold and blue, featuring images of swans. Mostly. Tony Manero would have taken a look and said, 'Too far.'"

SuboptimalButHopeful

Chaos

"Here in Brazil the floor of most houses is made of ceramic, but not so long ago it was really expensive to have your entire house with ceramic floors, which are usually square, so poor people went to the stores and asked for remains, shards, pieces etc."

"Theoretically they wouldn't be as beautiful as the whole floor but this 'chaotic' and 'rustic' style ended up falling in the taste of the rich, today it is more expensive to pay for a floor made of shards than a floor made in whole and large pieces."

ReiDosNSFW

Size Always Mattered

"100 years ago being tan and muscular was a sign that you were poor and had to work all the time. Now being tan and muscular is a sign that you can afford to eat healthy and have the free time for an exercise routine."

jerrythecactus

"Well, back in olden times, a large, fat person like this was a person of power. A person who had money, who could buy food. A person of respect, like the regional manager of the day. Whereas someone athletic and trim like myself was somebody who worked in the fields, and I was a peasant."

KypDurron

The Burroughs...

Giphy

"Living in Brooklyn."

Vast-Bend6076

"I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo. For like 2 million. That same building today is worth 25 million. Guess how I'm feelin'? Dumbo."

beardedkingface

Ahh Brooklyn. I feel like this thought can define MANY parts of NYC. But yeah, Brooklyn is now unaffordable.

fried or steamed?

Cancel White Rice GIF by John Crist ComedyGiphy

"Brown rice. Used to be poor/prison food in China. Now it's expensive (and healthier) option over white rice."

Deliximus

"natural"

"Currently very en vogue in Germany are 'natural' construction materials like clay, hemp wool and wood. I had workers on my house from Rumania, and they were all laughing, because they are happy that they don't have to use this dirt and crap back at home anymore, and now they come to Germany just to work with it again for big money."'

Barackenpapst

The Menu

"Eating brisket. Brisket was consider poor person food. It is the toughest piece of the steer and difficult to cook properly. Now brisket and smoking meats are considered almost gourmet."

Dogstarman1974

"Eating lobster and crab was the same way. They were bottom feeders fit for peasant tastes before it became fashionable to eat."

Blacksun388

Fashion...

"Ripped jeans."

Silvan_Foxy

"I was in college in the 1980's. I wore a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee home for a visit and my Grandma gave me $5 to buy a new pair. (NOTE: Jeans did not cost $5 in the '80's, but there were a few outlet stores around which sold Levis for $10. I wish that were still true today!)"'

whatyouwant22

Shades and Color

Wig Hair Style GIF by Reba McEntireGiphy

"Having a tan and hair highlights. People pay good money for those things today but 100 years ago it meant you likely had to work outdoors in rough conditions."

Anticrepuscular_Ray

Well now I feel super rich! I'm glad times have changed.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

The Rainbow Bridge in Crissie Caughlin Park, Reno
cityofreno/Instagram

Rainbow Bridge Honoring Kids' Beloved Late Pets Gets Cruelly Vandalized—And Everyone Has The Same Thought

"The rainbow bridge" is a euphemism for where deceased pets go after they pass, and people have called it that for decades now.

But when you're an anti-LGBTQ+ bigot, everything looks like a threat to your bizarre obsession with gender roles and people's personal lives. And sadly, it seems "the rainbow bridge" is no exception.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joe Lonsdale
Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Tech Billionaire Sparks Outrage After Calling For Return Of Public Hangings To Show 'Masculine Leadership'

Tech billionaire Joe Lonsdale—the co-founder of the software company Palantir—sparked outrage and faced swift pushback after he called for a return of public hangings for violent criminals to demonstrate "masculine leadership" in America.

Lonsdale made the remarks in response to online criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing heavy criticism for his cavalier attitude toward the Department of Defense's attacks on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Hilariously Dunks On Trump For Hosting The Kennedy Center Honors

California Governor Gavin Newsom trolled President Donald Trump by sharing an AI-generated photo of himself accepting the inaugural—and not real—"Kennedy Center peace prize" from Trump.

The photo accompanied a post in which Newsom mocked not just Trump but also Ric Grenell, the Kennedy Center's president, whom Newsom referred to as a "janitor" in a post that—like many of Newsom's past posts—is written in a style not unlike the rants Trump publishes on Truth Social.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Marjorie Taylor Greene
Samuel Corum/Getty Images; 60 Minutes

Trump Completely Melts Down Over 'Low IQ Traitor' MTG's Sit-Down Interview With '60 Minutes'

President Donald Trump attacked Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after his former ally-turned-nemesis criticized him in an interview with Lesley Stahl on Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes.

Greene told CBS that his inflammatory language “directly fueled” threats against her family, including an email asserting that a pipe bomb had been planted targeting her son.

Keep ReadingShow less
Surprised man
Photo by Nachristos on Unsplash

Things That Feel Totally Fake But Are Actually 100% Real

Science is fascinating, but sometimes it's so fascinating, it switches straight from scientific finds to science fiction.

But there are some truths in the universe that feel impossible to believe but which are totally true.

Keep ReadingShow less