Luxury in Disguise: How and Why Rich People Glorify Poverty to Their Advantage
Why is being poor the new rich?
There’s been a recent imbalance between rich people’s lifestyle and their capabilities over the years, and it’s not as genuine as you might think.
We look up to celebrities, idolize them, and try to imitate them as much as possible to close the gap between us. But rarely do we see what those celebrities do to reach their infinite wealth.
What we see is just publicity; it’s not true.
Are you noticing how recent fashion trends have been quite, poor-ish? Balenciaga is selling $2000 sneakers with dirt patterns and holes in them. And not only fashion trends; Kim Kardashian is posing as a milkmaid in a recent photoshoot, and Mark Zuckerberg (among the wealthiest men in the world) always stays in dull and repetitive garments wherever he goes.
Downplaying wealth is becoming more common than ever.
But why? Why are the rich wearing poverty as an aesthetic to the public? Why not just embody their wealth on social media and keep a distance from what other people are forced to live by?
The answer is simple: Status, acceptance, and accountability.
They Act Low to Seem High
What’s the number one way to show high status and wealth? Many would argue that it’s exceptionalism — Being willingly unique.
When celebrities share regular behavior on social media, it’s often to showcase that they’re so wealthy that rules of status and society do not apply to them.
They’re well above what regular people so desperately seek that they don’t even want it, even if given to them; they’re “unique.”
Why do they do that? Because it makes them seem more real than they are.
And we fall for that.
I can’t count the times I’ve seen celebrities preaching for stuff they didn’t even suffer through, all while claiming they’ve “struggled to get there.”
Real people live genuinely; they don’t record themselves living alternative lives and then turn the switch when cameras are off.
Real people live more than they show (Keanu Reeves, for example!)
Just Another Endeavor for Acceptance and Respect
In today’s economy, 3rd world societies are blaming the rich for their misery, and removing this blame can be one of the best audience-boosting strategies there is!
Celebrities play a game of “We understand you, we’re suffering with you” to attract relatability and compassion.
Embodying the negatives gives them acceptance and respect, and they are very well aware of that.
They Want Accountability for Their Success
The more you see them struggle, the more you believe they’ve earned their share of success and the more respect you give them.
As simple as that.
Elon Musk does not fit the category of celebrities in this article. But it’s worth noting that many people claim he “came from the bottom” when his “bottom” was a family-owned emerald mine in Africa.
He deserves accountability for many things. However, he didn’t come up “from the bottom.” That’s the last thing to respect him for.
No one should care what celebrities are doing; let them be! However, no one should also idolize and live by the habits of fake, cheating people who use lies to gain publicity.
This article is not to judge; it’s a mere wake-up call to reality. Be careful who you put on a pedestal.
