Late to the Party

This will not surprise anyone that really knows me, but once again, I was late catching a wave.  I spent much of Super Bowl weekend catching up (or really starting up) the immensely popular PBS series, Downton Abbey, which follows the British aristocratic Crawley family during the early part of the 20th century.  I now understand the show's popularity.  It is well written, well-acted, and excellently portrays British class structure during that time.  I'm really not a TV watcher, although I did get hooked on Friday Night Lights, which I thought was exceptionally well done.  I am similarly hooked on Downton Abbey, although for different reasons.  I was never highbrow enough to be a regular Masterpiece Theatre watcher.  But this is different.  It contains the FNL character development in a Masterpiece Theatre setting.

I am fascinated by the rigidity of British class structure, where stratification occurs, is layered and is important even within classes.

One aspect of the series jumped out at me, and that is the disdain for work.  In an early episode, a family member that is in line to be an heir is a practicing lawyer.  He is looked down upon for "Gentlemen don't work."  Similarly, his mother is held in contempt because she wished to do volunteer work at a hospital.  What was most esteemed was to be part of the moneyed leisure class.

I find it an interesting contrast to early 21st liberal thought in America.   In contrast to early 20th century British society, the vast majority of the top 10-20% of earners in America work like dogs.  Even the reviled 1%, the Wall Streeters, business owners, lawyers, doctors and the entrepreneurial class work constantly.  Many forego vacations and routinely put in 16 hour workdays, and are extremely devoted to their craft.  And while they do so, the bottom 20-25% work little at all or are employed by The State, which rarely demands that level of devotion.

Perhaps a century ago in Great Britain, it was true that "Gentlemen don't work," and the lower classes worked hard for little and little hope for advancement.  But in 21st century America, gentlemen and ladies (i.e. the top 10%) work endlessly and tirelessly and then are reviled by our President for doing so and not "paying their fair share,"  although they pay 70% of the taxes.

My, how times have changed.