By: Natalie Couture— Staff Writer (CSU Intern), The Drive Student Blog
Watching “Operation Varsity Blues” on Netflix, about the college admissions scandal that “shocked” the United States, left me thinking about the culture of wealth and its influence on this country. Though it was not a surprise to me that rich people would pay someone to get their children into top colleges – based on “prestige” that really doesn’t mean much of anything, according to the film – I couldn’t help but wonder what allowed those people to believe they weren’t doing anything that was completely rocked off the moral compass of right and wrong. Having money in extreme excess, like in amounts necessary to bribe colleges for admission, is the reality of so few people. Yet, the world idolizes these individuals and their lifestyles, and many strive to emanate these folks themselves. But at what point does that twist the ideas about what is right and wrong? Netflix
With TV shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and YouTube accounts of influencers of today, the lives of the wealthy seem to constantly be on display. In turn, social media allows those who live in extreme wealth to showcase their homes, lifestyles, and more at the touch of a few buttons. This display of wealth is, I’ll admit, aesthetically pleasing in moderation. But so many have become obsessed with the idea of becoming “filthy rich,” as they say, and it seems to lead to some questionable choices.
As Michelle Ruiz’s Vogue article recounts, in the documentary, Naomi Fry, a New Yorker staff member says “In America, we love the wealthy and we hate the wealthy. They disgust us, and they fascinate us.” This much is true. The lives of the wealthy are always on display, and yet they seem so far removed from most people’s everyday lives. People often criticize the wealthy for being out of touch with reality, and they are. But so many people still want to be like them that they’ll stop at nothing to reach the top. Vogue
In America, we love the wealthy and we hate the wealthy. They disgust us, and they fascinate us.
Naomi Fry
The wealth gaps in America are undeniable, and the number of those in poverty compared to those who are rich is both upsetting and unprecedented. The world looks at celebrities and envies them for their fame, their fortunes, and the privileges they have because of wealth. Yet, the wealthy seem to live in a bubble unperturbed by the lives of those who truly struggle. Those who started from “nothing” even lose sight of where they are from and the struggles they used to face. Others are labeled as “self-made” billionaires yet were part of multimillion-dollar campaigns and shows before they were much older than 12 (@Kylie Jenner), which is miles more of a head start than those who start selling products from their homes on an individualized basis.
The bottom line is this: we see the world striving for wealth sooner than we see it striving toward accessibility to wealth. Because of this, those who look for wealth are willing to do anything to obtain it, much like those with wealth who will do anything to retain it. When will the ability to live what society deems to be a “good life” revolve around something other than money? Until then, I am convinced that most of the world will live trying to get rich or die trying.
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