Massive Letdown— Self-Centered and Ordinary
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“This could have been fascinating. But I was immediately put off by the narrator. He starts interviewing his immigrant father and ridiculing his father’s working-class efforts to enjoy his life, and makes this “okay” by getting his gentle dad to sheepishly agree. He humble-brags about his own cashmere socks, his cushy podcaster gig, his trips to Japan, where he says “I and obnoxious rich people,” sit in special baths. (Does he think using the word “obnoxious” for his fellow-travelers somehow makes us forget he wants us to know that he was there too having his bath?) His discomfort is utterly squirmy but he’s determined to keep telling us about his special life, and then squirm about it some more.
He shares a lot of half-baked opinions, like telling us that people want to be seen as middle class, not as poor, “because then you’re lazy” (WHAT??) but not rich, because then you’re entitled.
I don’t want to hear about his stuff or his lame opinions. I want to learn something. Why aimlessly wonder what “entitled” means, as if there’s no way to get insight beyond his own brain? There are studies on it. One shows that the wealthier people are, the more they think they deserve their money. That’s fascinating— why not look into that? Ot talk about studies that show that poor people are more likely to come to the aid of someone in trouble on the street, and to give a larger share of their money to charity than rich people, although they have so much less left over to live on than rich people? What’s the psychological driving that?
Why not look into the increase in income inequality —in 1965 the average CEO made 20 times what one of the company’s workers made, but by 2021 CEO’s compensation averaged 400 times that of the worker. Does this chasm increase the sense of difference between the poor and the rich? Do people differ according to class in whether they think CEOs deserve these incomes? There’s so much fact-based ground to explore!
He implies that class is just about money, but surely that’s not all: Kim Kardashian is rich, but classy? Probably not. Or how about Cardi B? Why not? Does classy imply other things such as educated, cultured,well-mannered? Does it imply behaving with honor and magnanimity? Is noblesse oblige still a thing?
He does bring in experts and that’s an improvement over hearing him talk about his stuff ( they don’t talk about theirs), but in between is a great deal of inane self-centered musing which seems to come only from his own self-congratulatory brain without much factual input.
This could have been great. It’s boring. Huge disappointment.”
heidbeuabflqyv3/-7& via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/20/23
More reviews of Classy with Jonathan Menjivar
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“tastefully done, asking very poignant questions and getting difficult answers”
dirty stasch via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/27/23
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“The host manages to talk about class without ever feeling judgey or preachy. It’s fun to listen to, but also meaty in a way that I find myself chewing over pieces of it in my mind days after I listen.”
yourfriendkat via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
06/28/23
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“This was such a thoughtful and fresh listen. The heavy stuff doesn’t drag and the lightness lifts it. It’s real without being cloying.”
pennypoppleton via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
10/14/23
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