Can you pass the Beverly Hillbillies test?

[aaronc879]

62 points.

"A lifelong resident of a working-class neighborhood with average television and moviegoing habits.
Range: 48–99. Typical: 77"

[Brett_Cameron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack Congratulations Jethro...

Thanks, Mr. Drysdale!

[scrabbler1]

After scoring in the measly 0-4 category on the short version, I decided to venture out and take the long version (which was tough to read on my screen). I scored a whopping ELEVEN on it LOL! And 7 of those 11 points came from two answers: neither of my parents worked in a managerial or "prestige" job, and 30 years ago I lasted (worked?) for 2 weeks in a cafeteria kitchen and came home achy.

Being an atheist who doesn't drink and gets ill when around cigarette smoke makes me "upper-middle class?" Despising NASCAR, Oprah, and the garbage which passes for popular TV these days makes me "upper-middle class?" Being an honors student who hated jocks and was not old enough to have ever been drafted into the military makes me "upper-middle class?" I don't think so.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrabbler1 After scoring in the measly 0-4 category on the short version, I decided to venture out and take the long version (which was tough to read on my screen). I scored a whopping ELEVEN on it LOL! And 7 of those 11 points came from two answers: neither of my parents worked in a managerial or "prestige" job, and 30 years ago I lasted (worked?) for 2 weeks in a cafeteria kitchen and came home achy. Being an atheist who doesn't drink and gets ill when around cigarette smoke makes me "upper-middle class?" Despising NASCAR, Oprah, and the garbage which passes for popular TV these days makes me "upper-middle class?" Being an honors student who hated jocks and was not old enough to have ever been drafted into the military makes me "upper-middle class?" I don't think so.

Yeah. Thanks to the OP for bringing this test to our attention, but now that I have gone through it I think this is one of the lamest tests I have ever taken! Seems like the author likes to categorize by stereotypes, and many of us don't fit his preconceived notions of class. He also seems to assume that none of us have any significant class mobility.

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Yeah. Thanks to the OP for bringing this test to our attention, but now that I have gone through it I think this is one of the lamest tests I have ever taken! Seems like the author likes to categorize by stereotypes, and many of us don't fit his preconceived notions of class. He also seems to assume that none of us have any significant class mobility.

Exactly. The boomer generation does not fit well into his categories.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Exactly. The boomer generation does not fit well into his categories.

Yes! Also, none of his listed categories include having parents of a higher class than the test-taker. So, I think it is designed mostly to stroke (egos).

Quote:

• A lifelong resident of a working-class neighborhood with average televi-sion and moviegoing habits. Range: 48–99. Typical: 77. • A first- generation middle-class person with working-class parents and average television and moviegoing habits. Range: 42–100. Typical: 66. • A first- generation upper-middle- class person with middle-class par-ents. Range: 11–80. Typical: 33. • A second- generation (or more) upper-middle-class person who has made a point of getting out a lot. Range: 0–43. Typical: 9. • A second- generation (or more) upper-middle-class person with the tele-vision and moviegoing habits of the upper middle class. Range: 0–20.Typical: 2.

[aaronc879]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Yeah. Thanks to the OP for bringing this test to our attention, but now that I have gone through it I think this is one of the lamest tests I have ever taken! Seems like the author likes to categorize by stereotypes, and many of us don't fit his preconceived notions of class. He also seems to assume that none of us have any significant class mobility.

I ended up in the appropriate category so it's not entirely inaccurate. However, he does make a lot of assumptions that are really not very appropriate. They are sterotypes and that's never a good thing.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Seems like the author likes to categorize by stereotypes

Indeed. (Only) one such example is the "Have you had a job where you hurt?" question that I referred to upthread......I'd venture that the test compiler has never performed manual labor where one is tired afterwards, but not 'hurting'.

(Unless he meant someone in a combat zone who's been wounded. )

[FUEGO]

"In other words, even if you're part of the new upper class, you've had a lot of exposure to the rest of America."

I think I fit squarely into this category. I first read a review of Mr. Murray's book while reading The Economist on my Android phone, which places me firmly into the new upper class. However at the time I was reading The Economist, I was riding the city bus to work and sitting amongst our city's poor (people who own cars don't ride the bus here - it is decidedly lower class - while I consider it a privilege and it is very convenient and free for me ).

[HFWR]

Don't need no stinkin' test...

I've worked in a factory (well, several actually) and on a chicken farm, pumped gas, swept floors, pitched hay. Watched my mom do laundry with a wringer washer. Been to Hazard, KY. Used an outhouse. Used snuff. Been to three NASCAR races.

Have a college degree, worked in high tech, have a cell phone, tablet computer, and a hybrid.

I'm indescribable...

"I've seen the Grand Ol' Opry, and I've met Johnny Cash.
If that ain't 'Country', I'll kiss your ***."

[scrabbler1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Yeah. Thanks to the OP for bringing this test to our attention, but now that I have gone through it I think this is one of the lamest tests I have ever taken! Seems like the author likes to categorize by stereotypes, and many of us don't fit his preconceived notions of class. He also seems to assume that none of us have any significant class mobility.

I think there was some regional bias in the test. NASCAR and Branson are pretty far away from here (Long Island, New York) This area is not very big on evangelicals even though over the years I have been friends with some fairly religious people (i.e. went to church weekly). And here in the northeast, Amtrak replaces a lot of medium/long-distance bus travel (although I did take a meduim-distance bus once.

Being raised in a nominally Jewish household (before I became an atheist) provided me with a different set of values and priorities than I saw in others, even if my parents were hardly upper-middle class. Military, lettering, unions, and garbage on TV were never part of my upbringing.

I may be in a bubble in many ways, as I do consider myself an outlier to some degree. But upper-middle class?

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR Used snuff.

Help me out here: why? what does it do for you? I know there must be some reason people walk around with a carcinogenic wad in their mouths aside from peer pressure. Does it get you high or something?

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Indeed. (Only) one such example is the "Have you had a job where you hurt?" question that I referred to upthread......I'd venture that the test compiler has never performed manual labor where one is tired afterwards, but not 'hurting'. (Unless he meant someone in a combat zone who's been wounded. )

I took it to mean aching and after a 12 hour shift in the Operating Room every part of my body ached plus I wore a uniform.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Help me out here: why? what does it do for you? I know there must be some reason people walk around with a carcinogenic wad in their mouths aside from peer pressure. Does it get you high or something?

Heh, first time or two.

Never cared much for it, but it was a handy nicotine delivery mechanism when you were unable to light up...

[Bimmerbill]

I heard an interview with the author on the radio and it sounded like an interesting book.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill I heard an interview with the author on the radio and it sounded like an interesting book.

This is an issue near and dear to my heart. Having moved in the rarified circles of the folks on the top, it is very clear to me how little most of the movers and shakers (regardless of party affiliation, etc.) know about the lives of the vast majority of the population. The US population has very effectively sorted itself into a bunch of groups who largely only deal with people who look and live like themselves and cannot even stand to listen to (and usually do not care in the slightest about) those who are different. I think this raises the long term risk of a country that cannot come together when necessary and it also robs everyone of a huge amount of insight into life via others' experience.

We have repeatedly chosen to live in neighborhoods with more ethnic/educational/"collar" diversity than the places peers and society tell us are the "right" places for us. Sometimes it is a touch out of my comfort zone, but I have never thought I was worse off for my interactions with people who are not like me. And over the long term, some of it has rubbed off on me for the better.

[jclarksnakes]

No bubble for me. The author's premise for his book and test are based on stereotypes which have no relevance at all in my life. I suspect that many others on this forum also have lives that do not fit his stereotypes. My dad was an aerospace engineer. I flew army helicopters for 21 years and then went back to college and after that worked 14 years as a floor nurse in the county hospital. DW has been a public school teacher for 27 years. For most of my life I have been upper middle class, at least regards education and income. I scored 73 points on the long test. Maybe I have just seen too much of the world?

[NW-Bound]

I took the short test. It said that

...you scored between 5 and 8. In other words, you can see through your bubble, but you need to get out more.

Hmm... I did not know that I have been in a bubble. It's comfortable, so why would that be wrong? Sure, I am getting out more. That's what the RV is for, to see "America" and how the rest of the country lives.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 This is an issue near and dear to my heart. Having moved in the rarified circles of the folks on the top, it is very clear to me how little most of the movers and shakers (regardless of party affiliation, etc.) know about the lives of the vast majority of the population. The US population has very effectively sorted itself into a bunch of groups who largely only deal with people who look and live like themselves and cannot even stand to listen to (and usually do not care in the slightest about) those who are different. I think this raises the long term risk of a country that cannot come together when necessary and it also robs everyone of a huge amount of insight into life via others' experience. We have repeatedly chosen to live in neighborhoods with more ethnic/educational/"collar" diversity than the places peers and society tell us are the "right" places for us. Sometimes it is a touch out of my comfort zone, but I have never thought I was worse off for my interactions with people who are not like me. And over the long term, some of it has rubbed off on me for the better.

+1

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 ... Sometimes it is a touch out of my comfort zone...

Just be sure that you do not call anyone names..