I used to read “Richie Rich” when I was a kid. Back then (70s and 80s), we had a different view on wealth – it was inaccessible to pretty much all of us so it was something of a trope in entertainment (e.g., “Trading Places,” “Silver Spoons,” “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” etc.). It was like watching movies about aliens or Bigfoot; fantastical stuff of fiction.
These days, with the advent of the internet, it seems as though becoming a millionaire is only a click away (as the shysters would have you believe). And, since becoming filthy rich is deemed as accessible yet the vast majority of folks don’t achieve such status, there’s animosity towards those who have.
I don’t buy into that (no pun intended). We can still laugh at the rich without hating them. After all, wouldn’t we all like to laugh all the way to the bank one day?
Hear it!
Jason Salas 