Cultural Question: Why is Perceived Status (appearing wealthy) So Important in South Florida? (Miami: crime, loan)

[boxus]

I see nothing wrong with it, and it is better than the race to the bottom. but I do find financial mismanagement from people in their efforts to promote that look humorous.

Lots of BMWs and Benz's here, low entry level, they only go for $30k - $32k, that is not a lot of money, even less used. Quite a few like leasing them because they want the newest all of the time. Everyone knows they do not cost a lot, but there is some sort of prestige factor in it, say over a pricier f-350.

When someone goes out, they are dressed their best, but many people only have a few items, it is not like their entire closet has $200 shirts, and many friends will swap clothes with each other to help the variety.

Housing, this is where someone with the nice car and clothes lives in some dump, or they are crammed with six people in a two bedroom Brickell apartment. This is the one that drives me crazy.

But this is no different than a lot of other places, I come from a nothing town in the plains, and the prestige thing there is to have a new truck, lawnmower, and some other overkill gadget like a Harley that gets driven twice a year.

As far as clothing, I dress nice, I think it is just proper to do. I never understood why people enjoy dressing like they are bums. I sum it up to laziness, but that is just my opinion. Since when is it a negative for people to dress nice when they go out in public?

[pmichaeljones]

Originally Posted by Felix C

But you are kidding yourself if you think experienced nightlife women do not pickup on our trinkets.

I wholeheartedly agree that money and flash get you girls in Miami. However, if she only likes you/me for our car and our watch, I'm sure she's a keeper! haha Real solid foundation of which to build a relationship lol *please note the sarcasmn

However, if you're only looking for a one-nighter with some gold digging girl in her red-bottom heels that you picked up outside of Mansion or Mokai, git 'er done!

[pmichaeljones]

Originally Posted by boxus

Since when is it a negative for people to dress nice when they go out in public?

I LOVE this aspect of Miami actually. I wish more people up north put extra effort into looking good. The "Drab Midwest" is no joke

[valicky]

Originally Posted by ExNooYawk

In areas with large concentrations of money, you will find this happening. Southern California is pretty 'bad' in that sense, and parts of the northeast where I am from. One of the reasons we like living in Oregon is that no one gives a flying fig what you drive, wear or tell time from on your wrist.

Really?? I lived in OR and still know people there and have family there. Do you live in Portland? It's all about status and what you drive, wear, purse you carry, and watch, cell phone, tablets. I find that area to be very materialistic. The only thing is they pretend they could care less. But they ARE checking everyone out and keeping up with the Joneses too. My family over there all own BMW's and Mercedes. Designer purses, shoes, going only to the IN spots to eat. It's all very "sophisticated." And yes, it's on credit. I'm sure Seattle compares to Portland as well. I have a wedding to go to in August there and I'm sure there will be chatter because I am soooo not about all that even though I come from Cuban parents who came here with nothing. It's probably more of a big city thing.

[straight shooter]

Originally Posted by boxus

As far as clothing, I dress nice, I think it is just proper to do. I never understood why people enjoy dressing like they are bums. I sum it up to laziness, but that is just my opinion. Since when is it a negative for people to dress nice when they go out in public?

I also dress nice, well most of the time, but I have no problem with how others dress unless it is totally inappropriate for the time, place or occasion. If they want to look like bums it is their problem and shows that everyone is free to dress however they want up to a certain extent. It also shows that they are comfortable with themselves, don't care about people judging them by their looks, and have other more important things to worry about.

[allenk893]

I will tell you why Miami is obsessed with status. It is mainly because of where most of the population comes from. South Americans have a huge gap between the rich and poor in their countries. Once they come to Miami, they see the rich Europeans and the nice cars and the palm trees and they try to emulate it however they can. The funny thing is most Miamians are broke as hell and are on section 8 and welfare. They can't afford half the BS they flash. Just think about how silly your friend looks. He's a busboy wearing a $8K rolex?! It doesn't correlate. Who does he think he's fooling? The people in this thread defending Miami are really laughable to me. You claim people in Miami love to look good, but you are the same ones talking about how much you hate that Miami is materialistic and status obsessed. Makes no sense your hypocrisy. OP, don't be offended. Most Miamians only have their fashions to flash because they don't have much else. Most of the population down here in south FL is brain-dead and poor. They think materialistic things give them their worth. Which is okay with me. Everyone outside of Miami knows it's pretty much third world and doesn't have any real money. Places like NYC and Southern California have a much much richer economy and millionaires walking around that don't flash anything because they are not insecure like people in Miami. Their businesses and companies speak for them. This whole thread is on point. The people defending Miami as not being materialistic and status obsessed are a total joke and are delusional as all hell.

[Cocoricoco]

What a bunch of crap!!!
The ones having the money in SF are Latins, best neighbourhoods are Latin and you probably have never set foot in Miami. Miami is not Ft. Lauderdale, Davie or Pasco, just plain different.
In ANY place in the world where you have very rich people and blue collars, say Boca Ratón, French Riviera or Marbella, some blue collars and middle class become "courtisans", "wanabbes", they try to imitate Rich People by buying expensive clothes and watches, no matter if fake. The subjects of their conversation are the lifes of rich people.
You can't expect that in Idaho, Macon or any of those places, but in Los Angeles, NY, etc.

[Edu983]

The OP has never been in California.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by pmichaeljones

Just some background on myself: I'm a Midwestern Miami transplant.

I've been in Miami for about 16 months now. I moved here from Minneapolis (my college town) to get out of the winter, live near the ocean and try something new. I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

That said, my question for you all:

Why is perceived status so important in Miami and the surrounding cities?

If you've lived here for over a month, you start to realize that BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches are like the Honda Civics of the north. You see them EVERYWHERE. However, it's also pretty easy to figure out that not everyone can afford them. I've heard about some of the ridiculous loans people take out to buy these luxury cars, and it blows my mind. A Coral Gables friend of mine has something like a 14% interest car loan!!!

Beyond the cars, you have the watches. I've never lived in a place where the size and brand of your watch was so important. I know a guy, a server, who has an $8,000 watch. WTF! Why???....

I have several cousins who not only inherited substantial sums of money, but who are professionals who have earned a great deal of money on their own.

They have winter residences in South Florida.

They sport absolutely none of the "perceived status" items that you have mentioned. And they do not do so when they are living in their homes in a northern state. I have met their friends - they do not behave this way either.

I think the reason for the difference is obvious, if you are secure with your social status you do not need to advertise it. You know who you are financially and on the social scale, and advertising it in a showy manner is a sure way to proclaim that while you may have the dough you don't have any class.

"Quiet money" was a description used for these kind of people when I was young.

It is not applied to used car magnates with neo-Tudor-Bauhaus castles and three mercedes parked in the driveway beside a fountain with the Venus de Milo shooting water from her bellybutton.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by Edu983

The OP has never been in California.

You apparently haven't either. Because Los Angeles nor San Francisco is like Miami at all. You wouldn't be able to tell who is a millionaire or who is a bum in California. Because they don't flash it there. I mean okay, Beverly Hills and Orange County if anything. But most of them dress down and totally casual. That's part of the laid-back attitude and atmosphere of So.Cal. They don't have to stunt anything like broke people in Miami do.