I agree

[candyshopgirl]

So I read an interview the other day with Mike Rowe.The host of dirty jobs.Well I don't remember the word for word quote but he said.
That people nowadays don't want blue collar jobs anymore.They want jobs in corner offices.No one wants to do hard hands on work anymore.
Agree or disagree?

[Becks]

I agree in general, but not in particular.

Myself, I'm happy with so-called "blue collar" jobs.

[Kiwi]

Agree

but I don't think people who work blue collar get respected generally, there is no "prestige" to being a plumber or being in retail (at least in my experience)

I attribute at least some of that to this celebrity and luxury obsession. Everyone seems so obsessed with seeming glamorous and rich. The biggest house, the newest car the fanciest stuff.

Hard work is just not in vogue anymore. It used to bring a sense of pride, now its just looked upon as "your doing this because you cant do anything else"

[LibraryLady]

I don't entirely agree.

Part of the problem is the perception that everyone MUST go to College and something's wrong with you if you don't. Perfectly intelligent people can be totally unsuited for extended Academic study. As a case in point, a friend's son went for a term and then quit school to become an auto mechanic. He couldn't be happier, he's making good money and, regardless of the state of the economy, his skills will be needed.

Another case is a co-worker. Yes, he does desk work here in the Library but he's also an artist who assembled his own 19th century printing press and pulls his own prints. On the side, he also takes commissions for custom carpentry work. I've seen some of the things he's made and they're lovely.

I think there are many people who derive real (and justified) satisfaction by doing something with their hands. I recall reading somewhere that, in the days of the Ottoman Empire, every man, the Sultan included, was expected to have a physical trade. One Sultan was a landscaper and another was a cabinet maker.

Hey, if it's good enough for a Sultan, it's good enough for me.

[kerrisan]

I agree. I myself just started selling Mary Kay and want to get into real estate one day. Both will make it so my teaching job pays for my assets and other people's money pay for my liabilities. They will also pretty much guarantee that I have money when I retire from my J-O-B job.

[candyshopgirl]

Quoth Kiwi

Agree

but I don't think people who work blue collar get respected generally, there is no "prestige" to being a plumber or being in retail (at least in my experience)

I attribute at least some of that to this celebrity and luxury obsession. Everyone seems so obsessed with seeming glamorous and rich. The biggest house, the newest car the fanciest stuff.

Hard work is just not in vogue anymore. It used to bring a sense of pride, now its just looked upon as "your doing this because you cant do anything else"

I agree with you 100%
Me and the hubby are not rich but we are confortable. If I was to take one of these snotty rich people that I wait on everyday and show them my life...They would think god what a loser. We have a small two bedroom house,a car that is 4 years old(its new to us),our rent and bills are paid.And we have very healthy animals and we are fairly healthy ourselves. We know that we can eat and we always have a place to live.We don't care nor want to be glamorous. My biggest thrill is to go to platos closet and spend 40.00. And our heaven on earth is sit on a saturday afternoon and watch horror movies and eat popcorn.So my point is that I think that people's preception of what a good life is has gotten fucked up.We are a society that is soaked with ads for some radom new dumbass product. And I think that society does nothing to tell people that you don't need these stupid products to be happy,if anything society encourages it. I overheard people talking on their cell phones how their went out and spent their rent money on some stupid purse for like 1200 dollars. Stupid Stupid Stupid I would rather have a cheap purse and put the 1200 in it. This thread got me thinking of the george carlin bit.Fat people and stupid shit sales at the mall.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Buying bling before paying rent is probably a big reason why the economy has gone so far in the shitter so fast.

[Broomjockey]

Right, this topic is a perfect friendly discussion to have. Over at Fratching. It's stayed nice so far, for the most part, but it's not really CS material. Sorry folks.