204. When Bad Things Happen To The Rich
This week we explore the current AND historical animosity that arises between economic classes in times of financial crisis. If there were ever a time for “eat the rich” content to go viral, it’s now. Prices are up, wages are down, and Millennials and Gen Z are working harder than ever—for way less. Despite being the most educated generation, they’re drowning in debt while CEO pay has exploded—now 399 times what the average worker makes. Meanwhile, the middle class is shrinking and billionaires are multiplying like rabbits. So yeah, people are angry—and it’s not hard to see why. Looping in elements from our Attachment Theory AND Affluenza episodes, we'll discuss a few of the incidents currently in the national conversation.
We cover the incidents, and post incident reactions, of the OceanGate disaster and the United healthcare CEO murder.
Resources
Blanchet, Ben. ““Don’t They Want Us to Hate Him”: Social Media Users React to Luigi Mangione’s NYC Arrival.” HuffPost, 20 Dec. 2024, www.huffpost.com/entry/luigi-mangione-officials-escort-new-york-city-arrival_n_67652120e4b0c80cd037ab3b. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Cockrell, Clay. “I’m a Therapist to the Super-Rich: They Are as Miserable as Succession Makes out | Clay Cockrell.” The Guardian, 22 Nov. 2021, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/22/therapist-super-rich-succession-billionaires. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Donlevy, Katherine, and Steven Vago. “Rich People’s Problems: Super-Wealthy Suffer Just like Us, Therapists Say — but New Yorkers Have Little Sympathy.” New York Post, 15 May 2024, nypost.com/2024/05/15/us-news/rich-people-suffer-like-us-therapists-say-but-nyers-dont-care/.
Eisen, Kelsey. “Are We Actually Ready to Eat the Rich–or Do We Just Love Watching Them?” Coveteur: Inside Closets, Fashion, Beauty, Health, and Travel, 31 Jan. 2024, coveteur.com/eat-the-rich-media#. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Gelt, Jessica. “Commentary: As Those Aboard the Titan Submersible Suffered, Social Media Laughed.” Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2023, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-22/titan-submersible-social-media-reaction-cruel.
levy, william. “Gen-Z’s Reaction to Luigi.” Rowdy Magazine, 17 Feb. 2025, www.rowdymagazine.com/post/gen-z-s-reaction-to-luigi. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Press-Reynolds, Kieran. “From Horror to Fan Fiction, the Titanic Submersible Disappearance Ignited a Torrent of Mixed Feelings on Social Media and Became “a Perfect Storm for Virality,” a Media Expert Said.” Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/missing-titanic-submersible-oceangate-rescue-operation-deaths-social-media-response-2023-6. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Travers, Mark. “A Psychologist Explains Why People Love to Watch the Wealthy Suffer.” Forbes, 31 May 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/05/31/a-psychologist-explains-why-people-love-to-watch-the-wealthy-suffer/.
Watercutter, Angela. “The Internet’s Obsession with Luigi Mangione Signals a Major Shift.” WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024, www.wired.com/story/internet-culture-luigi-mangione-major-shift-fandom/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.