Imagine working as a bartender in a bougie part of town, pouring drinks for customers who rack up bills that are sometimes more than what you earn in a week. Maybe you get to try the top shelf boozes you otherwise can’t afford as a consolation before you head on a bus or train back to a part of town where you can actually afford rent.
Some may argue that it’s these types of situations that could light a proverbial fire under one’s behind to help them pull themselves up by their bootstraps. And then there are those who would say that this is a virtually impossible prospect, as the sale of boots are regulated by the government/corporate coalition that instead wants to finance them out to you at a price that’s just outside of what you could earn.
That’s the topic of conversation that arose in the comments section of a TikTok posted by Mary Jane (@hopelesslvrgrl), a mall employee who mused on the unfairness of being unable to afford food for herself for 14 days while being surrounded by expensive luxury retailers.
In a text overlay of the TikTok, MJ writes, “2024 dystopian society looks like me working here full time and not being able to afford food for the past two weeks.” The video has amassed more than 40,000 views as of Saturday evening.
@hopelesslvrgrl #dystopian #2024 #us ♬ som original – Sk1
They cap off their message with two presumably sarcastic heart emojis, given the messaging of the overlay that they provided in their clip as the rest of the video, shows a list of different expensive retailers like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Tesla.
One TikToker responded to MJ’s video, sharing an anecdote about a friend’s situation that appears similar to the aforementioned situations. “We have a friend and he and his wife make a little under 200K. The only reason they can afford their house is because they have roommates,” they wrote.
Someone else said that they’ve encountered people who are all decked out in luxury goods but are otherwise struggling economically. “Lol yeah me working as a hairstylist with clients who are rich enough to wear head to toe designer but i cant afford rent,” wrote the user.
There was another person in the comments section who commented on sluggish salary/merit increases. “Full time for three years. I’ve gotten one raise. I have to work for three weeks for afford my rent,” they wrote.
Another person on the app recommended that MJ look towards greener employment pastures so that she isn’t stuck earning less money than she could be getting elsewhere in another work environment. “I don’t know if this helps but temp agencies are always looking for receptionist/admin asst positions and they pay better than retail,” wrote the user.
Someone else remarked that despite earning a six figure salary they still aren’t in a position to buy a home. “I make six figs nowhere near being able to afford a house,” they wrote.
There were others who imparted words of hope to MJ, stating that while they were in the same position they were able to transition out of their current fiscal situation. “Retail jobs are stepping stones to other job opportunities. I worked two jobs at a time to get to where I am now and it gets better you got this,” wrote one user.
While the systematic destruction of the Middle Class has been going on in America for several decades, inflation has wrought a particularly brutal type of havoc on citizens ever since 2021. The U.S. economy hit a 40-year-inflation high in June of 2022, and this coupled with historically high home prices. That’s not to mention the increased cost of education and overall goods and services, with salaries not keeping up, leaving Americans in particularly hopeless situations once the Biden administration entered the White House.
The added slap in the face for employees like Mary Jane is that she’s working a service industry job in a setting where she’s constantly seeing folks make purchases on items that she, in her current economic state, could never even begin to hope to afford.
Barron’s wrote that according to the Harris Poll, a whopping 65% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, with 22% of folks stating they have zero savings whatsoever. And, if you believe in conspiracy theories involving the Central Bank’s inimical plans to bring every single U.S. resident back into the grips of indentured servitude, then looking at debt statistics probably won’t do much to sway your opinion in the other direction. Nasdaq reports that 80% of Americans are debut encumbered.
The Daily Dot reached out to Mary Jane via TikTok comment for further information.
