What is White Trash?

Urban Dictionary, the popular online reference, defines the social group "White Trash" largely in economic and geographic terms, or through association with Paris Hilton. While socio-economic status, geography and affinity for or aversion to Paris Hilton are each valid means of categorization, I am not convinced Urban Dictionary has truly captured what it means to call someone white trash. I shall attempt to rectify this shortcoming now.

White trash is not just confined to lower income brackets or to rural America. And it is certainly not limited to poor people in rural America. White trash is just as prevalent in the upper income brackets and in urban areas.

A person who is white trash is, first and foremost, uncultured and content to remain so. She has not heard of Jane Austen but has read every harlequin romance ever published. He subscribes to Motorcycle Monthly, R.V. Maintenance and NASCAR Review, but won’t read The New Yorker while he waits in his dentist’s office. She owns four uncoordinated Louis Vuitton bags but can’t name three other couture houses. He’s seen Alan Jackson and Kid Rock in concert four times each, but does not know the difference between a piece of music and a song.[1]

The common factor in each of these four scenarios is not that the consumer is without disposable income. White trash individuals consistently purchase “low” rather than “high” culture items when high culture is a legitimate option. This sort of monochromatic consumption is almost excusable in remote areas where choice is limited by geography. It is, however, completely unacceptable to live in a large city and avoid the opera, the symphony, museums and exhibitions.

Of course, I believe that people should be allowed to spend their money where ever they’d like. I do not advocate subsidizing the arts. And I have no problem with harlequin romances, obscure interest publications, Louis Vuitton, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, or rural America.

A person who wishes to avoid the moniker “white trash” should actively avoid concentrating his or her disposable income in any single area. Instead, he or she should have as large a consumption bundle as possible. Thus, the White Trash Threshold varies based on levels of disposable income. The more money an individual has, the larger the variety of culture he should consume. Obviously, the converse is also true: the less disposable income an individual has, the less he or she can be expected to consume. The geographic distinction is analogous. Ballet options in Rutland, North Dakota (pop 220) are significantly limited when compared to those in New York City, New York (pop 8,104,079). It is acceptable to never see the ballet in Rutland, it is unacceptable in New York.

Budget accordingly.


[1] A song must have words, a piece of music is a more general term.