The tendency of individuals from non-lower-class backgrounds to romanticize, aestheticize, or hyperfixate over the perceived qualities of the lower classes—particularly aspects related to crime, poverty, and social marginalization. This often involves framing such conditions as more “authentic,” “raw,” or even revolutionary, while overlooking the structural hardships and lived realities behind them.
Middle- and upper-class youth consuming media like drill rap or gangster movies purely for their perceived “gritty realism” or “badass” appeal is peak lumpen-fetishism.
by neonexxus June 14, 2025