Woman with slogan and a hammer and sickle symbol with a fork instead of a hammer (Madrid, 2012)

"Eat the rich" is a political slogan associated with anti-capitalism and left-wing politics. It may variously be used as a metaphor for class conflict, a demand for wealth redistribution. The phrase is commonly attributed to political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from a quote first popularized during the French Revolution: "When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich".

History

Origin

Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, President of the Paris Commune, gave a speech to the city during the Reign of Terror on 14 October 1793 in which he said:

Rousseau faisait parti du peuple aussi, et il disait: 'Quand le peuple n'aura plus rien à manger, il mangera le riche.'[1]

Rousseau, who was also one of the people, said: 'When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.'

The phrase was initially a criticism of the French nobility, but it was later popularized in France as a response to the perceived failures of the French Revolution that perpetuated poverty in the country.[2]

Modern usage

In the 21st century, the phrase is used in response to the increasing wealth inequality and food insecurity. In the United States, the phrase was used by the crowd at a rally for progressive Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren in 2019 in approval of Warren's positions on wealth redistribution, including her position on the wealth tax.[2]

In South Africa, the phrase "eat the rich" was used by the Land Party as its campaign slogan for the 2021 local government elections.[3]

The phrase has trended on major social networks online. It became prominent on TikTok around 2019, with users posting videos critical of the rich.[2] Many of these videos also targeted more mundane first world behavior, directing the phrase toward people who study abroad, pay for a Spotify subscription, or have a second refrigerator. In many cases, these videos were produced to demonstrate hypocrisy of those who use the phrase while enjoying the comforts of a first world society.[4] Usage of the phrase was noted to have increased following the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.[5]

In 2022, Amazon union leader Christian Smalls wore a jacket which said 'Eat the Rich' to the White House when he met President Joe Biden.[6]

In 2023, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain adopted the phrase for GM, Ford, and Stellantis employees' fight for increased wages and benefits in Detroit.[7]

The phrase has been used for the title of a 1987 film and a song for the film by Motörhead. It was also the title of a 1993 song by Aerosmith.[2] The book Eat the Rich was published by P. J. O'Rourke in 1998. The comic series Eat the Rich debuted in 2021.[8]

Many films have been described as "eat the rich movies". This theme was particularly notable in 2019 with the releases of films such as Joker, Parasite, Knives Out, and Ready or Not and in 2022 with the releases of Triangle of Sadness, The Menu, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.[9][10][11]

Season four (2023) of the TV show You features an 'Eat the Rich killer'.[12]

Criticism

Rainer Zitelmann, a real estate expert, argues that language like "Eat the Rich" is prejudicial, perpetuating stereotypes, and engaging in classism.[13] He also says that it can serve to dehumanize people wealthier than the speaker and poses risks of inciting violence.[14] Left-wing critics of the term argue that it is used hypocritically by those in the middle class that have relatively comfortable lives.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Project Gutenberg eBook of Histoire de la Révolution française, tome V, by A. Thiers". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lavin, Talia (5 November 2019). "How "Eat the Rich" Became the Rallying Cry for the Digital Generation". GQ. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  3. ↑ SA, Land Party (2020-08-22). "It is time to "Eat the Rich"". Landparty. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  4. 1 2 "The 'Eat The Rich' TikTok Trend Pokes Fun At The Little Signs Of Wealth No One Ever Talks About". Junkee. 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  5. ↑ Presnall, Anna (28 October 2020). ""Eat the Rich!": A Rallying Cry Against Income Inequality". UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog. The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  6. ↑ "Amazon fired Chris Smalls. Now the new union leader is one of its biggest problems". VOX. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  7. ↑ Streitfeld, David (2023-10-05). "New U.A.W. Chief Has a Nonnegotiable Demand: Eat the Rich". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  8. ↑ Miles, John (2022-01-08). "Why is the Dark and Horrifying Cannibal Comic 'Eat the Rich' Kind of... Funny?". CBR. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  9. ↑ Perez, Jacinda (2020-01-06). "Eat the Rich! – What 2019's Films Had to Say About Wealth and Privilege". Flip Screen. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  10. ↑ de Castro, Elijah (19 May 2020). ""Eat the rich" phenomenon dominates popular films". The Ithacan. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  11. ↑ Myers, Kimber (2022-12-31). "How eat-the-rich comedies changed during COVID". Mashable. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  12. ↑ "Who is the 'Eat the Rich' killer in 'You' Season 4?". Today.
  13. ↑ Zitelmann 2020, pp. 23–28.
  14. ↑ Zitelmann 2020, pp. 51–52.

Works cited

  • Zitelmann, Rainer (2020). The Rich in Public Opinion: What We Think When We Think About Wealth. ISBN 9781948647687.
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