Michael Caine on the working class

[@coffeebreakfiction1765]

As a cockney, some of the people who keep you down are those around you. People are constantly knocking you back, doubting you, telling you to be realistic. I'm not some big success story, but everything I ever achieved in life, including moving to America and starting my business, people told me to shy away from. "You won't be able to" "It's too hard" "Life isn't a big movie mate! Forget it!" "That's too risky!" "Just get a nice little job with your uncle." It's CONSTANT! The weird thing is, we have nothing to lose, so why are we so risk averse?

[@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689]

I think 'risk averse' is the best way of putting it, my old man's like that. There's definitely merit to being realistic with goals and expectations but likewise if you don't just go for stuff you'll never get it.

[@coffeebreakfiction1765]

@@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689 Yeah I’m not saying people should refinance their home and leave their job, but I think working class English people place limits on themselves sometimes. A lot of it is because they have actual financial restraints which is one thing, but half of it is just not trying something. For example when I was a kid EVERYONE around me told me not to go to college or university, because nobody they knew ever had.

[@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689]

@@coffeebreakfiction1765 The whole education system is pretty stacked against the working class in my opinion. Apprenticeships for skilled trades are a joke now and I can get where the traditional view of Uni being not worth it because it doesn't give you a trade comes from, even if I don't totally agree with it. I went to uni but very much as a means to an ends as I trained to be a nurse. A lot of people don't get that the point of Uni is to develop a set of general skills as well as the topic you're specifically studying. And at the risk of opening up a can of worms the mentality you're talking about I think has a LOT to do with why we've had over a decade of tory government over here! "Don't try and vote for more pay or higher taxes on corporations, be grateful for what you've got and keep your head down!"

[@coffeebreakfiction1765]

@@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689 Yeah we’re on the same page there politically. With the whole uni thing though, yes you’re right. The actual idea of university is to develop skills but employers don’t see it like that. To get a sales job they need you to have a bachelors degree to interview you. It got to the point where I just had to lie and say I went to university in order to get hired and just hope they didn’t check.

[@fromthedumpstertothegrave3689]

@@coffeebreakfiction1765 That's so daft, there's no way someone needs a degree to do a sales job. I can see asking for A level or equivalent (IE a National Diploma in Commerce/Business/Whatever). Starting off on the job ladder is a nightmare because there are so few entry level jobs which actually lead to higher paid positions, and once you're stuck in the cycle of work training to do something else whether at college or uni is borderline impossible to afford. I was incredibly fortunate that my parents were able to help support me at Uni while I got my qualification there as I started in my mid 20's not straight outta school. Its why I hate all this bollocks about people only get where they are cos of hard work. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard to get where I am, but without that initial support from parents wouldn't have stood a chance.

[@justsaying9483]

The problem is not the jobs, but the fact that there's no respect for the people doing the lesser jobs that are so important for society to function

[@karkkimarkkinat2109]

Nah

[@savtazvia3456]

absolutely

[@Meldreth56]

Respect doesn't lift you out of the gutter though. A better-paying job does.

[@justsaying9483]

@@Meldreth56 then basic jobs should be better paid, but it’s a fact society couldn’t survive if people weren’t willing to the basic jobs such as cleaning, delivering, shop keeping etc etc….

[@Meldreth56]

@@justsaying9483 That's absolutely true. These are vital jobs.

[@Stew282]

The mantra of the working class that was drummed into me as a kid, was "Just get a decent job. As long as you can pay the rent and put food on the table, you'll be alright." The working class have been indoctrinated to believe that "alright" is the best they can hope for.

[@justinw2232]

Truth

[@thebrickton1947]

my father was middle class and he kept regurgitating that chestnut, 'go be a compliant cog' is alI heard.

[@ReaderOfThreads]

But it has some truth to it. Unless you want to live a very materialistic life where the only thing that means something is money.

[@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns]

They're actually not wrong in a lot of ways. I went to Vietnam with my ex who's Vietnamese and he was very close to crying when he saw the school in the village his family was from. All the kids were so happy! He never had that.

[@sensimania]

Yep. Even back in the 90s, during my last year of secondary school, a careers advisor had consultations with each of us final year students. Instead of letting us know that the world is our oyster and even if some got average grades, GCSEs could always be retaken for the pursuit of higher education - the advisor deterred us from considering university and encouraged us to join those youth training schemes ("YTS" - for pink/blue collar jobs) that paid £25-£30 per week. I'm so glad I didn't take heed of that. After school, I went to college, then worked for a few years, but eventually went to university (in my 20s) which opened more doors for my career (first career in law, 2nd career in banking). However, my older sister took advantage of YTS, and long story short, she is now 51 and has been a receptionist since she left school. Not that there's anything wrong with being a receptionist, but I'm too ambitious and studious to be content with that.

[@Australianzwayne]

Rated him before, rate him even higher now. What a legend

[@sztypettto]

Sir Michael Caine is criminally underrated. His humility keeps him at peace. Guy's an absolute gem.

[@muckle8]

“ britain get off your backsides and work “

[@christinepage1523]

He was so right, I come from South London, Peckham and we were more for cannon fodder than anything higher, it was shown when on getting ready to leave school you went to see the careers officer and if you wanted to be anything other that a shop girl, factory worker etc, you were told in a roundabout way, that you would be better to not aim so high. So, good on Michael Caine, for beating the system.

[@THISISLolesh]

I live in SE Ldn and have never seen this happen 😂 I didn’t see factory worker advertised once.

[@KD400_]

So did u manage to do well get the job u wanted had a successful family marriage kids grandkids

[@TheJimbles]

@@THISISLolesh This is 50+ years ago fool.

[@THISISLolesh]

@@TheJimbles How rude of you to just assume Christines age. Not everyone is a useless bag of dust like you mate.

[@JETJOOBOY]

Come on Christine... let's stick on a smile and get them gross of Water Damaged Umbrellas flogged down Peckham Market.. This time next year....? eh?

[@braeduin]

Grew up on a council estate and I had my epiphany that the working classes were trapped in the invisible prison (Michaeal Caine spoke of) when one of my neighbours had a visitor drop by driving an expensive sports car. Bloke across the street started loudly complaining about the "w@nker in the sports car" and then yelled at the visitor when he got out the car asking him where he had got it. The visitor said that he had won it in a competition. Suddenly the bloke across the street immediately changed his attitude and was all "Oh that's brilliant, well done mate!". I was left confused as to why it mattered how the visitor got his sports car. It's like the only legitimate way for working class people to have nice things is for them to experience a stroke of good fortune. Getting a good well paying job is just not something we are supposed to do.

[@1pcfred]

A well paying job would imply that you're competent to perform said task. Which most council denizens are not. People need to learn their place in this world.

[@kingprince3975]

use your head. you can work out what his likely reasoning was can't you? it's not incomprehensible, it's understandable. if he won it in a competition or lottery, that's the same way someone like the person complaining might win a luxury car so he empathises. On the other hand if he bought the car from a high paying job then the person complaining will think that he never had that opportunity due to his upbringing, so he sees the person with the car as different and privileged so resents him.

[@CynicalOldDwarf]

A large problem with the non-working class is that they have this bucket of crabs mentality, they hate seeing anyone doing better than them because it reminds them how useless they are. That bloke's lamentations were likely that of envy and jealously. That said, the average person driving around in a flash motor probably is some sales dick or middle management wanker, whose only skills are in swindling and bullshitting their way through life. That's the problem I've found, having grown up working class myself, you get shafted from both ends. If you aren't being dragged back down into the fetid swamp by dole dossers and leaches, you are instead getting your head pushed back under by some middle class tosser with all the qualifications and connections but none of the idea; all whilst trying to keep your head above the ever increasing tide of living costs.

[@supernovagirl5741]

It's like what Lip in Shameless says poor people can only become rich by cheating, thieving or scamming tbh he ain't wrong lol I've seen people who've grown up on council estates scam and steal their way into living in 4 bed detached houses with 3 cars on their drive lol

[@1pcfred]

@@supernovagirl5741 doesn't everyone get rich by cheating, thieving or scamming?

[@BaseDeltaZero1972]

Michaels only error here is to apply his measure to cockneys exclusively...every area in the UK is getting the same shafting...and has been for many generations. Imagine a Scouser, Geordie or Brummie declaring their intent to become a big movie star back then, they would receive the same sneering response he did. Legendary actor and a top bloke though. I've always liked and respected him.

[@RobMacKendrick]

Indeed. Or a Scot. Or in fact an Irishman.

[@couchwarrior2449]

What would John Lydon have to say about this I wonder? NO FUTURE!!!

[@darthkek1953]

He knows Cockneys that's why. You're wrong about the other classes though, they came through some SERIOUS well-paying high-respect working class jobs like building amazing-sized amazing-complexity ships, etc. but the Cockneys were only ever support staff.

[@necaacen]

the uk has always been in the grip of a class war between the working and lower middle classes vs the upper and upper middle classes. scourser, geordie, scott, from the bog side of derry northern ireland to the lanes of brighton on the south coast working class people are locked in a struggle against an elite who seeks to oppress their interests and standard of living to further enrich themselves. its been that way probably since we were a part of the roman empire. the way the battle takes place is you have the labour movement who represents the working and middle classes interest, then you have the right wing which fights against it, but needs a large working class vote to keep power in a democracy. so they use divide and conquer, they foster a culture war to disguise their class war, they demonise minority groups and blame societies problems on the people with the least power to actually affect change in society, trans people, immigrants, people on benefits. unfortunately theres enough daily mail reading little endglanders who fall for this culture war to keep the right wing in power, and thats why the uk is a piece of siht and we cant have nice things. they did the same in germany in the 30s, used nationalism and the persecution of minorities to gain and maintain power, look at the way the right in america acts, this is the bread and butter of right wing politics sadly. blame the people with the least power in society for societies problems in order to gain support for the people with the most power. amazing that people fall for this the world over.

[@darthkek1953]

@Rory watch the HBO masterpiece "The Corner", the FACTUAL show-of-the-book that became the fictionalised The Wire. The main guy is working in the crab-cooking pot, he has a monologue about how if one crab tries to escape the other crabs grasp and drag him down. Beautiful metaphor.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

Brilliant analysis. At first I thought he was bonkers comparing cockneys to the "American Negro"[proper and respectful language at the time]. But he qualified his analogy brilliantly and his assessment of the situation is absolutely spot-on.

[@MrUndersolo]

Glad that someone is telling the truth about class and language and race...and is not ignorant of how they are connected.

[@carpespasm]

No war but class war.

[@rovhalt6650]

@@carpespasm When will you commies learn.

[@skizzz3884]

@@carpespasm history tells a different tale

[@farzanamughal5933]

@@skizzz3884 Umm...you're wrong

[@bushwhackeddos.2703]

@@carpespasm I suppose that’s why Wall Street funded the Bolshevik revolution.

[@ggstylz]

I’ve never seen this interview before. For whatever reason, I’ve always loved Michael’s acting immensely. A two time academy award winner while being self taught. I find this fascinating, and his autobiography is by far the best I’ve ever read. Legend!

[@Ornamentmountain]

Not a lot o people know that!

[@celticmugwump]

@@Ornamentmountain 😂😂😂😂 bravo

[@hmq9052]

He's the most wooden actor in the history of cinema. How he got away with some of those performances is shocking. He just stands there.

[@DudeSilad]

@@hmq9052 I suppose you've never watched The Man Who Would Be King or Alfie or The Ipcress File. If you did, you wouldn't talk such bollocks. And he doesn't just stand there. Every word is clear and he looks at the person he's talking to in the eyes. None of this moving head side to side and looking behind the person you're talking to. I suspect you have zero knowledge of what an actor is. And actor has done his or her job if you don't recognise that they're actually acting.

[@danielalexander8588]

@@DudeSilad I love a Michael Caine movie. I honestly think he's brilliant. But, saying that, you've got to like Michael Caine to watch him. As a person, he's pretty grounded and he's not forgotten where he's come from.

[@fantarcro]

As a person who came from Eastern Europe to study in England I feel the same, the environment I grew up is was very restrictive in terms of the type of career you could have, not because someone was pushing us down, but because we convinced ourselves we ought to stay down. I'm very glad I broke out of that system unlike many of my friends.

[@karkkimarkkinat2109]

Username got me wondering... 🤣

[@Godlike-87]

I grew up around cockneys, I'm also a Black Man. I can tell you, they were some of the best people I've ever met. They taught me a lot and I love em for that.

[@aumatomos7811]

Atom

[@Godlike-87]

@@aumatomos7811 what's up?

[@pateris]

Great to know mate. As if only low class people were racist arsehole (sometimes I think the upper class is even more racist to the core, they just have fancy explanation to go around it. May they bloody rot !)

[@roberthayes9842]

When I was 13, l watched The Italian Job and loved it, my son watched it when he was 10 and loved it, I'm now 66 year's old and still love Maurice Mickelwhite, always will

[@thomaslawrence2731]

Sing along... 'This is the self preservation society'!

[@roberthayes9842]

@@thomaslawrence2731 written by Quincy Jones

[@kougerat5388]

@@roberthayes9842 I didn't know that👍

[@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466]

Magnificent. I'm a scouser. Uni educated professionally qualified, worked everywhere. Got the same treatment hadto front it out.. He nails it. It's economic oppression, the working class is every race creed colour religion etc

[@planetc]

Congratulations on being a Scouser, like all four of the Beatles.

[@enriquegarciacota3914]

In the middle of this heart felt and sincere, almost painful exchange, his sad smile at 2:25 is one of the most beatiful sad smiles I’ve ever seen.

[@MarkMeade-e1y]

I was brought up by my wonderful grandparents, they went to school but left at 14 to go into the world of work . When I was at school they told me to get as much out of the system and never stop learning because that is the only way out , you use the system to climb out of the hole to better yourself, so because of there encouragement I left school and got myself an apprenticeship and became a mechanical engineer, lathe turner / miller and it’s been a fantastic job which I’m still learning things and it’s given me a good living and fantastic projects over forty years. He is right and I have respect for his views 🤛

[@billdrennan3329]

Well said Mr Caine, my family were transported to Australia, which several generations later ,turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

[@leathleyg5995]

Its raining here.... I wish my great great grandfather had nicked a few loaves ..!

[@janebaker966]

One lot of my ancestors left Scotland for Canada due to the Clearances. Best thing that ever happened to them. I'm UK Brit. I'm a descendant through one of my great grandmother's PEI born met and married my English great granddad in America. Both came back to live in Hampshire.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

@@janebaker966 Mine came from England -- white people sent to "The Americas" in chains. It was either a good captain or a lucky storm that had them land in Virginia instead of their original destination of Barbados. White slaves didn't do too well there and usually died pretty quickly. They ended up in St. Mary's Maryland, were emancipated and birthed my first America-born ancestor in 1618.

[@janebaker966]

@@yepiratesworkshop7997 that's an amazing family story to track down and research.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

@@janebaker966 It gets even crazier after that. Apparently, one of the Mayflower 'latecomers' got into the family and I've got two accused witches and a blacksmith from that. Oddly, without ever knowing any of this, I made my living on and off by doing wrought iron work (blacksmithing). My wife is calling it "genetic memory." I have a great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War -- he was actually from Charleston, S.C. and the day after the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, he hopped on a train and went to New York, where he enlisted in the Union Army. It's a strange family. It's got German in it from a couple of different angles -- the first being one of the Hessians captured by Geo. Washington when he attacked Trenton, N.J. in 1776, and another -- a great-great grandfather who came here from Germany to help build the C&D Canal. He also fought for the Union in the Civil War, but with a mostly German speaking outfit designated Co. K, Delaware 5th Infantry. Then, there's my French-Canadian grandmother, and a Cherokee, and a bunch of people named Mulligan who I thought were Irish but apparently came here from England. I seem to be related to almost everybody, so I just look at everyone as probably being my cousins. If you want to have a 'good read,' look up Mary and Hannah Tyler. They were the ones from the Andover, Mass. Witch Hunt and Trials. If you find the parts about Job Tyler (the blacksmith who was often 'in his cups') You'll be seeing a reasonable resemblance of me. Oh, and then a bunch of them ended up getting involved with railroads and pioneering the oil industry in Western Pa. I come from a really strange and far-reaching family. It's really no wonder I'm a pirate -- more 'genetic memory,' I suppose.

[@DudeSilad]

Every word he speaks is the truth. We're so caught up in fighting racial hatred that we forget that the real oppressors are the rich and powerful. His interviews are normally hilarious. First time I've seen him being so serious. I see some similarities in the facial expressions between him and David Bowie. They were both South London boys.

[@matthewstokes1608]

Yeah, the rich and powerful who are now all the same leftist totalitarian scum that came out of that same line of revolutionary atheist tripe spouted here by this ill-educated and brainwashed imbecile.

[@---df5sr]

And yet he’s accepting awards from them “Sir Michael Caine” lol

[@Interlocutor67]

The Rich encourage mass immigration which causes race problems in the first place.

[@scania1982]

Yes, shame on Bezos for selling what people want on the internet for affordable prices. Oppressor! Shame on Zuckerberg for censoring Facebook in favor of the left and supporting the Democrats with 400 million USD.

[@Interlocutor67]

@@scania1982 , shame on Bezos for being a greedy, union-busting scumbag.

[@johnwatson3948]

I remember a scene in the 1988 show about the WWII Royal Air Force: “Piece of Cake” - a UK working class airman was heckled mercilessly by his fellows for accepting the friendship of a volunteer American pilot - who did not know or recognize the strong British class divisions.

[@patricksarsfield5138]

The RAF in the battle of Britain had more fighter pilots from the working class population and also from Poland and Czechoslovakia than they had from so called upper class tiers of society. Although old films and media would have you believe the reverse.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@patricksarsfield5138 I knew a few, all i met were generally working class, but mostly grammer school boys in their youth. The upper classes more likely to have had pilots licence before the war, so were the first to be trained up, but they were few.

[@AudieHolland]

@@patricksarsfield5138 That may be true, but still, a Sergeant Pilot could not have a drink in the Officer's Club with the Flying Officer he had just saved from the Hun.

[@fluidthought42]

That WWII connection in of itself reminds me of the race riots white American soldiers threw in England when local pubs refused to racially segregate. It seems that the distinctions people make between themselves always look invisible and quite arbitrary to outsiders, and maybe it's because on some level they are.

[@ES-qm5hr]

The saddest thing is that the British upper classes have clawed back all the wealth, influence, and power that they lost during the social mobility of the post war period. Every time I go back to the UK, it steps further back into the malaise, or having rich toffs calling the shots at everyone else's expense. It's sad to see the poor, and lower middle classes allowing that to happen.

[@Mute040404]

It's true, they're now trying to tell the rest of us what to think & what to say through woke nonsense

[@fluidthought42]

It doesn't help when some of the working class, being brainwashed by classist propaganda, help vote in Tory creeps who endeavor to accelerate that process. Of course, Labour isn't doing much of anything these days to actually counter that ideology...

[@manfrombritain6816]

Woke has enabled it entirely. The working class in America and Europe have been utterly fucked over by globalism and companies moving manufacturing abroad, and the whole song and dance that sold it to the public was pointing at white people and calling them racists

[@fluidthought42]

@@manfrombritain6816 Er I'm not sure if you've noticed but there was never any need to sell it to the general public as anything, since control and ownership over industry isn't in the hands of the general public nor certainly that of the workers. Indeed the liberalization that came with neoliberalism was initially very anti-woke, Thatcher and Reagan were hardly paragons of tolerance. If you want the public, or even just the workers, to have a real say over what is done with industry maybe worry less about who's being called a racist and worry more about who owns the means of production.

[@cjm-nd2mn]

Yep our ancestor's fought for it all and from about 2008 we seemed to just handed it all back to them all the power ffs

[@WillN2Go1]

This is brilliant. The key difference for Michael Caine is that he was absolutely determined to get ahead - he never accepted the limitations. The connected ba***rds can't keep you back _unless you go along with it_ . Don't waste time being angry - use it. (I'm in my 60s I'm still 'going to show them....' but I never bother. I don't want to make anyone feel bad - I just want to use that 'block of wood on my shoulder' as motivation.) I wanted to teach my students how to do what I did - go from working class and always told I was wrong to wealthy, able and living an amazing life. What I often got was "You can't teach me nothing." Congratulations - you win! You get to stay poor, live surrounded by violence and spend the rest of your life frustrated. (btw I personally know more murder victims, killers, places feet from my homes where people have been shot and killed. For me this is life or death.) Be smarter, faster, quicker, seek challenges - learn how powerful it is to repeatedly fall flat on your face and get up again. Books contain almost all the secrets. Sure, some people are born smart, but no one stays smarter past about 13 years old - by then the people who read, who learn, who don't just hang out, begin to move ahead of everybody else. (The rich know this, that's the only reason about half of them are good at something.) I'd go on and on about this but tomorrow I'm going sailing in the Bahamas and I have to pack. Get started. You will fail, you will fall flat on your face - there's only one way forward -- get back up and keep at it.

[@MrTodayistheday]

This was very insightful. He is a truly great man.

[@charlesangeli7412]

The biggest con job in the us is the education system >we are taught to answer the bell get inline for debt cradle to grave !!!

[@---df5sr]

And yet he’s accepting awards from the people he’s talking about “Sir Michael Caine” lol

[@pippipster6767]

@@---df5sr Well let’s and the dilemma and remove the completely ludicrous gongs altogether. Whilst we’re at it, lets disband the useless royal family.

[@dwightsmith4641]

It is not insightful. Hierarchies have existed since the beginning of man and can even be observed in the animal kingdom. No person likes where they fall in hierarchy and we have all been mistreated at one time or the other for being a member of some group. Don’t believe me, then go to a Manchester football game wearing the wrong colors. I wish there was some way to make people more kind to their fellow man, but making laws about such things has only made it worse. Cockneys have been treated badly, but there are people in India who are not supposed to be even looked at. Caste systems should be done away with, but unfortunately there will always be some form of hierarchy to take it’s place. Give 50 men the assignment to build a bridge providing all of the plans and materials they need. Do not put anyone in charge and watch what happens. You would think some person with civil engineering background would be the boss, but it usually doesn’t work that way. You learn this if your company has forced any team building exercises or retreats. There is such a thing as a natural leader, natural lieutenants, natural managers, and tons of different specialties which all are important as each other if you want to complete some task efficiently and effectively. Humans can be mean and I am certain Mr Caine, oh I’m sorry Sir Caine has suffered just as we all have.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

@@---df5sr Cockneys of his generation feel an affinity with the royal family that they don't feel with the upper classes in general. This comes from the Second World War when the King and his immediate family stayed in London rather than, as Parliament wanted, evacuating to somewhere safer. The King and Queen made regular visits to the areas devastated by the Blitz to meet and console the ordinary people.

[@rigavitch]

My father left the uk for Australia in the last 60's due to the fact he could never get a promotion, job wise because of his working class roots and accent!

[@jackkraken3888]

This is fascinating. And sad.

[@boxingmonkey8621]

I moved to Australia over 20 Years ago Born and raised in New Cross, South London Off I went to Australia with my Cockney accent First job I got I had for 19 Years They thought I sounded like Hugh Grant 😂😂😂 Aussies are Great People and it instantly felt like home

[@Zoro007]

Spot on..... I'm so glad he got Knighted..... he's one of my true heroes.... brilliant man...👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@56postoffice]

This is why he's always has been and still is, one of my favourite English actors. Everything he said here, spot on. 👏👏

[@nicomoreno5028]

I don't know much about Michael Caine... but after watching this I am very interested. This is very reflective but also very forward thinking.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Great insights and he is right. I am from Lancashire and it was identical there, to the word.

[@32446]

I also a Lancastrian and agree

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

@@32446 I remember how the Beatles cheered us up turning up on telly with their accents.

[@NoThankYouReally]

Having spent a fair amount of time traveling Europe for work and England in particular, one of the greatest surprises was just how "real" class constraints still are. Mind boggling, this idea of rising above one's station as a negative thing. Generally speaking, in the States being born poor and 'making it' is an unambiguous positive, something to be lauded, as opposed to inheriting wealth and turning it into more wealth. Nothing is more deflating to the reputation of a successful person than for it to be said "yeah her parents were rich, that's why she's rich"- the implication that she was sent to the right schools, knew the right people, had the financial backing to take risks that people of less means could not afford to take. On the other side, seeing the child of poverty "make it" and build enough "f you" wealth to kick the door down to the rich club- man, nothing better, cause you know that person is probably a better person than you and should be admired and perhaps even emulated rather than distained. There is much to learn from that person! That person gives everyone motivation and hope!

[@happypants9428]

Yea but it also inspires lies and false realities. I’ve known impressive rich people who cling to the story that “they earned their wealth” because they claim to have risen from the bottom to the top, when in fact they started with significantly more advantages than most people. Sometimes the work they put in is very impressive and they should just be proud of that, but they feel the need to juice the story and make their life’s narrative be this incredible Dickensian adventure. The part of America I grew up in had throngs of communities who held this mentality.

[@NoThankYouReally]

@@happypants9428 Yep- agree. Which further makes the point that being "self made" has so much cultural cachet that people are willing to exaggerate their own stories to achieve at least its appearance!

[@tonioinverness]

@Johan You're not wrong. Actual studies have been done on this--it is harder to achieve class mobility in the US than in most of Europe. I don't recall if the UK was part of that study, but I believe so. However, as @Happy Pants says, the positive *myth* of upward mobility is so powerful in the US that people pretend to have done it, even when they haven't. That's very different from other parts of the world where you're more encouraged to "stay in your place" or encouraged to appear as though you have always come from privilege. One correction: downward class mobility is exceptionally easy in the US.

[@necaacen]

heres the thing, in the uk the divide is class, in america its race. london was first developed into a city 2000 years ago by the romans, so youve got 2000 years of history much of which was defined by the ruling king or queen of the time, royalty, aristocracy. so its all about class stratification. in america the history is only a few 100 years and its kind of defined by breaking away from the uk and its class structure. but the hierarchy then became defined by slaves and a skin colour, america never had a king, but the uk never had the kkk. so i guess cain is right here, the best way for an american to understand class in the uk is to think of it like race in america.

[@savtazvia3456]

Absolutely. Look at the states achievements and the English achievements. The fact they still admire their rotten royals and bow to them is pathetic and speaks volumes about them. Obviously not all but many still do. They pee in their pants when one of the "royals" speaks to them.

[@timmyhiggins5220]

It's the same in Ireland. I had aspirations of betterment 20 years ago and was laughed at. In the end I got my qualifications and travelled the world, making some money along the way. Those people who laughed never left their work station, let alone company.

[@thedwightguy]

and then their company goes.............and they get the rug pull.......and wonder what happened...

[@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns]

The irony being that there are 70-80 million descendants of the Irish around the world. Only about 6% of us live in Ireland (I've never been). Though most of us were forced out by the famine.

[@Sleepingbear2222]

This is a shock to me. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. I’ve enjoyed Michael Caine’s performances. I like his accent. I knew of Cockney accents was from the working class in Britain, but I never equated Michael Caine as being “Cockney”, but just Michael Caine’s having his unique accent.

[@ams1897]

Just a slight clarification, cockney (one of) the working class London accents. The working class of other parts of the UK have different accents.

[@allthatjazz-7]

We were certainly brought up to "know our place" in Great Britain. Well said here by the sensational Michael Caine.

[@paladro]

@King Royal some man can speak about being enlightened, while never reaching it themselves.

[@thewizardssleeve119]

@King Royal Why would anyone with ambition vote Labour?

[@Stray940]

​@@thewizardssleeve119 Maybe they have an IQ above 80?

[@evo5dave]

@@thewizardssleeve119 Yeah it's been looking fine and dandy under the Tories for the last decade. All those ambitious public sector like teachers, nurses celebrating their ongoing pay freezes. And all these bright business opportunities the Conservatives have created for.... oh yes.... their own mates with PPE contracts.

[@therespectedlex9794]

@King Royal Not seeming as much of a Tory here. He was officially communist before fighting in the Korean War.

[@barbellsamurai8014]

THE FULL INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE ON KZbin - 'Candid Caine - A Self Portrait of Michael Caine (1969)' - This section starts at about the 30 minute mark

[@lulumoon6942]

Aces, cheers! 👍

[@MrTapanes]

Just what I was searching for, thanks!

[@wittyguacamole]

I really appreciate finding comments like this one, thanks! I now saved the full interview to my watch list.

[@barbellsamurai8014]

@@wittyguacamole no problem, was pure luck I had seen and watched the full interview a month ago and knew what it was from.

[@MerelyGifted]

@@ericp3645 The sound is pretty much nonexistent.

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

As a Portuguese born out of rural surroundings that went to Asia and then the Middle East to be a Senior Manager in The construction industry I feel like him: the ones around me kept me down, everyone else was happy to have me on their midst.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Brilliant summation of the British class-system as it was back then (and still largely is today).

[@heliotropezzz333]

And so he went on to be a Tory supporter and great fan of Maggie Thatcher. Lol. I don't know who he thought was holding the working class down - probably themselves, I imagine.

[@matthewstokes1608]

After shooting his gob off here like a loudmouthed ill-informed yob - he probably worked out that all he said here was utter cobblers

[@drott150]

Still largely is today? Is that why Saddiq Khan is mayor of London?

[@drott150]

@@heliotropezzz333 So why was it that Labour suffered its utterly historic defeat recently? All the aristocrats voted against them, was that it? 😂

[@heliotropezzz333]

@@drott150 The Tories are good at suggesting they share the aspirations of the working class on freedom, immigration and getting on in life. They have put a lot of effort and money into this and they receive money from big business, wealthy lobbyists, and Russian oligarchs. The working class seems to want to believe the Tories, at least up to now.

[@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp]

I am a Jewish cockney. I had a good brain and obtained a public school scholarship where I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was never really accepted. I went on to become a successful lawyer, but never fitted in and was looked down upon for the way I still speak. I laughed all the way to the bank. Bollocks to all of them. Well done Michael.

[@YTSqwid]

I've got a good brain, too. Got a job?

[@westleymanc]

Why mention being Jewish?

[@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp]

@@westleymanc why shouldn’t I? Do you have a prejudice against my people?

[@ΑναστάσιοςΠαπαζαχαρίου]

​@@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp Yes

[@MikeCee7]

I’m confused as an American, is everyone who’s Cockney, working class? Were there no Cockney doctors or lawyers in that region of London. Were there no hospitals or bankers in that region?

[@NotSure109]

It's funny cause in so much of the world, they would hear Caine's accent and go "Wow, a fancy British man, so classy!". Some people might even ridicule him for being posh and snooty because he speaks with ANY British accent lol

[@kingprince3975]

I hear americans say things like that all the time after seeing michael caine in the batman movies . "oh they should get michael caine to this king/nobleman character because he has a posh accent" or "it isn't believable that someone with a posh accent like michael caine could be a soldier" . To americans, Michael Caine sounds like Winston Churchill, in reality Churchill had an Edwardian accent which is different from a Cockney accent and very posh.

[@legbert123]

@@kingprince3975 Ya us yanks have a hard time differentiating accents from across the pond. Ive gotten to see subtle differences since watching so many English youtubers tho.

[@ams1897]

@@legbert123 The problem is, the differences really aren`t subtle. Every vowel sound is pronounced completely differently depending upon where in England you`re from. Most people on KZbin don`t have strong regional accents, but if you talk to someone on a council estate in different parts of the country, the differences are very strong. I think it`s a blind spot for Americans in particular, as even people who don`t speak English as a foreign language can distinctly hear the differences. Placing them is another matter, but Americans say they can`t hear the difference between the King and a Scouser or someone from Yorkshire, which is fucking stupid as literally everything they say, from the words to how they pronounce words is different.

[@NoThankYouToo]

This is by far the most erudite and cultured comments section I’ve ever encountered. Bravo, people. This made my day. Thank you.

[@AlexDeLarge77]

This man is a hero and an icon to working class Londoners. When he goes it will be a sad day. Michael was idolised in my house as kid.

[@Ex-P.F.C_Wintergreen]

And this is still true today. I didn't realise how class conscious England was until I moved to Australia

[@tonyw2808]

Me too. From Bradford. Being born in London would a' been luxury to us. We used to live in a brown paper bag i' middle o' t'street. But seriously, back in 1967 spending ten quid for a four week cruise and a trip to Australia was the best money I ever spent. To live in a country where everyone accepted that Jack really was every bit as good as his master certainly got me out of the rut

[@pateris]

As a foreigner, but enthusiastic of most things English, I would concur. About 50% of British literature has to have some class thingie in there somewhere. You guys seems still bearing the trauma of the victorian era. (Nothing wrong with that I point out !)

[@SStupendous]

@@pateris Huh? Classes still very much exist. Probably more than in the past in many nations. England is no exception.

[@pateris]

@@SStupendous Most indeedy, I did not say otherwise !

[@retribution999]

He's one of the lucky few who escaped the financial constraints of his class.

[@thomridgeway1438]

It was a rarity ... the Elites won't ever allow it again!

[@thomridgeway1438]

@@sophiafake-virus2456 well let's just say, having read his biography, he is a name dropper extraordinaire! My does he know a lot of people!

[@thomridgeway1438]

@@sophiafake-virus2456 That sounds more likely to be true than the story he spins that he wanted a name to use for his agent, and he saw the Bogart movie The Caine Muitiny up in lights at a moviw theatre.

[@retribution999]

@@sophiafake-virus2456 what's that got to do with it. He just had the confidence to break free

[@retribution999]

@@thomridgeway1438 not so rare. Many have gone from nowhere to the top. You can do what u want if u have the mind to and talent

[@angelwings7930]

He’s one of the most fascinating actors and he’s one my favorites.

[@servo5000]

Fantastic interview. So glad I stumbled upon this by chance. Had no idea how the cockneys were viewed, or any others across Britain for that matter.

[@MyKrabi]

OMG Sir M. Caine's class and race analysis is on fire! I knew he was married to a South Asian woman, but didn't realise he was so on point.

[@colinstewart1432]

Class. It's the final taboo. It lurks under all other prejudices. Well said Michael Caine 🤘

[@Stefanthenautilus]

In America it's so taboo that we prefer to pretend it doesn't even exist here. Instead, we talk all day long about the politics of identity - race, gender, sexuality, etc. - all of which keeps us nicely distracted from the material realities of the haves and the have-nots, those who make the rules and those who suffer under them.

[@colinstewart1432]

@@Stefanthenautilus Sounds familiar. Keep the people disoriented and distracted and they'll be unable to unite against us.

[@couchwarrior2449]

We are NOT all equal. That is a farce.

[@furiousapplesack]

@@Stefanthenautilus The "distractions" you mentioned aren't unimportant, nor are they some orchestrated plot to throw everyone off the trail. I will never understand this inclination for people to be unable to hold two different non-contradictory thoughts in their head at the same time. At least from the US historical perspective, we brought in the same mentality from Caribbean slavers who realized creating what were essentially different "classes" of slave helped keep the slaves in check at a time when the slaver didn't have a way to get military reinforcement quickly to an island. It worked extremely well to have just enough slaves who felt they had something to lose, who would turn in conspirators in attempted rebellions so they didn't lose the tiny fraction of privileges they had accrued. And black people have been kept down ever since. My point in bringing this up is to use one example (racism) to point out that racism itself is the thing preventing the US from enacting good economic reform. It's been shown many times throughout history that racists will shoot themselves in the foot and vote for policies that harm themselves as long as they've been reassured that it'll harm the people they don't like even more. So there's an order of operations here; the good things that need to happen will never happen if the mental/social/physical structures that reinforce class aren't tackled first.

[@Amaling]

@@Stefanthenautilus worse yet, you've started to export this shit to other countries. I never even had these blanket term "races" in my mind until US media exposure. Because you know, most other countries do not have 16% of their population be descendents of slaves with no traceable country or sub-region of origin over hundreds of years, who are somehow still not considered "100% American" by much of the country in this scenario.

[@pauljackson2409]

I always liked Michael Caine, and after watching this I like him even more.

[@nodinitiative]

I love his work ethics. He literally agreed to act in Jaws the Revenge, so that he can buy a house :-)

[@TomBartram-b1c]

What he said was: Yes the film was lousy but the house I bought as a result is bloody terrific!

[@sailordude2094]

Michael is a wise man. Thanks for the intriguing thoughts!

[@peterjones7303]

In the day when an interview was exactly that

[@lynnwood7205]

Long ago on the old telly, a black and white film, a war movie, I think about Korea, me just back from Vietnam, watching, recognizing one of the extras, who hit the deck as only someone who had been in combat would. You knew he had been in the military and in a war zone. This decades before the internet. Thank you for the hours of entertainment through the mastery of your craft.

[@healthyself7941]

Right on, Michael!! Exactly right.

[@deltaromeo3581]

Ol' south London here, he speaks truth. Relevant today too.

[@frankmachin5438]

Shows how intelligent and erudite Mr Caine is ….

[@paladro]

actually the more interesting interview would be to see where his views are now, 50-60 years later.

[@anthonymullen6300]

@@paladro sir Michael Caine who has turned into a Tory. Sad.

[@---df5sr]

And yet he’s accepting awards from the aristocracy that subjugated and oppressed his ancestors “Sir Michael Caine” lol

[@anthonymullen6300]

@Jack Elliott bollocks! How the fuck can you even contemplate that though .

[@MrManBuzz]

@Jack Elliott You are utterly delusional if you believe that. How is that beloved Brexit working out for the working class? Or the cost of living crisis? 🤣 These Tory bastards tried to take school meals away from poor children, literally the ones in government now. And you say they're on the side of the working class? What kind of brain rot do you have to have to think that?

[@thunderbirdbrown3002]

I've always knew he was important to me.But now ...More than ever.🤘🏿Thank you Michael.Getcha Pull 🥃-Cheers 🍻666

[@EVALLOYD]

It wasn't only the establishment that kept the working class down, it was the working class themselves who came to consider it was their lot and they should never aspire to more. As he says, centuries of it being drummed into them that they were who they were, they should be content as they were, made them more than willing partners in the great lie. In my family, working class from Glasgow, no matter how good your report card was, almost no interest was shown, nor encouragement given, what was the point, you were leaving school at 15 and into the job market and your wages helped to keep the pot boiling.

[@davidevans9782]

Spot on, Linda. It was a much more 'insular' time in past generations...we simply weren't exposed to a world outside of our own communities and so 'stuck to what we knew' and 'had no business' mixing with those outside of our 'like'! Education is generally what frees people - whether its formal or self taught, in my opinion.

[@lordracula2461]

@@davidevans9782 It's the same now!

[@johnmccann8319]

The Rich and Powerful have always MANIPULATED the LAWS and BRAINWASHED the Poor and Working class into believing that they were worthless.And then they sent them off to wars,and down the coal mines etc. using them for their own selfish means.

[@EVALLOYD]

@@lordracula2461 Not quite. Working class background as are my brothers and sisters, our children were able to stay at school after the official leaving age, get "O" and 'A" levels and those who had the academic capabilities went onto college or university. My own daughter has a PhD in Socio-Psychology and a MBA and now lectures. We didn't have the same mindset as our parents. There are now a lot more working class kids going to top universities like Oxford and Cambridge which would have been extremely rare back in the 50'.

[@arianbyw3819]

It's also the working class who got bamboozled by the Tories and voted for brexit. As did Michael caine.

[@writeract2]

What a great interview - very well articulated by Mr. Caine. He was so good looking when young - wishe we had the rest of the docuenatary.

[@COL321]

It's here on YT kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGnWaIZsar6fetE

[@robertjohnredrupp2405]

Well said Michael. I'm 65 , still working, and yes I still get jibes about my accent, coz I'm outta the Angel Islington mate 😆.... You've done amazingly in your career and I take my hat off to you. And to finish I'd say your in my top 5 coolest blokes to ever be on the big screen. 👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@benhill4092]

I never heard him speak so eloquently! Good on him. He was a Korean War veteran too.

[@mygreatbigfoot1679]

No conductors anymore, but I remember some of the conductors from fifty years ago. Amazing what charm some of them added to an otherwise boring journey.

[@DanielPerez-hy4ts]

That Chip on your shoulder is what has made you one of the greatest actors in Cinema History. God bless you Michael Caine.

[@Gwalion]

The worst thing is - these attitudes have become more entrenched since then, not less. The British working class have an amazing capacity for being treated like shit and then voting for more.

[@jrd33]

No mainstream political party in the UK represents the working class.

[@roderickscott7429]

not in scotland Caine, Davidson, Tarbuck you have to ask what did the tories bring to their table when growing up ?

[@user-yp3oj5se1i]

You can't tell if your vote is counted and for instance the last U.S election showed us how simply the rigging is done. Trump beat the Clinton woman and the child abusing man called Biden but the msm simply reported on none of the rigging and illegal vote activity that was in abundance. Most working class people know of the corruption around voting and the pointlessness of voting and don't vote.

[@johnlewis9158]

Has to be honest do the working class in all of the worlds democracies and even more so in those countries that are not democracies.

[@repealsection230forbigtech4]

True. Because the upper classes play on racial hatred politics to keep people divided. Playing on the insecurities of the working class they distract them pointing to dark skinned immigrant to make the work class guy forget who it is that has been screwing them for 1000 years. They'll promote some incompetent sycophant puppet like Priti Patel to make that loser the target of resentment.

[@Limubi1]

This is a fascinating interview.

[@senianns9522]

I was born in South London to 'working class' parents! 3 years ago I retired from the position of General Manager of a globally known brand of an American company!

[@reesetorwad8346]

So then...are you nothing special? Or are you a special case? You can't be both. Are you suggesting Mr. Caine is a liar, or stupid, or something else?

[@Jinx301]

I connected so much with this video. Ireland has this too and my city, Dublin.

[@robertewing3114]

Dublins conservative elements have been described more conservative than Englands conservative hierarchy. No wonder the high suicide rate, as the Dublin club boasts they are taking the country. .

[@tz7813]

Completely agree. I’m from the North, and I’ve always said that being a ‘Northerner’, generally means nothing more than having limiting beliefs. I moved away 30 years ago, when I was a teenager, to find work, and privately set myself the goal of never going back. Before Thatcher closed the industries, it was famous for tough people who were hard workers. Once they put everyone in call centres, the ‘identity’, moved on to Booze and football? Sounds great to some, but for me? No thanks.

[@Eradicus]

You've entirely failed to understand this video. Fucking dope.

[@tz7813]

@@Eradicus So, you didn’t get out then? Try to enjoy what’s left.

[@feathermerchant]

Its always nice to cite the date of the interview.

[@oneofthelastsurvivingdoges8832]

No matter what race you are, which politics you agree with, your sexuality or gender identity, your belief system... it all comes down to class and the moolah.

[@benanson]

Wonderful, Sir Michael.

[@thedwightguy]

Well, it had 1,000 years in England to become "entrenched". In Canada I was surprised that the union business agents (Welcome to Wales), lawyers (welcome to England), and Scots (welcome to sales) all re-manufactured the same class system from back home when it was the REASON they left England in the first place!! I guess you build what you know.

[@barreloffun10]

Those on the bottom want to be on top. Those on top want to stay there.

[@meramail]

Am from India so I don't really get the specifics of your comment, but I get the point and I agree with your conclusion that one builds what one knows.. Even though one might not like what one knows.. That's probably the reason that we inherit the traits that we dont like in our parents of course those traits might show up in a different way in our lives then they did in our parents' lives.....

[@Dave-hu5hr]

You get what you import.. Plastic downgraded Europeans and Africans with a bit of this and that is the Americas.

[@ThomasMcConville-x9k]

Our grandfather, ma dad's father Allen McConville was born in Newcastle as a Geordie, and emigrated to the US with his family circa 1890.

[@supernovagirl5741]

The class system I find it to be complex, while i myself am not cockney (I live 30 mins from london) I did grow up in a council house for 10 years with a drug addict and an alcoholic parent I grew up in poverty it was very depressing then I lived in a different abusive household with an aunt and uncle who were narcissist social climbers who had a lot of money, a business, a mortgage etc then 8 years later me and my sister moved out of the abusive environment of that house when I was 18 and she was 23 and we were skint as anything living in the flat we lived in when I say skint I mean stealing toilet paper, eating gone off food and never having the heating on skint overtime money has changed for me and my sister in a lot of ways her husband earns decentish money nearly 2 grand a month (he was on 400 when I first knew him) she makes and sells a lot of things online, my boyfriend is a plumber and a gas engineer and I have more money than I did a couple of years ago, naturally we moved out of the flat she moved into a bigger house in a nicer area and I moved into a smaller house in the same area and I feel like I still identify as working class despite living in a nice area and being able to afford to have the heating on and eating food that I feel like I want to eat etc some days I feel I don't deserve it some days I feel me and my sister both turned a corner in our lives that being said I don't think it's anything to brag about because there's a fine line with being humble about your achievements and being smug and smarmy because eventually you forget what it's like to be working class and that's something I've always been afraid of.

[@kenea3226]

Michael Caine is a legend. Second Hand Lions, A Man Who Would be King... I could sit here all day and name my favourite movies of his, but these are two that leapt to mind. Someone give me one to watch tonight, Please.

[@downhilltwofour0082]

I have even more respect for Sir Michael now.

[@DudeSilad]

You should watch his interviews. They are some of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[@---df5sr]

You respect a man who awards from the people he claimed subjugated and oppressed his ancestors?? “Sir Michael Caine” lol

[@rovhalt6650]

He said the N word though. He should be cancelled.

[@downhilltwofour0082]

@@rovhalt6650 No, in his time, the N word was very much alive. In fact he was 31 years of age when the 24th Amendment was ratified. "When the 24th Amendment was ratified in 1964, five states still retained a poll tax: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia. The amendment prohibited requiring a poll tax for voters in federal elections."

[@rovhalt6650]

@@downhilltwofour0082 Context ant time doesn't matter. He said the N-word, he should be cancelled.

[@Leelz247]

England is class conscious to an nth degree and it's mind-boggling. It's nutty.

[@mooseyman74]

Most people I've met are just happy to get pissed at the weekend or talk about the holiday they've booked in 6 months time

[@chrisy6707]

Great friend of Sean Connery who had exactly the same background and viewpoint. These guys proved what determination, self-belief and hard work can do for individuals. They are huge a inspiration.

[@farzanamughal5933]

You are a fool

[@scarystardust6095]

They shertainly are young chrishtopher 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@chrisy6707]

@@scarystardust6095 Yesh, nishe of you to shay sho :)

[@joejacquesschulz8514]

True. My grandpa admired famous French author Alexandre Dumas because that man had made it although he he hd been black, He said when people would ask me "Where do you come from?" I should say (like Dumas) "We all come from Adam and Eve". When I read the autobiography of Muhammad Ali I understood that working class members and Black people have the same antagonists: "Gatekeepers".

[@andrewh2u]

Moved from Birmingham to London in my early thirties and pivoted to Investment Banking... realised *that* accent had to go before I changed investsment house a year later if I was gonna make it. Class systems are still a barrier in the UK no matter what your ability. Moved to NY in a few years and the whole scene is totally different... everyone can make it here no matter where you are from.

[@TomWatsonB1]

I'll never forget my time working in Crewe, Cheshire, UK for 5 months at a church and in schools and working with mostly lower class people. Their attitudes and outlooks on life were vastly different than the few educated and upper class members of the church and (mostly poor) community. It was night and day. Growing up in the US, we have this somewhat, but it is very extreme in the UK. Another time, I saw a wealthy man berating a working class man at a petrol station on the A6. He told him to "learn your place." All that had seemingly happened was that the wealthy man's wife had attempted to open her door at the same time as the working class man. The working class man merely laughed and walked away. Still, that sort of thing would never happen in the US.

[@muiresuilgorm3452]

It happens to people of colour and immigrants all the time.

[@wiseonwords]

@TomWatsonB1 - "Still, that sort of thing would never happen in the US."' Really? An American writing BS like that with America's racist history! That's rich!

[@larrywhited3070]

Show me a country that does not have a racist history.

[@TomWatsonB1]

@@wiseonwords We don't have classes like they do in the UK. You don't seem to get it. You're thinking along the lines of racism. My comment is about class. It's not the same thing. There are wealthy people in the US, but everyone is basically the same, in theory. In the UK, there is a real and tangible class system, although I'm sure it isn't what it once was. Additionally, racism in the US is nothing like it once was, despite what the media will lead you to believe. Extremely few people under 40 years are racist.

[@davedogge2280]

I got some of that from the middle classes in London who were managers in I.T. in the mid 1990s to around 2012. People who were from middle (not upper) thinking that they owned you in the office and they were the lord of the manor. Those idiots didn't even own the pens they used to write with on their office table, so I learned to tell them to f-off and just moved onto the next job.

[@jespersorensen4462]

Totally agree with this.. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@garybrockwell2031]

ALWAYS great to see our London boy👍 indeed not as many in London anymore, as far as class was in the 60's???? This London son,,,,,,,, BLEW THE BLOODY DOORS OFF 👍🇬🇧🆘✌️ GOD SAVE OUR CAIN💯🙏🗣️😘😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💪

[@jasongadd1040]

It goes right up the ladder. My dad's dad owned and ran a steel cutting firm in Croydon (Accurate Profiles). I'd call that middle class and they were very proper middle class. But his parents had to fight for him to get into the local grammar school and, when he left (probably around 1951), he asked the headmaster if he could join the Old Boys' Club and was told, "In your case, Gadd, I don't think that would be appropriate". This still rankled decades later; and I quote, "Bloody snob!!" So he left and came to Canada.

[@savtazvia3456]

Good for him. smart man

[@davedogge2280]

The world missed out, we could have had Micheal Caine, multi-talented toilet attendent of Brick Lane.

[@patrickbateman1960]

Excellent analysis of the British Class System (which is still in place).

[@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466]

Yeah. It's still in place. But he was complaining about a shite share of the economic wealth that the working class get. Kids today have been brainwashed to forget that bit

[@sboloshis1188]

This man is royalty to America, we don’t really have that but we love this dude.

[@benwherlock9869]

A national treasure. In a league of his own.

[@margo3367]

Fiona Hill talked about the class system in England and how she realized that would keep her from being what she knew she could be so she moved to America.

[@moanabell3550]

“The original geniuses of brainwashing - the British Aristocracy’. Profoundly true.

[@jackwmith8445]

Good friend of mine. Incredibly productive and creative scholar. He is English from a working class background. I was talking about him with a university administrator from England who said and I quote " Amazing how good he is considering his background." I felt like hitting him.

[@piplebref4607]

Was this in the UK?

[@artyfhartie2269]

What do you expect from a culture who crawl up the asses of so called royals and so called aristocrats ( terms invented by Brits) who got there by stealing and grabbing lands of others. The Brits invented the term class

[@1mimarin]

I work in HE and have so many similar examples. Worst I have heard recently is this: Posh woman related to me, she was in tears as she did so, how her parents friend had sex with her at 14. I empathised and said how truly awful that must have been and added that lots of exploited working class girls were going through similar experiences. Her response? “But I am not an illiterate working class person, I am a daughter of the literati!”. Yep, for real. As if those working class girls are somehow too bovine to even notice, let alone feel disturbed by these experiences. There is also the left wing bleeding heart who paid for her kid to undertake an unpaid internship with the Labour Party.

[@DieFlabbergast]

You're a fool. I come from a working-class family, and was the first person ever from that family to go to university. Your university administrator was praising your friend, and recognising the facts. It takes a lot more hard work and/or natural genius to succeed if you come from a working-class background. My parents never read a book once they left school. The only books we had in our house were the set of encyclopedias my mother had the insight to buy for me. I read them from cover to cover. If I had been middle class, it would have been FAR easier. Most working class families are like mine: kids who emerge from such a background and go on to make a successful career deserve far more praise than those who were born into a privileged social position.

[@unclenogbad1509]

@@DieFlabbergast Calling him a fool? You've just shown exactly what Caine was talking about: working classes persuaded to think they're naturally inferior. Hence, to you, a pat on the head from some nob is the highlight of your life, "Well done, good chappie." Btw, I'm working class, also first in family to go to university (if you don't count my brother). Our house was full of books, and my parents instilled in me the idea that 'culture' wasn't the preserve of the rich, it was for everybody. Today, I'm as happy going to see an opera as I am to see a punk band. I'm grateful for that upbringing, and the rich can f*** themselves.

[@dannyfisher6681]

Pure British Class! Michael Caine is Awesome.

[@thomaslawrence2731]

I think Michael Caine has an apt not far from where he grew up. He once said he was determined not to lose his 'Cockney' accent because he wanted to show others that they can be a success too.

[@ronwhite8503]

You'd have to be Michael Caine to afford one in that area.

[@sollykhan2385]

what a legend, a real 'SALT OF THE EARTH' this is how i remember Michael from the earliest of times, a man of principle, with a character that cannot be put down, or kept down, BRAVO

[@Padoinky]

Always liked him - his movie “a shock to the system” is such an under-rated flick

[@johnbuggy9121]

Is that the one where he throws Peter Riegert onto the subway line?

[@archstanton3763]

Interesting interview that shows a side of him and an insight into his way of thinking at this point in time. I have a feeling he’s changed his views on many matters since this time.

[@johndoyle5706]

Agreed, he's definitely sold out. 'Angs around wiv toffs now. Ere, come n join the anarchists Micky. Only one war, class war. If we ever make it to the promised land of social equality I wonder what the future historians will make of it all. The peasants robbed and murdered by the psychopaths, and then fought wars against other workers from other nations for the benefit of their ancestors murderers. Enjoy Platinum jubilee weekend!

[@JWNOSNHOJ]

It's interesting to observe that in the world of pop/rock music the early musicians were mainly from working class backgrounds i.e. the Beatles, Cliff & the Shadows, Gerry & the Pacemakers. When it appeared that many of them were making loads of money the posh boys/girls took over i.e. Pink Floyd etc.

[@orlandohoyos5297]

I finally found the assessment audio clip to play to my B2 English learners as a pre-graduation requirement

[@QueenBee-mk8xm]

Yes, there will always be people who try to keep you down and either at the same level as them or try to push you down to feel superior.

[@splodge57]

I'm happy to be a Cockney and proud to be English. Money ain't everything and not a lot of people know that.

[@JohnSSmithOfRigaLatvia]

This is powerful. I have worked as a mover (removalist for folks in the UK) for several years, and some of the homes that I have moved were owned by people who were so rich that us workers probably didn't know their real names. Our crews were mainly white, black, and hispanic, and none of us got special treatment. We were all condescended to or outright demeaned in the same ways. From this, I gathered that the people who control things all see working class people in the same light even while we, the working class, play the age-old poverty game of "you think that YOU have it rough? Lemme tell you about ME!!!" This is in America. I think it is interesting how we in America equate class and poverty with race when it is so much more nuanced than that. Imagine if we all stopped fighting one another and turned our attention to the ones that hold us down.

[@oddities-whatnot]

In the UK its a lot to do with who you know. Thats what opens doors. In my eyes if you work for a living, you are working class but of course its not seen that way. If you are a surgeon, you certainly wouldn’t say you were working class. Its the type of job you do that puts you in a certain class.

[@MikeCee7]

I’m confused, as an American, is everyone who’s Cockney, working class? Were there no Cockney doctors or lawyers in that region of London. Were there no hospitals or bankers in that region?

[@picklep9812]

Always be true to yourself no mater what and your internal world will be comfortable