idakyne

Attending public school in the UK (and acquiring said public school accent and manners and customs) is such a massive advantage that it is probably the single thing that I could do to ensure my children have every opportunity they could possibly have in their lives.

Classism is pervasive in the UK. Many people will argue that it no longer exists however they are mistaken ( and most notably not on the lower rungs of the class hierarchy ). The view from the working class looking up is very different than if you are born into a middle/upper class family.

It’s not all about wealth either. Not having Received Pronunciation (I.e. a non southern accent ). The manner in which you speak, dress, behave are all class signals that are picked up on.

From a career perspective it is apparent that certain doors are closed (or at least a lot more difficult to open ) because of class. I’ve had recruiters blatantly tell me that I didn’t go to the ‘correct’ university (Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial) so there was not much point in applying as I wouldn’t get through an initial HR screening process.

Not aware of the tiktok meme, however there are a few uk based acapella groups specializing in sea shanties. 'The longest johns' are one of my favorites.