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Please give me a moment, I feel queasy; I think I may have over-indulged in festive TV's comforting class retro-ism. Which means Downton Abbey of course. Not that I mind Downton (a decent enough soap), but it appears to have breathed fresh life into the cultural trend for rosy revisionism. Then came the darker meat of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, depicting a social upstart, cowering in the blessed aura of his "betters", only becoming enlightened when things don't go his way. All over the country, people were marvelling at how the British class system affected everything, back then, in "the olden days", though, strangely, not giving much thought to how it is still affecting a lot of things right now. Well of course not – one couldn't get a nice box set out of that. I'm always hearing about how the British are obsessed with class, but I don't think that's so. Generally, people seem more interested in a certain brand of retro-class – class from the past, class at a distance, class that can neither touch nor shame them. It's the same with the sudden literary fascination with servants' hard times below stairs – the surge of books about the poor, callus-handed maids, struggling up the back stairs with their scrubbing brushes and pails. Egalitarian in their way, they also reflect the ongoing cultural cleansing of class issues. As in, it's fine to be obsessed with class so long as it's aimed at the very top and bottom of society (those conveniently unimaginable extremes) and occurred at least a century (or more) ago. This way, we all get to enjoy the exquisite gowns and drawing rooms and tut-tut over the servants' dreadful working conditions, from the moral safety of the 21st century. All of which obscures the fact that class still very much dominates British life. Only last week, Lord Glasman said that the Oxbridge-heavy Labour party no longer truly reflected the working classes, while David Skelton, deputy director of Policy Exchange, pointed out that none of the three main parties had leaders, or indeed leading figures, from working-class backgrounds. Away from politics, the richest still appear to be the richest, seemingly untouched by public anger. The middle classes are struggling, primarily to remain middle class (so much more expensive these days!). And the poorest are (natch!) still the poorest, with even the best and the brightest now stuck like never before, not least with free higher education yanked away and triple tuition fees looming. This is the truth of Britain as it enters 2012. It's riddled with class inequality and its evil twin, poverty, yet what are we all doing – doping ourselves up on what amounts to stately home porn, fast becoming the sedative of choice, the St John's wort of the masses? It's understandable enough. Modern class issues are real, depressing and make your brain hurt, while fictional retro-class skirmishes make for great family entertainment. It's not nice to think of the many young people unable to remain in education these days… but, woo hoo, did you see that cute Irish chauffeur run away with Lady Sybil in Downton? Of course, what do we expect from festive television, where escapism will always trump realism? But would it be too extraordinary for people at least to acknowledge that the British class divide is not some beautifully costumed anachronism from a bygone era? Rather, it's something that's still very much with us and not in a cosy book club discussion kind of way. At the start of 2012, it seems astonishing that anybody thinks they need to refer all the way back to Dickens or, for that matter, Julian Fellowes, for an education in the rights and wrongs of the British class system. For those who are interested, it's still going strong, all around you, without a box set in sight.

Downton Abbey's just the opiate of the middle classes | Barbara Ellen | Comment is free | The Observer

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Controversial popular online game Imperial Harem accused of promoting slave mentality “We should ask ourselves, why do they [post-90s kids] love palace dramas? Why are they addicted to the virtual world? Why do we force these kids to memorize Tang and Song poetry, and they refuse to, yet are willing to learn when playing online palace games?” According to Xinhua Guiyang, June, 5th dispatch (reporter: Li Jinya) “Awaiting the Emperor, Thank you for your blessing”…in one palace game QQ group, whenever, the “Emperor” and “Empress” go online, voices of respect shower from all sides. After online games involving “farming”, “stealing vegetables” and “steal parking spaces” caused controversies, a game dealing with the Imperial Harem once again drew people’s attention and debate. “Without any technical content, yet still so many people play it, this is unbelievable” Recently, with the popularity of palace dramas such as War and Beauty and Beyond the Realm of Conscience, palace-themed online games also grew more popular by the day. According to reports, the method players enters Imperial Harem games involves requesting invitation into a Harem QQ group, and after receiving the title of “Palace Lady”, “Beauty Girls”, or “Bodyguards” they must pay their daily respect to the Emperor, Empress and other high level officials. In addition they must participate in various “Imperial exams” organized by the palace ladies in order to be promoted to higher ranks such as “Princess” or “General”. In a QQ group called “The Emperor’s Martial Arts Assembly”, an “Empress” level player told the reporter, her job is to manage the affairs of the Imperial Harem to alleviate the Emperor’s worries, along with the organization of the content of “Imperial exams” including personal biography, personal talents, and responding to questions. Online, there are many QQ groups similar to “The Emperor’s Martial Arts Assembly”. After the reporter searched for “Palace groups”, he received over 500 related results, and with many groups all founded around 2009. Upon further investigation, most of the players of Imperial Harem games belonged to either the “post-80s” or “post-90′s” generation. “Any game where one can level up are addictive. When I’m bored, I would start posting comments in the group.” A freshman from Xi’an Electronic and Science University told the reporter she has already attained the level of “Princess”. “In the past, I used to hate studying ancient poems, but in order to play this game, I memorized many Tang and Song Dynasty poems. I sound so well-spoken when making comments; it is a lot of fun. Although many young players considered that Imperial Harem games are purely a novelty or just for wasting time, but to many older people, the obsession with this type of game is hard to comprehend. A bunch of stranger meet online to act the part of different palace roles, just like playing house. This type of game involves no technical skills, yet so many people still play it, this is unbelievable.” Post-70s generation netizens who were now considered old fashioned criticized: “We believe this type of game where player must refer to one another as “slave” or “master” only serve to promote a slave mentality, the desire to elevate in rank only serving to satisfy ones narcissistic needs.”

Online ?Imperial Harem? Games Promote Slavery & Narcissism? – chinaSMACK

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Hmm, not sure what angle you're seeing.

at any rate, I think the idea that people playing these Harem games are expressing some sort of approval of ancient social structures is basically wrong. Roleplaying, of which this stuff is a sub-form, contains a big dolop of suspension of disbelief; as such, people may "immerse" into the role of a feudal serf and actually use those experiences to construct a more biting, less abstract, criticism of serfdom.

Playing pretend is all based on big-E Exploration, it does not necessarily imply endorsement. Of course it CAN, as with the Furry forums and so on, but its not something that can or should be assumed.

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Hmm, not sure what angle you're seeing.

Nor am I, really, if not that we see the Chinese story as something bizarre and exotic, wheras the Downton one appears at least once a month in every UK newspaper without exciting any comment.

I guess it also reminded me a bit of the condemnations of junk food/binge drinking on the UK side, and internet addiction/feizhuliu kids in China. In both cases you've got the well-off, middle-aged moral majority deciding that the ways in which the young and poor amuse themselves are a social disease that must be cured.

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Well, except for that the first article is more or less mocking the well off, middle-aged moral majority. And I've seen a lot more "isn't Downton wonderful" stuff than anything like this.

As if they watch Downton Abbey. Downton's strictly C1 and lower. The sort of people who describe it as an opiate of the masses go out for locally sourced samphire bruschetta and then watch something by David Hare with lesbians in it.

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The thing that attracts me to Downton Abbey etc etc is that old fashioned sense of noblesse oblige which we do not get from our employers. The corporations who are the new robber barons and have replaced the Aristocracy as the main exploiters of labour in our great capitalist system.

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Originally Posted by Zichao

As if they watch Downton Abbey. Downton's strictly C1 and lower. The sort of people who describe it as an opiate of the masses go out for locally sourced samphire bruschetta and then watch something by David Hare with lesbians in it.

Well that might be so - see how dodgy things get when you assign attributes to imaginary people? However, mistaken or not, seeing as she clearly stated that "Downton Abbey's just the opiate of the middle classes", there is no possible dispute about her intent.

"Middle class" is a big category. It's effectively become meaningless. It includes both the poor schleps trying to get a bit of light relief from Downton and Guardianistas like the author of the OP.

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Well yes, it has become meaningless, which is why it so useful for people to project their assumptions onto. Though why this boring old Guardian-bashing should be venue for all this class hate, seeing as I don't really recall you identifying much with the horny-handed sons o toil, is beyond me.

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Well yes, it has become meaningless, which is why it so useful for people to project their assumptions onto. Though why this boring old Guardian-bashing should be venue for all this class hate

I didn't intend to bash anyone.

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, seeing as I don't really recall you identifying much with the horny-handed sons o toil, is beyond me.

Now this is very interesting, and should be a thread on its own.

I identify with them in that they are humans just like me. Which, I think is how democracy is supposed to work. You're supposed to think in terms of citizens, not workers or single mothers or Guardian columnists or any other designated group that you intend to support come what may. We're deciding how the country should be run, after all, not cheering on a football team. And, as fellow human beings, I'm perfectly happy for them to knock back a brew or two on a Saturday night in front of Downton, if that's what brings them pleasure. As adult human beings, that's their prerogative. I may not identify with it, but I respect it.

I think this links with something else too - the concept of "identifying with" a group is almost always used condescendingly in politics. Generally, when someone identifies with the working classes, the subtext is that he's doing it from a position of superiority.

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