Michael Caine on the working class

Sir Michael Caine talking about the working class and race.

[coffeebreakfiction]

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?

[justsaying]

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

[Stew]

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.

[miles-thesleeper-monroe]

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

[christinepage]

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.

[BaseDeltaZero]

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.

[Australianzwayne]

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

[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.

[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.

[leoscheibelhut]

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.

[Godlike-]

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.

[MrUndersolo]

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

[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!

[ES-qmhr]

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.

[WillNGo]

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.

[DanielPerez-hyts]

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

[roberthayes]

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

[timmyhiggins]

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.

[MarkMeade-ey]

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 🤛

[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!