What does poverty smell like?

Through my job I often have cause to interact with people who are in extreme poverty: both culturally and financially. I have noticed that many poor people carry the odor that I have often thought of as “white trash smell” or “value village smell.” I have been wondering what I am actually smelling when I smell a poor person. And no, I am not referring to BO or anything… it’s more of a general musk of disrepair.

So… any theories?

Cheap cigarettes?

Mildew?

That may be it… which makes me wonder, why would clothes smell so strongly of mildew (like in Value Village)?

Perhaps this will expose my utter lack of understanding about mildew.

Well, perhaps not drying them effectively (due to either line drying or non-functional dryers, or whatever) can lead to that, or just being hung in a poorly insulated closet where moisture can settle and slowly fester.

My cousins growing up had this smell about them, and that was definitely what caused it. Poor hygeine and sloppy eating habits, coupled with a leaky house, tended to cause extreme cases of mildew. Grossness. And once something has mildewed, it’s kinda hard to get that smell out without a seriously good cleaning cycle.

i think it is probably a mixture of cigarettes, unwashed pets and/or pet litter, mildew, garbage and/or rotted food, poor personal hygiene and poorly laundered clothes. yummy, a trailer park bouquet.

The smell of apathy.

Cheap soap.

As of this moment - MY HAND!

Is this going to be on the next 10 Worst Sexual Experiences list Bill ? (or maybe the Best? )

Cartman: Mr Garrison? Why do poor people smell like soup?
Mr Garrison: I don’t know, Eric, they just do!

At first, I thought you said, “village people smell”.

That’s true too, but it’s another topic.

Nobody is supposed to read those, dammit! There is a smell-related one, in Worst (of course).

I’m suprised that in a forum full of liberals and moderates that poverty is associated with laziness and apathy.

Most of you are only one divorce, serious illness or injury or economic downturn away from poverty yourself. Not to mention that most of the people living in poverty in this country are children.

Besides bago, who mentioned laziness or apathy? Of course, righteous indignation is so much more fun here. The original question did seem a little contemptuous, but what you’re doing with your most of you is pretty much the same thing. That and throwing the emotional appeal about children in there, which I sort of doubt was who Ryan was talking about even if it did relate…

Add stupidity to your list.

I have seen extreme third-world poverty first hand and let me tell you: the poor in many third world nations are not lazy or apathetic or stupid. I have also, based on my yearly income, lived below the so-called poverty line but I do not think anyone who interacted with me or visited my shabby apartment at the time would have thought “Oh, here’s a poor person.”

The American Poor typically have only themselves to blame for their predicament. So yes, laziness, apathy, and stupidity can be found in great abundance here in the USA. I have great sympathy for children in these situations and great contempt for the adults that give their children an impoverished life.

Hey, Ryan and I agree on something.

Although I will say that quite a few of the poor I’ve known have simply had really raw deals in life (born poor, bad families, quit school to work to feed themselves)… so… it’s also a matter of conditions.

Which brings about the whole chicken and egg thing. Personal responsibility versus victim of circumstance… sort of hard to believe in a rigid dichotomy between the two in the real world.

Anyhow: I suppose “Mildew” is a more accurate description for the odor I am referring to than “Musk of disrepair.”

Well, being determined to succeed can improve your odds of coming out of poverty, and incompetence can also nullify your start in life.

But like I said, while I agree with your sentiments Ryan, not all cases of poverty are due to laziness, apathy and stupidity.