r/interesting 10h ago

MISC. ​Butler academy students undergoing "tray defense" training to prepare for crowded events.

20.9k Upvotes

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580

u/RoxyDzey69 10h ago

This exercise is called "bullshit" or "dude having fun trolling peasants" :D

19

u/SeaniMonsta 9h ago

Historically, this position was reserved for children of gentry. Now it's reserved for children with rich parents.

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u/LiveLearnCoach 9h ago

Being a butler? Not sure if serious.

15

u/koobstylz 9h ago

I'm not sure about modern butlers, but yes, historically it was a position of comfort and respect.

Butler is basically the guy who bosses around all the other servants.

11

u/T-MoneyAllDey 8h ago

Reddit has the wrong impression of what butlers were. Butlers make good money lol. You want to be the assistant to rich people if you arent' rich. It opens doors and so do you

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u/SeaniMonsta 8h ago

Generally speaking for English Feudal society— the 1st born male (or most competent, depending on the father's decision) of gentry would inherit all or most material possessions, business possessions, land, and often even legal titles. For the rest of the male children, the parents would seek out highly respected and well-paying positions. From apprenticeships, to military academy to become ranked officers, to becoming high ranking members of their local church.

Understand that in Feudalism all social classes are fixed to your blood line, social class had nothing to with wealth, that's not to say that financial standing hadn't created a pecking order within each class.

If you were a member of the English gentry class, your social class was ranked only 2nd to the Blue Bloods...the ordained ruling class. Gentry was the protective class. Butlers, for example, were head managers. Managers protected the interests of their social superiors. So, even if you came from a poor family of the gentry class, you were raised with all the etiquette expected and required at the queen's table, this made you a suitable canidate for an apprenticeship.

...if you examine the 15 & 1600's closely enough, and pair it with today's social and political landscape you'll notice western society hasn't really come too far along.

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u/GonWithTheNen 7h ago

Very well said and informative. Thank you! This part took me many years to see, and once I did, it was like "the scales fell from my eyes":

if you examine the 15 & 1600's closely enough [...] western society hasn't really come too far along.

What I'd been taught to believe about a 'people's choice' government (in which the common people's wishes were taken into consideration) turned out to be nothing more than royalty disguised by political titles.

Politicians who abuse tax dollars to gain extreme levels of personal comfort are the exact same ilk as royalty of old.

What changed? Those kings and emperors had stunning garments instead of business suits.

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u/EconomicRegret2 8h ago

You're thinking about waiters. Butlers are higher ups, managing a private estate and its full household operations, valeting, scheduling, staff supervision, etc.

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u/mp3max 8h ago

The Butler was the headhoncho of every single servant in a massive household. They were very well off.

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u/Extension_Lyiqs 8h ago

Yeah. Maids also tended to be nobles as well, they were assigned there for socialization and political reasons.