90s shows were unhinged with their Butlers
Posted by MajesticEmergency@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 18 comments
It was weird when these shows referred to "Benson" and I didn't know what they were referring to. What was this weird obsession with Butlers? I have never known anyone that has had a butler, past or present. I don't have friends or family that ever talk about any butlers in their personal experience. But they were all up in our shows! Mr. Belvedere, Geoffrey, Niles. Do billionaires even have butlers? Where's Jeeves?
chronicnerv@reddit
It mainly comes from the British Empire and was an extremely well trusted servant that run house affairs around the 17th century onwards.
America had its own versions a little later on.
ApatheistHeretic@reddit
Let's be honest, if a butler doesn't yell "MOTHA-FUCKA'" at least twice a day, is he/she with having?
Significant_Dog412@reddit
Geoffrey could insult his employers far more creatively.
Cashmeade@reddit
Geoffrey could deliver a devastating insult with half of one eyebrow.
GreenZebra23@reddit
Seinfeld lampshaded this trope when they pitched the pilot to NBC. "Because he's myyy butler!"
JamesMattDillon@reddit
Benson was the butler on the tv show Soap which ran from 79-86. Which later he received his own show Benson, which ran from 77-81. Other than that, it was shows about rich people and rich people has butlers. Or they did back then.
Negative-Wrap95@reddit
I watched a lot of Benson reruns
GenericDave65@reddit
You have the years reversed for those shows
cordelaine@reddit
That math doesn’t math.
Sirtriplenipple@reddit
Rich people don’t know how to rich people like they used to.
relaxguy2@reddit
It was just the stereotype of rich people having butlers at the time and rich people were the subjects of these shows
MajesticEmergency@reddit (OP)
No matter how rich someone or family is, a butler is unimaginable to me
Pale_Row1166@reddit
They’re usually called house managers now, they take care of everything related to the house and kinda QB the other staff, like housekeepers, gardeners, nannies, etc.
Brilliant_Award2877@reddit
As a small child, my friend was uber rich and they had a whole house staff. Nanny,, maid, butler, law crew
braxtel@reddit
A lot of prominent and wealthy people will have a personal assistant or other staff. Kind of like having an office manager for you life. Someone to manage schedules or travel or miscellaneous errands.
That type of thing is a lot like having a butler without all the old British and old world traditions.
TuckerCarlsonsOhface@reddit
Andy016@reddit
The goat !
MedusaMadman77@reddit
Belvedere is a fish out of water story. I remember Benson being more of a house manager, but it's been decades, so I might be mistaken.
Now do one for maids, nannies, and live-in housekeepers. Different Strokes, Brady Bunch, Jetsons, etc.