How different are the lifestyles and consumption practices of the poor from those of the rich? Do members of the upper classes, for example, routinely attend operas and other high-status cultural events to signal their privilege? At the bottom of the class structure, are distinctive goods and services (e.g., clothing, music) likewise used as signals of affiliation? Is cultural inequality of this sort intensifying? Are there any hints of a backlash against conspicuous consumption?