Don’t pretend you didn’t notice. It’s ok, we all did. Those Occupy Wall Street folks, the trod-upon masses who just wanted a fair shake didn’t seem quite authentic. Watching the footage, you might have noticed the ubiquitousness of North Face jackets. You might have seen their iPhones and video cameras or their Macbooks. Maybe you saw that OWS seemed to feature a whole lot of white men for such a diverse city. Whatever it is that you noticed, it might have prompted you to think that, just maybe, these activists weren't really a true representation of American, but more like a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites. Well, now, it has been confirmed. 

That’s right, according to a new study, OWSers were more likely to be male (55%), and white (62%).  The Occupiers also didn't represent the underpriveleged as they often claimed, as 71% hold a professional position and 75% of respondents also have earned a bachelors degree.  Almost one third (29%) also hold a graduate degree. Compare these statistics against the average New Yorker, and you just might conclude that rather than representing the downtrodden masses, they really represent an entitled generation hellbent on complaining about nothing. Only 8% were found to be actual “blue collar” workers and a full third of them came from homes making more than $100,000 per year. Yes, readers, they are the 20%. 

“It confirmed our sense that the people who were doing the occupations were doing it out of self-interest as much as out of a kind of general political awareness,” said Penny Lewis, an assistant professor at the Murphy Institute and co-author of the report. It confirmed what we were thinking too, Ms. Lewis. These heroes of the people, these 'Robin Hoods' of the modern era turned out to be the Sheriff of Nottingham with an unkempt beard. While raging against wealth, the occupiers were, by and large, reasonably well off. Good try Occupiers but, next time, maybe look outside of your country club to find participants or, at least, leave the iPhones at home.