I think, too, that because class is so vague and not talked about in the US, people really don't know, so if you ask them what is middle class, they are just guessing. I mean, I honestly have no clue. Is it by income? Education? Profession? Is it, these days, having a computer and internet access (which seems to be the reason why fandom is assumed to be middle class)? I've heard all of these things, and yet the answer for each one could put you in a different class.