Queer Eye's Tan France says one 'very American' money habit makes him 'physically sick' — here's where he draws the line
Queer Eye's Tan France says one 'very American' money habit makes him 'physically sick' — here's where he draws the line.
Tan France says he's experienced three major culture shocks since moving to the US: how big supermarkets are, how late we hold brunch and how often we go into debt.
"It makes me feel physically sick," says the Queer Eye star about going into debt for things you don't need during a conversation with Hasan Minhaj. "I don't know how a person functions like that (1)."
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Minhaj is an actor and comedian. He's well known for his TV series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.
According to Pew Research, around 80% of Americans are holding some form of debt (2). Around 70% say that debt is a necessity, even if they don't want to be in debt.
Here's where the debt divide comes from — and why the situation is only getting worse for Americans.
France says that he wasn't used to relying on debt growing up, so he was unprepared to navigate the American credit score system when he came here.
"I was raised in a family where we weren't allowed credit," says France. "It's a very American concept."
France is potentially referring to the Islamic concept of riba, which the Qu'ran prohibits (3). Riba is "interest on a debt or loan, or any risk-free return on capital." Under this rule, practicing Muslims aren't able to either pay or charge interest, although other types of debt could be allowed depending on the circumstances.
"A lot of Muslims don't have mortgages. You would do a 'rent to buy' thing," says France. "That was just the culture and religion I was raised in."
In comparison, refusing to go into debt in America is effectively punished by its credit score system. If you avoid taking out loans and credit cards, you'll be left without a credit score. Without a credit score, you'll have a harder time getting a mortgage — but you'll also have a harder time renting, making securing housing difficult (4).
Because of this, Americans frequently open their first form of debt — a credit card — at a relatively young age (5). Financial services companies even create credit cards for kids specifically to help them build their credit score early (6).
Debt is also seen as a way to gain social mobility — by taking out student loans or getting a mortgage on a house you can't afford outright (7).
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France says that he's specifically stressed by Americans going into debt for "just frivolous stuff."
"If you need it, I absolutely understand," says France. "I'm not talking about, 'Well, I need to pay my gas bill, or my rent,' that's different."
