About this episode

Michael Regilio discusses the history and implications of tipping in society.

We've hit peak tip fatigue. Michael Regilio is here to explain how a century of tipping led us here — and how it can be remedied — on Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio ! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1356 On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: Tipping wasn't born of kindness — it was born of swagger. In Tudor England, the wealthy pressed coins on servants to broadcast their status, a little "I'm above you" rendered in currency. From day one, the gratuity signaled hierarchy, not good service. After the Civil War, employers dodged paying newly freed Black workers by letting customers "tip" instead. Pullman porters lived almost entirely on gratuities. Tipping became a tidy loophole for keeping labor nearly free. The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour, frozen since 1996. Servers can take home paychecks reading zero dollars, the tips quietly doing all the heavy lifting…

People in this episode

Host: Jordan Harbinger

Guest: Michael Regilio

Topics covered

• tipping
• behavioral economics
• social hierarchy
• labor rights
• gratuity

Keywords

• tipflation
• tipping history
• gratuity
• minimum wage
• behavioral economics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Jordan Harbinger Show

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