I think anything that roughly maps to “live vicariously through higher-status people” is usually seen as low-status, because higher-status people are presumed to be able to just do those things directly:
watching porn/masturbation (as opposed to having sex)
watching sports
watching esports
romance novels
reality TV
Guitar Hero etc (a bit of a stretch but you’re playing the role of somebody who could actually play guitar)
One exception is when the people you’re living vicariously through are very high status/do very difficult things (eg it’s medium to high status to be watching the Olympics, or The West Wing, or reading biographies). Conversely, living vicariously is usually considered even lower status if the people you are living vicariously through aren’t very high-status themselves (eg reality TV or esports). Another exception to this trend is reading classic novels and history. I’m not sure why.
I think anything that roughly maps to “live vicariously through higher-status people” is usually seen as low-status, because higher-status people are presumed to be able to just do those things directly:
watching porn/masturbation (as opposed to having sex)
watching sports
watching esports
romance novels
reality TV
Guitar Hero etc (a bit of a stretch but you’re playing the role of somebody who could actually play guitar)
One exception is when the people you’re living vicariously through are very high status/do very difficult things (eg it’s medium to high status to be watching the Olympics, or The West Wing, or reading biographies). Conversely, living vicariously is usually considered even lower status if the people you are living vicariously through aren’t very high-status themselves (eg reality TV or esports). Another exception to this trend is reading classic novels and history. I’m not sure why.