It's part of an ideological glorification of avarice, and a replacement of the reality of increasingly unequal wealth distribution with various fantasies of individuals getting rich quick. There is certainly something to that theory. The show is not, after all, about people winning the lottery or suddenly finding out about an inheritance. Millionaire is a drama of mobility. On Millionaire , moving up may be nerve-racking, but it is also open, equal, smooth, safe, and friendly.
Mobility is anybody's game.
Everyone is welcome to enter the competition, toll free. Ordinary people with ordinary knowledge are offered great opportunities. Plus, other people are there to offer you a lifeline should you be a bit insecure. It's a dream of safe risks and cushioned anxiety. Yet it's also, technically speaking, a knowledge game, built around testing.