You might be on to something there. The people who insist that fast food workers don't deserve a living wage are nearly always the same people who treat service workers like garbage.

I work PRN as an STNA, and many of the aides whom I work with incredibly obsessed with and outspoken about their belief that retail and fast-food workers should make less than we do. They are against raising the minimum wage solely because they're offended by the possibility that they wouldn't make more money than the people working at McDonald's or whatever.

It's ugly as hell, and it does support your theory. They like to know that someone out is "lower" than we are in terms of money and respect.

It's super gross that so many people would rather keep others down to make themselves feel more important, rather than pushing for everyone to be paid a living wage and treated with respect. Gotta have someone to look down on.