What a profoundly unpleasant article (the Guardian piece that is). Liz Jones may indeed be odd to put it mildly but this is considerably nastier than anything of hers I've ever read.
@greatsheelephant: Really? Every piece of hers I've read has her describing her "friends" as stupid, ugly, flabby, hideous, disgusting, idiotic, etc.
This piece seems pretty mild by comparison. In fact, there was really nothing negative that she doesn't already reveal in her own writing, and there were even some sympathetic elements (like the parts about her rescuing animals, even if she seems to project her own high-needs personality on them).
Speaking of Irene Dunne comedies, I highly recommend The Awful Truth, about a small-town girl who writes a scandalous bestseller under a pen name, has her life turned upside-down by the big-city cover artist/suitor who follows her home, then chases the boy back to town and proceeds to give him merry hell.
Sadie, you are a master of understatement. Anyone who can throw in
(she vacuumed her lawn)
as an aside deserves that title. In brackets! Fucking genius.
Also, WTF Jezebel? Pages take like 20 minutes to load, and there are hardly any comments, so I assume everyone is having the same problems. It was like this yesterday, but it was back to normal last night - what happened?
I have no problem with the wealthy spending their money however the hell they want to. But don't you DARE bitch about cutting back, when you haven't really lost anything.
I am far from rich, and my family and I have had to cut back, but we have yet to really LOSE anything of real value, and so we don't complain about money being tighter than before. Because there are people that have lost a lot, and they don't even complain- they pick up and soldier on.
I work at Bergdorfs and this kind of shame is NOT helping the economy or the "real" people. Put your shame aside and buy so I can sell and make money and pay rent!
@imnotreallyabianca: Agreed. The lack of economic awareness in this country - as evidence by, oh, EVERYTHING THESE DAYS - is stunning. For a nation that puts so much pride in our economic system, we sure know fuck-all about it.
@whynotshesaid: "Lack of economic awareness" indeed. This entire exercise is the system explaining to you, me, and everyone that Bergdorf's is unnecessary, or at the very least unsustainable.
@nirreskeya: I'm not saying Bergdorf's is necessary. I could care less of Bergdorf's exists or not. What I AM saying is that I am tired of listening to people who have money they can spend talk about how they are cutting back on spending. They seem to fail to realize that spending is kind of what keeps this whole stupid thing going.
I would rather hear a rich person say they are devastated they have to cut back, because it may effect the charities they donate to, but instead will forgo a weekend in Bermuda to do still give to those less fortunate. Is that wrong of me? No. I never begrudge the wealthy, they earned it and they do not have to do charity work, etc, but by no means should they dare try to relate to me. Unless you had no money, got it and lost it, you can not relate to about 85% of us sweetheart.
@MissFiFi: I wouldn't hesitate to say that a large majority didn't "earn" their wealth. It was inherited. Or they were married into it (which would still have to mean that they had to be of the same social standing). I agree with the rest of what you said, though.
@afiunderground: Or earned by creating market-manipulating, money making schemes that were primarily designed to line their own pockets, but eventually screw the entire financial system while they're at it.
Here's an idea rich ladies, go to a store and buy a bunch of stuff that people need: diapers, soup, juice, shoes, socks, soap, whatever. Spend $3000.00 at Target and then just stand outside and give stuff away. You will help the economy by keeping the people working at Target employed, you will be helping the people that are in the parking lot, and you are helping yourself by having a purpose in this world other than looking pretty. Win, Win, Win and guess what people will be thankful and won't want to strangle you.
Repeat once a month, it will be awesome I promise.
I'm totally confused by this post. So, rich women are building a platform to announce to plebes like me that they're oh so sensitive to my economic hardships and are willing to act in sisterly solidarity with me by buying Tory Burch shoes (that are, and forever will be out of my price range) instead of Chanel shoes (that cost so much more than my rent that I can't even wrap my head around how anyone could drop that kind of cash on anything, let alone footwear). Who, exactly, do they think is watching them? They pretty much just primp and preen for each other.
I do not understand the vitriol being directed at these women. They have a different basis of "normal" and are trying to adjust downwards while also playing a complicated social game that may have repercussions on future career moves during and after the recession.
@inabook: I agree. Especially since they were probably asked to share their experiences for a story on how the rich are cutting back, too. Although I don't feel bad for these women, remember that their spending supports salespeople, waiters, caterers, drivers, nannies, etc.
But it's pretty much impossible for rich people to talk about cutting back without sounding tone deaf.
The thing is, I just don't care that much about them. They'll be okay. They always are. What about the rest of us, who may or may not be okay if we lose jobs or homes? Let's talk about how to make things better for us. How can we have pride when we're screwed yet again?
Alas, the woes of the wealthy! How sad that they may have to wear an outfit twice - that thier shoes may be from last season (communal gasp)! That their foreheads may have to needlessly move in human fashion! The tragedy, the needless suffering! Who will help? Who will form a Facebook group to support them?
@greengrey: I've actually told a few people that I am still shopping - mostly clothes and books and dinners out, and at locally owned places if I can help it, but nothing outrageous - in part because, as someone with a bit of disposable income, I feel a sense of economic responsibility to do so. Everyone just snarks on me like I am looking for excuses for frivolous spending, never mind that so-called frivolous spending is exactly what our economy is based on.
08/04/09
08/04/09
This piece seems pretty mild by comparison. In fact, there was really nothing negative that she doesn't already reveal in her own writing, and there were even some sympathetic elements (like the parts about her rescuing animals, even if she seems to project her own high-needs personality on them).
08/03/09
08/03/09
08/03/09
(she vacuumed her lawn)
as an aside deserves that title. In brackets! Fucking genius.
Also, WTF Jezebel? Pages take like 20 minutes to load, and there are hardly any comments, so I assume everyone is having the same problems. It was like this yesterday, but it was back to normal last night - what happened?
05/05/09
What, no jokes about recession blowies?
05/04/09
I am far from rich, and my family and I have had to cut back, but we have yet to really LOSE anything of real value, and so we don't complain about money being tighter than before. Because there are people that have lost a lot, and they don't even complain- they pick up and soldier on.
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/05/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
Where are the book deals for those the struggling working class wive's of newly laid off autoworker?
05/04/09
Repeat once a month, it will be awesome I promise.
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
But it's pretty much impossible for rich people to talk about cutting back without sounding tone deaf.
05/04/09
05/04/09
05/04/09
What the hell is wrong with these women?
Yes, lets all stop shopping. That will make things better.
05/04/09
05/04/09
Scratch that--some of them already have.