The Young, the Monied, and the Well-Educated are gradually shifting towards a sort of anti-culture that embraces lower social strata ironically (by gradual, I mean it's here and has been here since like 2006 dude). Is it an attempt to find validation? Superiority that you are among the esoteric, the free-form, the ones who "get it"? Is it about personal freedom; the dizzying personal agency that comes along with "doing it your way" without any social strictures or guidelines? Or is it because they are rejecting their parents' values, striking out at the boomers and even the gen x-ers?
I'm constantly enthralled with why the young social elite chooses consistently to embrace the colloquial tones of Michigan-bred urbanites or the hazy glue-huffing attitudes of Midwestern suburbanites over the genteel and dulcet tones of their very own past. By social elite, I mean the young and privileged, the 20-somethings who live in loft apartments and blog for a living. You're far more often to find this cohort talking about Baudelaire like he was their Eminem broski, rather than uh, I don't know, Charles Baudelaire. Are they afraid of the past? Is this normal? Where is our language, attitude, and culture headed?
America has long been a nation of specialists. But generally speaking that was pertaining to the industry of America. Has this great gearing towards specialization bled into our culture as well? That's just silly talk Alex. But still I think about it...
I'm not fearful of the future. I'm just genuinely interested in why I want to listen to Young Jeezy and say stuff like "Chaucer was just a white bro dude" when I attend a private university. I've got grad school on the horizon. I like to read Kafka and Tolstoi. What am I doing listening to Nikki Minaj and Drake?
Is this even at all lucid? I think I've got a point in here somewhere.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
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4 comments:
Cool. I like this.
Im confused where any of us lie in this social hierarchy anyway though. we go to a private college, comparatively speaking we arent that bad off. yes, we're broke, our parents arent rich, but we're not poor. for the most part, well read, well dressed..bla bla.
I guess it's all about the parentals. we're all just hybrids now
Well, here's the thing I've been thinking about. I think it's safe to say we're solidly middle class, or at least most of the people we know. There's no old money here (I don't think)(maybe Scott Gardner), but even if there is, we can't really differentiate between "us" and "them", middle class and upper class, because there is no real difference. Which is what's confusing me. I'm all for closing the class gap. But I don't understand where the snooty Harvard kids went.
I mean, maybe it's just because I grew up watching Richie Rich. I imagine anyone with a well-padded stock portfolio blows their nose with one-hundred dollar bills and lets their kids antagonize (albeit in a very hilarious manner) the household servants. Have I been sheltered? Am I crazy for expecting the entitled to act entitled?*
And who exactly IS entitled? We certainly are, but we aren't THAT entitled. Which is like saying that our rare ivory canes are shiny but not THAT shiny. I don't know man. More and more I'm seeing us as those stupid tsarist intelligentsia. We'll be happy forever with a well-sized loft with wooden floors, books on the shelves, pictures in our fists, and food in the fridge. That's what we think is great. That's our ultimate end. That's what we want.
Our place in history (present, past, and future) is solidly established, trust you me.
*Afterthoughts:
So I guess even having any sort of metaphysical questioning is acting out my entitlement. I'm not saying, "Well time to go out and get a job so I can provide for a family!" I'm saying, "Why is man inclined to even have a family? Or work? What is man's fundamental relationship to work an his fellow human beings?"
And secretly I'm kind of worried that somebody less fortunate than me will find all of my questions and concerns trivially and insanely stupid. Because, truth, they are.
CLASS GUILT LOL
this has left me with much food for thought. You're a brilliant writer, Alex.
For the record, I remember nearly all of the character names in Richie Rich off the top of my head. Van Dough to Herbert Cadbury. Not. kidding. Childhoooodd!!!!
I will say, I think it's really important to write and discuss these sort of things. But I'm convinced that there is no end, no definite answer to the questions you raise. To question why we are what we are is like asking the air why you should breathe it.
It's all trivial.
But we'll forever be discussing it.
We Recycle.
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