(Warning for grownups: this is, by insinuation, a deeply crude post.)
I thought it was initially unremarkable: nothing more than the paper of record doing a little editorial slobbering over the way those two adorable NYU moppets were embarassedly pretending (well, not really: of course they’d never be so distasteful) to be poor. I mentioned it to the Tutor, who has his own fine take on what’s going on. But then I saw an English professor who talks about herself in the third person reference Paul Fussell’s rather obnoxious work on class in relation to that story, and y’know, she’s pretty funny, until she gets to the declaration that “Americans have wealth.”
It’s really a shame that the English departments and the sociology departments don’t talk much these days. They used to be so close.
But what Margaret Soltan did for me — yes, I know it’s a betrayal, dear liberal reader — was to set me on a search that ended at the doorstep of the Volokh conspirators. While the Olsen twins fashion story might serve as one possible primary argument, here’s the supporting evidence that the New York Times is a fluffer for wealth and privilege: gosh, making six figures sure is tough, and trying to find an apartment on a six-figure budget is even worse!
Please, somebody fetch The Gray Lady a warm washcloth. She’s fixin to head out for the Hamptons, but she’s got wealth bondage all over her face.
You know, for the life of me, I just don’t understand why the Olsen twins are famous.
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Ummm… Just gag me already.
Michelle wins. 🙂
Y’know, as vulgar as the fellatic insinuations of my post may be, I look at the fawning Robin Leach attitude of those three NYT articles — published within the space of one week — and I say, vulgar ain’t nothin compared to them folks. Maybe the NYT hasn’t heard that the top 5% of Americans claim 23% of the income in America, while the bottom 50% claim 20%; that same top 5% owns 65% of the wealth, while the bottom half owns 2%. You know what George W. Bush’s “ownership society” is? It’s that top 5% saying to the rest of America, “HAHA U GOT PWNED! LOL!”
I so wasn’t going there. (hee, but that would’ve been funny.) My “gag me” comment was directed at all the various links. Fall back to my old 80s “gag me with a spoon, man” reflex to the disgusting which is all I can say about it. Gawd, don’t make me write a post to explain how pointless I think fashion is.
I was AGREEING with you.
I think the fact that it’s an accidental pun makes it even better — but thumbs up for the gnarly val slang, Chel.
😉