Bobos
By Ari Kaufman (02/08/06)
*The term stands for "Bohemian Bourgeoisie." David Brooks wrote a wonderful socio-economic study of these folks in his 2000 work, Bobos in Paradise. It was a NY Times Bestseller then, and last year I was able to pick it up at Barnes and Noble off the back shelves - where all quasi-Conservative books are intentionally buried - for under ten dollars.
Brooks is seemingly the only Conservative writer that the Times is still willing to employ. As Bob Kohn notes in his book, Journalistic Fraud: How the New York Times Distorts the News and Why It Can No Longer Be Trusted, the once-proud paper has turned hard news into Op-Ed pieces slanted to the political agenda of the paper. And that agenda is obviously anti-Bush, anti-War, pro-Liberal, on the whole.
Thus, we have Brooks: a breath of level-headed fresh air, amidst seas of Blue from NYC.
The Brooks book however, is not necessarily biased politically. It does not poke fun, nor does it compliment the BoBos*, despite its title, front cover, and synopsis. (all of which prompted ME to buy the book; however, I was far from disappointed.)
Moreover, he explains who these people are. They, as my recent essay on "Coastal Elitism" also elucidates, live in college towns such as Burlington, Northampton, Madison, Ann Arbor and even Missoula; as well as big cities like Los Angeles, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia's Main Line, Chicago's Northern Suburbs, and of course, the Bay Area. Decidedly, they vote Democratic, but they are also academically sophisticated counter-culture remnants, and profess to deny materialism at every turn. Well, the TRUE Bohemians do the latter.
"I never knew that feeding geese on the Ho Chi Minh Trail could be such a spiritual experience," one might say while reminiscing at a rustic cafe in Tuscany. The hypocrisy thus begins. But first, my surmising as to the overarching thesis Brooks intends to display:
The BoBos have replaced the WASPs (or Philistines) on the American Upper Class hierarchy. Sure, they are eggheads, refuse to dress formally, don't belong to Yachting Clubs and so on; but they have Ivy League educati! ons and are guiding us into a new age for social class "readjustment." At least that is what I took from the book. I don't think this is inherently for the worse, by the way. There is something to be said for well-read, well-traveled, well-educated people in power. Brooks freely admits to being one, and says most anyone reading the book, just by virtue of buying his work, probably already is.
However, the true BoBo, in trying to seem Bohemian, but not quite breaking away from their newfound Bourgeoisie (financially secure) status, will ultimately purchase things for "utility," even if! they are Sport Utility Vehicles (the icon of the WASPy Soccer Mom, which they never wanted to become). S/he also spends the bulk of his/her money on huge kitchens, chic furniture, and souvenirs from various deprived civilizations s/he visited when s/he was younger. After all, these make good jacuzzi discussions, and give the auspice of a clinging to their annual two weeks vacations/quests.
Thus, you can deduce the problem I have with BoBos - which Brooks notes a bit, but not enough in my mind - is that 35% of them (and easily higher than 50% in LA, NY and SF) are fakes. They want to be non-materialistic hippies like they were in college, b! ut they have to succumb to the $4 Starbucks lattes, $8 veggie wraps, $400 Royaltex Parka from REI for their hike up a local hill, the (aforementioned) SUVs, the Prada handbags, the $10,000 vacations to Cancun with the yuppies for the "emotional breakthrough" (when, if they were really hippies, should be in Southern Belize or hiking the Appalachian Trail), the extravagant birthday parties for their one-year-olds, the golf in Maui and Scottsdale, environmentally-sensitive Urban Outfitters clothing, etc.
This is all too tempting when money is no longer a major ordeal in their current, capitalistic-driven lives, so who can blame them? But doubtlessly,! the BoBos* still feel guilty.
Thus, these charlatans drift right back into the hypocrisy that oftentimes symbolizes the modern Yuppie/Hippie ("BoBo") ignoramus.
They are filthy rich, educated and usually hard-working. Just don't ask them to vote Republican.
Article on Elitism: http://www.newmediajournal.us/guest/a_kaufman/01282006.htm
For an archived list of Ari J Kaufman's published material, please visit: http://indeed.blog-city.com
(A partial listing is available via his author link on this site}
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