Joe Queenan's Tour (FROM PEOPLE LIKE US)

Satirist Joe Queenan grew up working class but is now a successful author and journalist. It's given him a unique perspective on baby-boomer consumption patterns, and he takes on a gimlet-eyed tour of some upscale Santa Monica, California shops.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• louis
• alvarez
• andrew
• kolker
• peter
• odabashian
• joe
• queenan
• social
• class
• pretentious

[frostmaiden85]

"it's permanent highschool" exactly.

[Tron1276]

the man!

[etonks]

I don't care what anybody thinks. I'm not shallow. I don't own, Angela's Ashes. I have many other books. I ♥ William Sonoma, I don't buy anything there but the catalogs have great recipes! I don't do anything to "impress" others. If you compliment me, on my taste, thanks! But that's never my goal. How do you tell a "Rich" store from "Poorer" store? The price tags. "Rich" stores don't have tags or they're not obvious, poorer stores tags are very obvious! If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

[thepixieful]

THIS is all noveau, real rich people are busy, even if they do not "have to work" they are making movies, playing in symphonies, painting, or running a real estate empire.....not shopping that much, really. and debt free so they smile. live simply, have manners, enjoy......and work smarter not harder.....be well.

[Easttr090]

"It could mean engine fluid for all we know." This guy is my new hero!!!!

[cutiecakes536]

uhm i could be wrong but when hes talking about the utensil in the store thats a potato peeler isn't it? ... really people dont know that?

[jackskellingtonsora]

@closer71

Because most people aren't upper class snobs.

[Luckilius]

This guy isn't describing real people, he's only describing idle pampered suburban-bred yuppies. Real people don't live their entire lives like high schoolers. Gentrified Brooklyn is full of the sort of immature idiots he is speaking of.

[closer71]

Only proles and the middle class care what people think of their records, etc. Anyone who is confident in their status couldn't care less what other people think. E.g., those at the bottom of the social ladder, as well as those at the top are supremely status confident. It is everyone else who is worried about what their peers (i.e. betters) will think of their abyssmal taste in art, music, whatever...

[closer71]

What an ass...

Anyone who knows what truffle oil is will know what "tartufo bianco" means, regardless of how much money they have; though he makes a valid point in that most Americans are idiots and DON'T know what truffle oil is...

[closer71]

I have eaten at Matisse and the food was terrible.

[cheylseee]

tartufo bianco means white truffle. It is a type of fungus that is used in french and italian cooking and is one of the most expensive food items to obtain.