Scan barcode
A review by bboduffy
Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There by David Brooks
3.0
While discussing potential projects for one of my Hilary term classes, I mentioned curiosity about how people grapple with certain themes (imposter syndrome + social class + academic capital of attending Oxford) in social media self-expression. Grant recommended I read Bourdieu (I was unable to slog through Distinction but I read a couple of relevant articles), Veblen, and this book.
Bobo's in Paradise wasn't directly related to my paper so I didn't finish it until well after the class was over but reading it was definitely an experience. Though written with the clinical tone of an anthropologist's account, it is deeply satirical and cynical. Eventually, I'll sync my kindle to share illustrative clippings. Imagine [b:Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour|288448|Watching the English The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour|Kate Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327350810l/288448._SY75_.jpg|279864] from Dorothy Parker's perspective (if she lived in the 1990s).
While not exactly me, the descriptions/ethos of Bobos (Bourgeoise Bohemians) were not unlike me either. The conflicted feelings around our consumerist culture and values of learning/experiences in the information age definitely resonated. While our engagement was announced on Buzzfeed (vs. the NYT) and while we don't have generational wealth, we have collected degrees from Notre Dame, Yale, NYU, and (hopefully) Oxford. I also tend to oscillate between acute self-consciousness and naive obliviousness at intervals similar to Brooks' Bobo caricature. So yeah, it highlighted the ridiculousness of my class anxiety here given the tremendous opportunities that have allowed me to get here in the first place.
Bobo's in Paradise wasn't directly related to my paper so I didn't finish it until well after the class was over but reading it was definitely an experience. Though written with the clinical tone of an anthropologist's account, it is deeply satirical and cynical. Eventually, I'll sync my kindle to share illustrative clippings. Imagine [b:Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour|288448|Watching the English The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour|Kate Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327350810l/288448._SY75_.jpg|279864] from Dorothy Parker's perspective (if she lived in the 1990s).
While not exactly me, the descriptions/ethos of Bobos (Bourgeoise Bohemians) were not unlike me either. The conflicted feelings around our consumerist culture and values of learning/experiences in the information age definitely resonated. While our engagement was announced on Buzzfeed (vs. the NYT) and while we don't have generational wealth, we have collected degrees from Notre Dame, Yale, NYU, and (hopefully) Oxford. I also tend to oscillate between acute self-consciousness and naive obliviousness at intervals similar to Brooks' Bobo caricature. So yeah, it highlighted the ridiculousness of my class anxiety here given the tremendous opportunities that have allowed me to get here in the first place.