I heard that Kanye track recently, Gold Digger. It has of course been out for ages; but it took on a whole new meaning for me this time out. It kinda got me thinking about those women. Those people I suppose, not only women- who latch onto other's for their money. I was reminded as I listened to the ever melodic sounds of Mr. West, of a guy and a girl I saw walking through the up-scale, high brand; Brown Thomas mall in Dublin City one day. I was about 22 at the time. I was just out of work, and went into the store to get cologne or something. I do not recall. I certainly had not had the money to be in there very often at the time.. in any case, it was a particularly wet day- and I dismounted my motorbike at the bottom of Grafton Street and ran into the store. I stood there in a blacked out helmet after rushing through the doors of Dublin's most plush shopping outlet- which clearly made the security presence nervous. So I quickly removed my helmet, and gave a polite nod to the security guy; who was now armed with a 2 way radio.
As I did, a young lady turned around; confused by the commotion behind her. She was the ultimate stereotype. 6ft tall, Long Blonde Hair, 30 something, dressed completely inappropriately in this season's Dior [attire obviously - intended for a pre-beach preamble in the sunny Caribbean or as an evening sarong in St. Lucia]. In any case, amidst the oversized paper gollse bags emblazoned with the brands of Armani, Fendi, CC etc. was of course the token Chihuahua puppy, in a Luis Vuitton dog carrier. The ultimate key ring. I often worry for these animals, not only that they are being used as some seasonal accessory- but that they are lugged around everywhere by beings with a smaller cranial capacity than they have. The Chihuahua having the brain size of a reeses cup.
So there she stood. Laden down with her purchases, as a smirk creeped across her face. She gave me the high eyebrows, which only served to stretch her face so far North that the lines on her furrowed forehead looked like a bar code. I instantly got that shot in my stomach: like then when you get when see something cringeful happen. Linked to her 'free' hand was an overweight man, balding, 60-something, in a pair of well tailored Sevens Jeans, suit jacket, and a high collared white shirt. [I use the word free here in inverted commas, because simply put; this girl might have been cheap on the inside but there was not too much she did for 'free' by the looks of her bags]. I noticed he had the pair of Prada glasses I bought with great guilt a year earlier sitting atop his head. I smirked.
I thought to myself for a second. There are women like this all over the face of the earth - and not just women.. Men too.
Who use other's for their own personal gain. There is naturally, nothing moral about it. But I guess it's a level of prostitution. Except these people do it full time.. And are paid in goods and token currency; services and accommodation rather than just cash in hand. I will concentrate on women for the purposes of this piece but really this behavior is not gender specific. The targets are almost always the same. Young or old men with money. I thought as a kid that these women might piggyback a guy with prospects- meeting a young pre-bar lawyer or a medical student; in the hopes that she gets to date someone close to her age; while awaiting to reap the benefits of future assets gained. I think that used to happen, and maybe still does but only because a guy is too young to see what is happening. He has not got money yet after all. The case of the older guy, as the one in the description above, something far more interesting is happening…
These are men of realized promise, of actuated potential. Fat cats usually. But are these all merely men with more money than sense? I am not sure. These figures have dedicated their lives to earning their fortune, shrewd men, savvy men. So it might be easy to underestimate them. In reality they are probably just making a seemingly wise business choice. After all, renting a car over a long period is FAR more expensive than buying one. So it is a simple supply and demand model. Old fat rich guys demand female company, and morally adverse, loose and fast girls jump on board. Really though, what have they to lose? Their every need is looked after. They want for nothing materially. They eat fine foods, drink wonderful wines, clad in classy clothes. The whole nine yards. They live in nice houses and apartments, and travel to some of the most exotic places on the planet. Sounds like a good deal yeah? Not so.
Play this intriguing merger proposition out for a second. These girls suggest is a simple trade: They bring their looks to the party, and the guy brings his money. But in economic terms, the girl is a depreciating asset, like a car, and the guy is an earning asset like a painting. The girl's looks will fade while the money will likely continue into perpetuity. So they are in their 20's now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next seven years but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in her.
We can naturally attack these people for their choices. The housewives of New York, which recently aired on CBC here in Toronto is full of these characters, one of whom defended herself saying: "Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being upfront about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kinds of guys if I wasn't able to match them -- in looks, culture, sophistication and keeping a nice home and hearth." (or words to that effect) I will get back to the rent-a-car notion. So in Bay Street terms, (as after all.. we are talking money here) one would call this girl a 'trading position', not a 'buy and hold' - hence the rub- marriage. It does not make good business sense to buy her (which is what they are asking), so one would rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If the money were to go away, so would they, so when their beauty fades, guys too need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.
I have had this argument with many women, who have said that it is not about the money, and it is not a matter of materialism. Rather, it provides an umbrella under which many other qualities seem to fall: premium educational background, high level of motivation, a family who raised the man well (and therefore good genes and similar breeding) and a socio-economic background that reflects your own. So much for transgenerational mobility, for companionship, for love. Getting up off your arse and making a life for yourself and your respective offspring!
Marx (Karl Marx) clearly explained that one of the evils of capitalism was the fact that women were bartered as property - a young woman's value in the marriage market (yes, a legitimate expression with a long history) was directly tied to the financial status of her family. Love was incidental. The notion of romantic love was novel, literally. For most, marriage was a business deal. Then we get to the 20th century, and while the idea of "marrying for love" became popular, by the end of the century, we see pre-nuptial contracts the norm. Add in a culture that increasingly sells images of expensive clothing, fancy cars, ever larger homes, and luxurious lifestyles to all levels of society. Top it all off with "desperate housewives" who blithely mix sex and glamour into their lives as "housewives".....well, it is no wonder that young women want it all.
My guess is that the number of women seeking well-paid husbands so they can stay at home rather than climb the career ladder is on the rise, their issue is to stay at home and lead and middle-class life and be taken care of. It may be the case that women are attracted to ambition, and that translates into security with high earning power, while men value looks and beauty and equate the relationship with how good-looking their women are. The more I read those lines the truer they become.
Just sign a pre-nup boys. :)
As I did, a young lady turned around; confused by the commotion behind her. She was the ultimate stereotype. 6ft tall, Long Blonde Hair, 30 something, dressed completely inappropriately in this season's Dior [attire obviously - intended for a pre-beach preamble in the sunny Caribbean or as an evening sarong in St. Lucia]. In any case, amidst the oversized paper gollse bags emblazoned with the brands of Armani, Fendi, CC etc. was of course the token Chihuahua puppy, in a Luis Vuitton dog carrier. The ultimate key ring. I often worry for these animals, not only that they are being used as some seasonal accessory- but that they are lugged around everywhere by beings with a smaller cranial capacity than they have. The Chihuahua having the brain size of a reeses cup.So there she stood. Laden down with her purchases, as a smirk creeped across her face. She gave me the high eyebrows, which only served to stretch her face so far North that the lines on her furrowed forehead looked like a bar code. I instantly got that shot in my stomach: like then when you get when see something cringeful happen. Linked to her 'free' hand was an overweight man, balding, 60-something, in a pair of well tailored Sevens Jeans, suit jacket, and a high collared white shirt. [I use the word free here in inverted commas, because simply put; this girl might have been cheap on the inside but there was not too much she did for 'free' by the looks of her bags]. I noticed he had the pair of Prada glasses I bought with great guilt a year earlier sitting atop his head. I smirked.
I thought to myself for a second. There are women like this all over the face of the earth - and not just women.. Men too.
Who use other's for their own personal gain. There is naturally, nothing moral about it. But I guess it's a level of prostitution. Except these people do it full time.. And are paid in goods and token currency; services and accommodation rather than just cash in hand. I will concentrate on women for the purposes of this piece but really this behavior is not gender specific. The targets are almost always the same. Young or old men with money. I thought as a kid that these women might piggyback a guy with prospects- meeting a young pre-bar lawyer or a medical student; in the hopes that she gets to date someone close to her age; while awaiting to reap the benefits of future assets gained. I think that used to happen, and maybe still does but only because a guy is too young to see what is happening. He has not got money yet after all. The case of the older guy, as the one in the description above, something far more interesting is happening…These are men of realized promise, of actuated potential. Fat cats usually. But are these all merely men with more money than sense? I am not sure. These figures have dedicated their lives to earning their fortune, shrewd men, savvy men. So it might be easy to underestimate them. In reality they are probably just making a seemingly wise business choice. After all, renting a car over a long period is FAR more expensive than buying one. So it is a simple supply and demand model. Old fat rich guys demand female company, and morally adverse, loose and fast girls jump on board. Really though, what have they to lose? Their every need is looked after. They want for nothing materially. They eat fine foods, drink wonderful wines, clad in classy clothes. The whole nine yards. They live in nice houses and apartments, and travel to some of the most exotic places on the planet. Sounds like a good deal yeah? Not so.
Play this intriguing merger proposition out for a second. These girls suggest is a simple trade: They bring their looks to the party, and the guy brings his money. But in economic terms, the girl is a depreciating asset, like a car, and the guy is an earning asset like a painting. The girl's looks will fade while the money will likely continue into perpetuity. So they are in their 20's now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next seven years but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in her.
We can naturally attack these people for their choices. The housewives of New York, which recently aired on CBC here in Toronto is full of these characters, one of whom defended herself saying: "Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being upfront about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kinds of guys if I wasn't able to match them -- in looks, culture, sophistication and keeping a nice home and hearth." (or words to that effect) I will get back to the rent-a-car notion. So in Bay Street terms, (as after all.. we are talking money here) one would call this girl a 'trading position', not a 'buy and hold' - hence the rub- marriage. It does not make good business sense to buy her (which is what they are asking), so one would rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If the money were to go away, so would they, so when their beauty fades, guys too need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.
I have had this argument with many women, who have said that it is not about the money, and it is not a matter of materialism. Rather, it provides an umbrella under which many other qualities seem to fall: premium educational background, high level of motivation, a family who raised the man well (and therefore good genes and similar breeding) and a socio-economic background that reflects your own. So much for transgenerational mobility, for companionship, for love. Getting up off your arse and making a life for yourself and your respective offspring!
Marx (Karl Marx) clearly explained that one of the evils of capitalism was the fact that women were bartered as property - a young woman's value in the marriage market (yes, a legitimate expression with a long history) was directly tied to the financial status of her family. Love was incidental. The notion of romantic love was novel, literally. For most, marriage was a business deal. Then we get to the 20th century, and while the idea of "marrying for love" became popular, by the end of the century, we see pre-nuptial contracts the norm. Add in a culture that increasingly sells images of expensive clothing, fancy cars, ever larger homes, and luxurious lifestyles to all levels of society. Top it all off with "desperate housewives" who blithely mix sex and glamour into their lives as "housewives".....well, it is no wonder that young women want it all.
My guess is that the number of women seeking well-paid husbands so they can stay at home rather than climb the career ladder is on the rise, their issue is to stay at home and lead and middle-class life and be taken care of. It may be the case that women are attracted to ambition, and that translates into security with high earning power, while men value looks and beauty and equate the relationship with how good-looking their women are. The more I read those lines the truer they become.
Just sign a pre-nup boys. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment