Status Symbols

Wednesday 14 February 2007

As my Social Justice students discuss the Poverty and Riches chapters of The Book of Mev, I ask them to think about the status symbols that are esteemed in our culture. Rachel Buckler came up with the following perceptive list:

$500 bags – Coach, Dooney & Bourke, Marc Jacobs
Diamond and Pearl earrings
Anything in that little turquoise box
Mercedes S class
Land Rover
Range Rover
Biondi’s Volvo
Living in a Coronado $1200 single
Shopping ONLY at Banana Republic, Bebe, other boutiques
Mont Blanc watches
Northshore
Chesterfield, Clayton, Ladue
Preppy, private Catholic Schools
The Hamptons
East Coast Schools
Harvard, Yale
Northwestern
Graduate Degrees Mom and Daddy pay for
Thin, Tan, Athletic Bodies
Personally Tailored Suits and Manolo Blanik Shoes
Sleek Flatscreen TVs
Ouch Screen everything
Doing Little and Having Lots
Blackberrys, iPhones
Sleek Lightweight, tablet Laptops
Full Bellys
Reduced Fat/Low calorie/Skim, no whip, Sugar free Everything
Starbucks
$10 Martinis
Bottle Service
Cavier
Sushi
Steak
Truffles
Diamonds
Closets full of shoes
John Hopkins
Mensa
MIT
Stanford
Columbia
New York Upper East Side
West loop
Michigan Avenue Shopping
The Gold Coast, Wilmette, Winnetka, Kennellworth
North Shore Country Day School
Burberry
Kate Spade
Jimmy Choo
“Don’t Worry About the Price”
Tennis
Skiing
Heated seats
Self starting cars
Full service gas
NOT my life