The Working Kind

My apologies. Who has time for social commentary when you're building the future of this city and being sufficiently and subsequently holier then though - uhm I work for a not-for-profit so - to bother with the rather plebian artform of blogging. But, I have a new maxim in my life - so may as well seize the day!

Anyway - work is the matter at hand, in part because staff round my way has taken Friday afternoon off and in part because the importance of work is an increasing trend I've noticed amongst the Faux Hillary set.

You'd imagine that the average HaverGal, or Bitch in Short Skirt, having graduated from a top notch private school, such as the aforementioned, and having scored relatively decent marks from Queen's or McGill as perhaps an Anthropology major (sociology - is too common, poli-sci too academic) would be spending her mid to late twenties donig one of two things: rebelling from her parents by "finding herself" in Cambodia, Laos or the country of Africa or would have moved back to Toronto to start up a career at an advertising or PR firm - something where you can wear designer denim to work - only to be installed in a nice condo on King West as the credit card bills get sent to the Faux Hill Centre Hall.

Shockinly - this isn't always the case. In fact - more and more parentals - who in the past have turned a blind eye to their children's indiscretions (IE remember the time that Grant crashed the new motor boat into Port Carling Marina?) have decided that children should be cut off. Well not exactly cut-off, perhaps being taught fiscal responsibility is more appropriate of a title. Don't worry though - Jessica and Hilary would never be caught dead with last year's clutch. So - being taught financial prudence, coupled with the shittyness of an entry-level salary at said public relations firm - the average Faux Hillary is faced with a quandry - scale back their expenditures - or get a part time job. What to do when neither offer is particularly palatable...

CG has chosen the retail route - finding herself folding khaki's at one of the nation's top apparel chains. Thinking of her reputation, however, she chose to work at the Eaton Centre, admitting that none of her friends would be caught dead off of Bloor.

Another friend has found part-time promotional work to subsidize her fashionista habit. So she spends her weekend popping Corona's at sporting events - if you can imagine that! As she admitted manicure pedicure's were expensive and she felt bad asking her parents for money every week... Can't say I blame her.

For now this continues to be primarily a female-oriented trend (I refuse to say whether its because the female gender is stereotypically more responsible or because the female gender stereotypically enjoys retail therapy... I'm not hubristic enough to tackle nature versus nurture) and one that isn't particularly alarming - in fact perhaps it shows a rather practical side of the Faux. Good parenting and fiscal responsibility...

Pride and Prejudice

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen, perhaps the original judgemental bitch, is best known for her novels documenting the sordid lives of the English gentry in the late 18th and early 19th Century. In her most popular tome's Austen's characters flit about country manors, attend social events while projecting upward mobility through marriage vows. Jane [and I call her so because clearly we'd be besties if she was alive]'s rather amusing social commentary revolved around the thematic importance of marriage - a bi-product of England's rigorous inheritence laws which directed the bulk of family fortune on male heirs, leaving daughters out in the cold, take that Bold.

Sim Sim Sima in true WWSD mode has made her thoughts known about marriage: She offered Bold 30,000 to elope and save her the trouble of planning an "event". Actually Sim Sim Sima has often remarked at the relative uselessness of marriage, "I wouldn't bother getting married today," she's totally a member of PFLAG!, "unless I planned on having children," or not.

Apparently not enough of my friends are heading Sage Sima's advice though [guys WWSD] - as I've got three weddings this year.

So who, pretell, is exploiting Austen's universal truth?

Recently two of my best friends decided to host their birthday party on the same day. Being the good friend I spent half the evening at one and half the evening at the other party. The first was held at a lovely house in Faux Hill... the other hosted at an Irish pub downtown. Being sans plus one, I dragged El Heurd to the house party for good measure but as we surveyed the scene we realized that "we'd have some splaining to do," as unlike everyone else we were NOT coupled, not to each other and not to anyone else outside of the party. The Faux Hill house party was full of almost engaged and or long-term relationship couples. Downtown, conversation at Fionn McCools centred mostly around whether to take the plunge and join Lavalife.

Marriage is seemingly rampant in the Faux. But, this of course, makes complete sense. As in Jane Austen's time marriage is about financial independence and while my downtown friends are still finding their feet those in the Faux have already walked down the professional aisle of medical school and or law school. Throw in religious pressue of Judaism and its no wonder I have a friend who found the last safron coloured J Crew bridesmaid dress in the world and had it flown to her, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a mentsch in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a Yiddishe maidel."