Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Social Disease

Socialite
a person who is or seeks to be prominent in fashionable society

Here is something I have never, ever, ever aspired to be.  I can't even imagine the life of a socialite.  The best I can do is equate it to those drama-filled days of high school, where the entire teenage social caste system valued some more than others, and everyone worked so hard to be included in the club, be it sports, cheer-leading, music or drama.  I think in high school, just about everybody is Socialite.  How successful they are, however, is another story entirely.



If you go back and look carefully at the definition of Socialite there is a key phrase:  seeks to be.  This opens up a whole can of worms.  According to the definition, if one merely seeks to be prominent, then socialite standing has been achieved.  This is fantastic news for the all the wannabes, but doesn't it make you wonder just a little bit about the alreadybes?  Do they know their ranks are being infiltrated by novices?



Setting that dilemma aside, here is another question.  What does a socialite do?  Is it a job?  Can you list it on a resume, or annual tax forms?  If the goal is being prominent in fashionable society, I have to imagine all a socialite does is run around making sure others in fashionable society (or merely looking in on fashionable society) know they are here.  Prominently.  So a socialite stands in the front of all the pictures (in a prominent manner), and generally makes a LOOK-AT-MEEEEE scene wherever they go. 



To those who are or who seek to be prominent by being pushy, or by being a jerk, or by having a pretty face and pouty lips, the socialite world is both the goal and reward.  But at what price?  Sure, you get lots of pictures and lots of press and lots of attention.  But you also get..... lots of pictures and lots of press and lots of attention.  The only difference is you no longer control when the LOOK-AT-MEEEEE scene happens.  Because let's face it, if you aren't doing it often enough, they'll simply do it for you.  And sometimes, it isn't pretty.




But what do you suppose would happen if nobody cared?  What if, despite the existence of a fashionable society, those of us not among its real or imaginary ranks simply Did. Not. Care.  Would it cease to exist?  Could we redefine the definition of fashionable?  If we as a world community worked to end hunger, poverty, war and disease; if we strove daily for peace, equal rights, and protecting the increasingly fragile planet we call home, would we give a second thought to White House Party Crashers, Reality Show Jerks or professional poseurs? I think not.  At least, I hope not.



Here's to redefining the social order and working towards a truly fashionable, loving and caring society
where we all should seek to be socialites.



No comments: