Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Politically Incorrect

This post may ruffle a few feathers, but I just had to share this with you:

Last Sunday, I went to mass with my family. And if you know me well, you'd know that I like observing people. I've never been the oblivious type, I tend to notice plenty things when it comes to my surroundings. I may not look like I'm snooping, oh but trust me I probably am! I also like playing the profiling game, you know, coming out with a "story" about a person --- what they're like, how they grew up, where they live, what profession they're engaged in, that sort of thing, I'm weird that way.

Anyway, there was this intriguing character seated two pews in front of me. She looked about my age, and was dressed up in low key but expensive clothes (I'd guess Calvin Klein/DKNY, that sort of range. Her bag was LV though and her shoes and belt gave the impression that she didn't shop in Manila - I can tell what sort of stuff are available here). She was pretty in a homely sort of way, and had a big group with her -- like 8 women of various ages surrounding her. There were also 4 young kids with them, 2 of them toddlers. She was fussing over the younger kids, and chatting with the women who sat either beside or behind her. They seemed like they were related -- same short, stocky built, morena skin. My initial impression was they were family, of lower middle class stock perhaps, and I figured she must be the prettiest one in the family and married well or was the smart, educated one. The ladies with her were not as particularly dressed up as she was.

Then she stood up and carried her little boy. Lo and behold! The young one was wearing LV sneakers with his Polo by Ralph Lauren Baby get up! Definitely nouveau rich this one here. I mean I've seen plenty kids dressed by dear Ralphie, but who would buy LV sneakers for a 2 year old boy? Even the fantastically loaded folks I know have the sense not to bust their bank for luxe baby sneaks. Hmmm, she must be either a super business savvy entrepreneur with the privilege of not having to look at price tags, a big scheming flirt who hooked a drug lord's scion (and can thus afford to buy their babies luxury goodies without thinking twice), or an adopted daughter of a wealthy industrialist who only discovered her long lost relatives recently? Hmmm, but what would make a rich dude -- who can get away with marrying a model/actress/legitimate heiress type -- go off and marry an average/regular girl next door? And so the plot in my head thickens...

But it was dissolved instantly when this high profile "public servant"/lord of the fiefdom/city kingpin approached her, and she told him to sit at the opposite end of their pew. Aha! A politician's daughter! Oops! Those weren't relatives, but a coterie of alalays! I could have sworn they looked related! Boy, and I thought I was good at this game! How could I have not thought of the obvious!!!

(I am not generalizing all politicians and their families, I have plenty of friends from that circle, and they are just as regular as you and me. Its just that this one is so darn obvious. There's no other possible source of income given their tenure in politics, but they still have the balls to flaunt the way they spend taxpayers money...)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad. But I can totally relate to what you're pointing out. This could be that part where fashion meets social commentary...And good timing too as it's election season in the Philippines.

cd_mfo said...

I know, i couldn't decide if I should feel jealous or appalled! (Well, not that I want to buy luxury brands for my future babies, but more of I wish I can afford such things for myself hahaha)In the end, I settled for disgusted actually...

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that there are people like you out there that are able to intelligently note that obscenely expensive clothes, accessories and coterie of "look at me" alalays +"public servant" = theiving rascal/s. I must say, this is much more productive than those who brainlessly fawn over (ill-gotten) fab fashion finds, ooh la la, my dah-lings! Who said fashion observers couldn't produce good social commentaries?

cd_mfo said...

Thanks for appreciating my commentary! I agree with you. There is a need to incorporate some form of "ethics" among followers of fashion. Local observers in general tend to fawn over the most expensive item, or any item as long as its made by a famous designer, without regard for anything else. What's worse is when they exalt a person wearing such, even if that person lied, cheated, stole from someone, or slept their way just to obtain those luxury goods...There has to be a line drawn to separate the innately and "immaculately" stylish from those who traded their soul for style. Only then will the "intellectuals" stop looking down on fashion reporting as just another brainless activity.

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