"The authenticity hoax"

[Feraud]

Are we romanticizing the golden era far beyond a reasonable nostalgia?

Based on how little people value the past (one quick example) I would say we do not romanticize the past enough.

 

[reetpleat]

After reading the review, i find the book ridiculous. While there are some people who pursue authenticity for status, and yes, it is a trend, i do not dismiss all people with cell phones as trying to impress others. Remember when people used to say that before everyone had one?

For every trendy follower, there are two people trying to really take the best of modern life, but reject the worst. What is wrong with that. I am surprised Lizzie objects to this idea, as her values and many of these people striving to simplify their lives would probably see eye to eye on many things.

His idea that somehow this is what is leading to fundamentalist islam terrorists is quite a leap. And this idea "Mr. Potter is here to tell us what should be obvious: that there is no paradise back there, that we moderns have never had it so good and that authenticity in the way we've defined it is a sham." is not obvious to me. While I know the past was not perfect, there are plenty of good things we could do well to keep or revive. I don't know that we have never had it so good in all regards. there are many things that I think are worse now, and I am sure many here would agree.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

In many major cities, people still like their green grocers over grocery superstores. As do many immigrants.

Hmmm.. I'm not sure about that. Southern California is home to a very large Asian immigrant population who, within a very short period of time, had wholeheartedly embraced the supermarket concept with a vengeance. I often shop for meat and produce at the many gigantic Asian supermarkets that dot the cityscape because the prices for these staples are better than the regular supermarkets. (I also shop at some of the Latino supermercados for the same reason) Many of them are virtual mini-malls with food courts, jewelry, music, and cell phone shops -- one near me even has a furniture store,

 

[LizzieMaine]

For every trendy follower, there are two people trying to really take the best of modern life, but reject the worst. What is wrong with that. I am surprised Lizzie objects to this idea, as her values and many of these people striving to simplify their lives would probably see eye to eye on many things.

My problem with it is simply the pretentiousness of so much of it -- we have more than our share of folks like this around this town, who sneer down from their high horses at anyone who doesn't -- in their opinion -- "Care" as much as they do, the people who are very quick to mention that they never EVER shop at Wal Mart, but wouldn't think twice about driving 150 miles to the nearest Ikea. (These are the same sorts of people that Things White People Like skewers so unmercifully.) I don't endorse or promote this particular author or this particular book -- I merely acknowledge that some of his points are valid. If you spend all your time wringing your hands over authenticity, chances are it's a goal you'll never achieve.

Live simple because it makes sense. Not because it looks good as a bumper sticker on your Prius.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

How ironic that the search for "authenticity", borne out a disillusionment by some who perceive the materialism of a disposable society, has, in of itself, become a sort of Keeping Up With the Joneses in reverse -- particularly among the more trendier element of the populace.

 

[vitanola]

"Living simply" sounds pretty d*rn*d god to me just now, as we have spent the last week looking over wallpaper samples.

Anyone have a Kalsomine brush that I might borrow?

 

[Paisley]

People can, unfortunately, become pretentious over anything. I've seen people get on their high horse about what dancing and what kinds of roses they'll grow--really. But that element, IME, is a tiny portion of the dance scene and rose growing clubs I've been in. It was self-regulating: the snobs eventually alienated everyone and were either left on their own, or other people stuck around but ignored them--or opposed them. The dance snobs have blessedly disappeared from the Denver lindy scene; the Colorado Springs rose snobs left in a huff long ago.

The book's title (The Authenticity Hoax) and reviews state that people cannot tell the real from the fake, and it doesn't matter anyway. But if we can't tell, how do we know it doesn't matter? And are there really that many people out there doing a 50-mile-radius diet--giving up coffee, sugar, chocolate, tea, and fresh fruit and vegetables much of the year? Are people really the victims of a hoax if they want to vacation away from crowds? If people enjoy the real more than the fake (without copping an attitude about it), where's the harm?

I'm not sure if the author recognizes that one person's status symbol is another person's basic necessity. One person might feel superior for shopping at Whole Foods, for instance; another might simply be picking up staples.

Even though this has elicited much interesting discussion, I'll pass on reading this book.

 

[Richard Warren]

I have to admire LizzieMaine's restraint.

 

[David Conwill]

It seems to me this is a “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot” situation. Sure, folks back then didn’t like what they had, but with 20/20 hindsight, we’re better able to comprehend the value of what we’ve lost.

I don’t want to live in their era, I just want their stuff.

-Dave

 

[reetpleat]

I think the "just doing it to be cool" thing is a bit overblown. I mean, yes, it is a trend. But trends are not always bad things. Some people are trendy, but that doesn't mean they are not being turned onto something good.

I am sure that if it gets too big, then there will be a backlash in the next five to ten years of more conspicuous consumption. Look at the seventies then the eighties.

But so what? that doesn't mean that a lot of people benefited from simplifying their lifestyle, a lot of good things came from the back to the land movement, and we could use another few years of getting back to enjoying the simple things in life. Which trend would you rather be in?

Will this author pen a book in ten years called the mindless comsumption hoax? It is an equally mindless, trend. But we tend to take it as the norm or the ideal.

 

[Fletch]

The really honest thing to do - in any era - is to recognize where the power lies, and shrug [huh], and keep doing whatever costs you the least.

It's sad, kind of, but at least it harbors no illusions. If you want to be on the side of the people, it's wise to remember that most people thru history couldn't afford to boycott anything.

Speaking your mind is a luxury - a little bit less of one, here in the info age, but still a luxury. Simplicity, unless you're unusually dogged and crafty about it (hello Lizzie?), is another.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The thing is, real "Simple Living" requires sacrifices that an awful lot of people who write gushy articles about it in glossy magazines aren't actually willing to make: quit that big urban job, move to a small town, live in a small house or apartment, get a job right in the middle of town and walk to work, fire the nanny, put the kids in public school, do your own cleaning, etc. etc. etc -- and most important, leave those big urban attitudes behind in the city. Don't carry on like you're anything special for doing what we've been doing -- out of necessity -- all our lives.

And any article on "Simple Living" that includes "where to buy it" credits in the photo captions should be thrown forcefully across the room.

 

[Dr Doran]

I have seen the "arms race" mentality many times. This seems to be the most interesting feature of the book. "But mine is from 1926." what was once interesting and cool ceases to be so. New heights are attained, new depths of extravagance.

fftopic: As for "Stuff white people like." The interesting thing about it is that it is an example of a group of people ridiculing -- and thus implicitly critiquing, rather than blindly upholding -- itself. There is an analogous blog written by a black person called "stuff black people like" which, instead of being clever and self-critiquing, is a simple list which at times makes fun of WHITE people. Not as interesting.

 

[Viola]

The thing is, real "Simple Living" requires sacrifices that an awful lot of people who write gushy articles about it in glossy magazines aren't actually willing to make: quit that big urban job, move to a small town, live in a small house or apartment, get a job right in the middle of town and walk to work, fire the nanny, put the kids in public school, do your own cleaning, etc. etc. etc -- and most important, leave those big urban attitudes behind in the city. Don't carry on like you're anything special for doing what we've been doing -- out of necessity -- all our lives.

And any article on "Simple Living" that includes "where to buy it" credits in the photo captions should be thrown forcefully across the room.

Lizzie, I hear you on 98% of this completely but I am not getting with you on the simple = rural thing. Big city doesn't mean pretentious inherently and automatically anymore than Maine means rich New Yorkers summering. Plenty of subway-riding just-folks around and about in the urban jungle, fluttering from da lunch cart to the Ack-a-me to laundry mat in their natural habitat.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie, I hear you on 98% of this completely but I am not getting with you on the simple = rural thing. Big city doesn't mean pretentious inherently and automatically anymore than Maine means rich New Yorkers summering. Plenty of subway-riding just-folks around and about in the urban jungle, fluttering from da lunch cart to the Ack-a-me to laundry mat in their natural habitat.

Yeah, I didn't mean it to sound like a blanket hazing of urban folk in general -- what sets me off are the upscale urbanites who write gushy lifestyle articles in the Atlantic Monthly about how connected to the land they feel because they went fruit-picking that one time. Whenever I read stuff like that, my crotchety self wants very much to sentence the author to a year in a migrant camp, and see how connected to the land that makes them feel.

In a lot of ways pre-suburban old-school neighborhood life in cities was very much in the same vein as traditional small-town living -- jobs and stores within walking distance, neighbors knowing everyone, kids playing in the street on their own time, etc. If that's the kind of authenticity people are looking for I'm all for it -- just as long as they don't gentrify those neighborhoods out of existence.

 

[Paisley]

...what sets me off are the upscale urbanites who write gushy lifestyle articles in the Atlantic Monthly about how connected to the land they feel because they went fruit-picking that one time.

Reminds me of the movie Christmas in Connecticut from 1945, synopsis courtesy of the imdb database:

In her Smart Housekeeping column, Elizabeth Lane [played by Barbara Stanwyck] provides amazing recipes and homemaking hints. However, Elizabeth's got a little secret: SHE needs a recipe to boil water! Elizabeth has no cooking skills, no Connecticut farm, no adoring hubby and no baby-makes-three as suggested in her column. Something her boss, the magazine publisher, doesn't know when he decides to invite himself and a recently returned war hero to her home for a traditional family Christmas. Watch as Elizabeth tries to be a good wife and doting mother, with absolutely NO experience.​

 

[Harp]

... and didn't eat Cheetos for breakfast.
... the Cheeto-eating, Bud-swilling philisitine down the street.

Cheetos for breakfast?


Cheetos (with Miller Lite) are only ok for 10.00 brunch.

 

[Viola]

Breakfast is, ideally, leftover spaghetti.

But yeah, precious-moments "in touch with the REAL America because I occasionally buy things at antique stores and also free-trade coffee" makes my eyes roll so far back in my head I can see my own brain.

The only thing that bugs me more is people who act like being poor is actually impossible.

Certainly, my wife, Lisa, and I have gained valuable insights from our experience on a very tight budget. We have much more sympathy over how the lack of energy and the hard choices on how to stretch the budget and put food on the table might also stretch one’s patience and stress a marriage. We can imagine the worry and pain of parents if we had to feed our children on this kind of budget—these are just a few of our reflections over the past week.

It was $42.00 dollars a week for two people. Valuable insights my tuchus.

 

[MisterCairo]

Silly question - is the "Stuff White People Like" book the one that includes the Criterion Collection of DVDs? I recall flipping through such a book a year or so back in a Chapter's bookstore.

I like the Criterion collection and I'm (mostly) white, so I guess the book must be (mostly) accurate.....

 

[Bustercat]

I wonder how much of this is an American phenomena? Part of us has always been into the past in a search for roots to match the old world.

My line of work (design) has me looking through alot of old advertising and commercial art for vernacular. What makes the cut is usually stuff that was new back then (like 50s modernism, victorian industrialism, etc.). But left on the 'reject' pile is lots of material that's derivative of an even earlier time (faux 50s or 70s medieval, for example). And there's alot of it. Some forms of retro were so central to the era that revived them that they are now seen as indicative (like 60s art nouveau in psychedelia), but so much doesn't stand the test of time.

I wonder how many of our double-knit grandparents also decorated their houses with decidedly unauthentic 'relics' of old eras that didn't exist? Wrought iron lamps, Goofy coats of arms, and beer mug sets, all of which tried to look Arthurian... odd 'spirit of '76' kitsch, and 'colonial style' ranch houses.. and 'roaring 20s' revival doodads which are a far cry from the originals. Just look around your favorite antique store for all the nostalgic stuff our forbears actually bought new decades ago.

All a quest for a little authenticity, in a world of newfangled modernity.

Until recently, I don't think this happened in other countries that had older traditions. There was simply the new, and the authentic old that had been there for centuries. Exceptions today are places like Germany with their 'Ostalgia'—nostalgia for the simpler times of the GDR (the film 'Goodbye Lenin' sums this up well.)

I think that some American eras are more strongly futurist by nature (such as parts of the 1980s and 1990s), others are more backwards looking (such as the late 1960s and 1970s, though they played fast and loose with the rules.)
I think we're going through a retro era now, with all the emphasis on organic, handmade things. That will change.
It's an ebb and flow.