३० जून, २०२५

"Not so long ago, members of high society were fixated on trying to low-key their way out of the perils of income inequality."

"Minimalism and quiet luxury were in vogue. But in the wake of President Trump’s second election, it’s the luxe life at full volume. He gilded the White House, turning it into a rococo Liberace lair. Swaggy and braggy have replaced stealth wealth. Flaunting it is in. For women, that means sequins, diamonds, tight silhouettes and big hair....  And now there are the Bezos-Sánchez nuptials.... Ms. Sánchez brings to mind another unlikely Vogue subject: Ivana Trump. Ms. Wintour gave her a cover in 1990, shortly before her divorce from Mr. Trump, after worrying, as I reported in a biography of Ms. Wintour, that she was 'too tacky.'... As much as those with more understated taste might turn up their noses at the crassness of the Bezos-Sánchez wedding’s display, tacky is very clearly carrying the day. Maybe hating on tacky oligarchs is itself just elitist...."

Writes Amy Odell, in "The Bezos-Sánchez Wedding and the Triumph of Tacky" (NYT).

५९ टिप्पण्या:

rehajm म्हणाले...

Maybe hating on tacky oligarchs is itself just elitist

Hey! Well done blind squirrel! Things are looking up…

rehajm म्हणाले...

…it’s also tacky…

Mary E. Glynn म्हणाले...

Wait, who was worrying about Ivana Trump being tacky? Anna, the author, ann? Too confusing to follow as written. Keep it short and punchy.

Quayle म्हणाले...

Hating on anything is elitist. ("A select group that is superior to others in terms of ability or qualities.") The thought that you are better than others in the "important" ways. Even the poor can be elitist when they hate others for "some reason".

Iman म्हणाले...

So… after four years of a drooling, lying Depends-dependent codger, his patio furniture pattern favoring missus and their crack-stupefied, whore-mongering son, Odell writes of the resurgence of “tacky”?

snicker… snicker…

rehajm म्हणाले...

…Imagine if we put the MiT sewage team on the NYT building to look for xanax and diazepam. world records…

Mr. D म्हणाले...

The "not our kind, dear" crowd is always delighted to discover others who are not their kind. Don't cry for me, arrivistes.

Leland म्हणाले...

Oh BS. They simply buy their big yachts and take them to all the Riveira ports, entertaining their celebrity hanger-ons. That's why Bezos got married in Italy. They love his money. The difference is the ultra-left-wing billionaires have their weddings in the Hamptons.

FormerLawClerk म्हणाले...

Entire column drips of envy.

gspencer म्हणाले...

Where's Robin Leach when I need him?
1. Why would Tom Brady be invited?
2. Why would he attend?

rehajm म्हणाले...

1. ..because Tom is one of them 2. Sidney Sweeney

lonejustice म्हणाले...

"He gilded the White House, turning it into a rococo Liberace lair."

That's the only part of the article I agree with, at least as regards the Oval Office.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Jeff would have spent that money even if Harris won.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Jeff = Bezos.

dbp म्हणाले...

Was the Soros-Abedin wedding tacky? Or was it different somehow?

tim maguire म्हणाले...

Everything is Trump’s fault, even the choices of the people who hate him. We all know that.

Jeff Gee म्हणाले...

The return of the Althouse “Liberace” tag, following an 11-year-long hiatus! It’s a tiny but robust rabbit hole. Prior to today’s Bezos-Sánchez wedding post, it appeared on “Johnny Carson learns the word “bustier” from Madonna, who presents herself “as a virgin” to him,” “British paper sues Lance Armstrong for $1.5m over lost libel action,” and “Goodbye to Phyllis Diller.” This last has a (functioning!) YouTube link to Phyllis playing a self-composed fugue on the harpsichord, followed by a dueling-keyboards duet with Liberace.

Jamie म्हणाले...

"Not so long ago, members of high society were fixated on trying to low-key their way out of the perils of income inequality."

The way this reads to me is, "Until recently, rich people were afraid to show their wealth because they knew that so many not-rich people felt no hope of ever becoming rich, therefore putting the rich folks at risk of reprisals. (Besides, being obviously rich undermined their sense of what good people they were, with all the solidarity with the downtrodden and all.)

The usual, or shall I say "expected," Trump style of decor is not my cup of tea (I think the writer would be hard-pressed to find a woman in Trump's family, however, who dresses with anything other than simple elegance). But I'm thrilled to see that people -not just Trump but people in general - are feeling free to express their personal style. (Yes, I agree with pretty much everybody that Sanchez should have stepped away from the scalpel. But hey, different strokes!)

Temujin म्हणाले...

I guess the Obamas spending summer months on Martha's Vineyard, followed by creating their personal compound in the middle of one of Washington DC's nicest neighborhoods, while at the same time creating an oceanside compound in Hawaii (no fear of rising waters these days) does not count as a display of wealth. It's just living.
Well...it is. In Trump's case, it's just his taste (gaudy, ugly, but it's his). In Bezo's case: when you're that wealthy, you do what you want without concern for Amy Odell (who?) and her readers.
Amy Odell should be proud. Her city is about to make everyone equal. That should prove fun watching NYT reporters living like the others on the street.

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

Yep you can draw a straight line from Trump's election to tacky billionaire Bezos throwing a Gatsby-blushing planet-killing wedding. Absolutely true.

If you are insane.

Jersey Fled म्हणाले...

We get it. It’s all Trump’s fault.

Ho Hum

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

"He gilded the White House, turning it into a rococo Liberace lair."

Bullshit hyperbole. They always say this without evidence.

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

Excellent points, Temuj, at 7:26.

Rocco म्हणाले...

Tacky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o

R C Belaire म्हणाले...

Trump affects everything ... and will do so even after he's long gone from the gilded Oval Office.

Cappy म्हणाले...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1YkAvwx5U8

cfs म्हणाले...

Oh for the days long ago of low-key minimalism by the rich and famous. Why I remember it as if it was just a few short years ago that former President Obama had a Martha Vineyard's birthday bash with only a few hundred people. It was a time when everyone else in the nation was masked and locked down so the media minimalized the hypocrisy of such a large gathering when others were living under different rules.

BTW, this article sounds as if someone is bitter because they didn't receive an invitation to Bezos wedding nor an invitation to tour the Oval office.

Mr. T. म्हणाले...

Remember Michelle Obama's 50k dress in Spain, that all the usual leftist gutter pink slime suspects-Time, NYT, Vogue, NYMag, Ms., Buzzfeed-fawned over while the rest of were crippled during his Great Recession?

Pound sand, NYT hacks.

Assistant Village Idiot म्हणाले...

Yes, sequins and jewelry were unheard of at society events during the Biden and Obama eras.

JAORE म्हणाले...

All roads lead to Trump.
Sorry Rome, you've been displaced... by hate.

Aggie म्हणाले...

At last, yes, Trump is awful, but he doesn't do 'awful' as gaudily or tackily as our people do awful.

I'm waiting eagerly to see these media people exhort us all to love the coming socialist leadership in NYC, how truly ground-breaking it will be, how visionary ! How legitimate ! I'm waiting to see if they exhort us to follow with the same exuberance, the same investment of their credibility and reputation, the same excitement. Will it happen?

HoodlumDoodlum म्हणाले...

Can non-white people be described as tacky? There was a long period where "bling" of various kind was the focus of fashion/luxury for non-white groups but I don't remember NYTimes articles on the tackiness of that trend.
Treating white culture as the default and/or most important focal point is a feature of white supremacy, we've been told.

n.n म्हणाले...

NYT beclowns itself in gay admiration. Fool me once...

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

The Left will likely never forgive Bezos for that op-ed until he disgorges his billions in a donation to DNC affiliated NGOs.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne म्हणाले...

dbp said...

Was the Soros-Abedin wedding tacky? Or was it different somehow?

Not per se. But the whole guests lining up in the receiving line with envelopes of cash isn't a terribly good look.

baghdadbob म्हणाले...

Speaking of Vogue, I'm still waiting for arguably the most beautiful First Lady in history to receive her first fashion magazine cover. What? Michelle has been on covers? Must have missed it.

narciso म्हणाले...

we're supposed to care what this odell person thinks, why

jim म्हणाले...

They should do what they want, tacky as can be. But leave Venice alone. And that also applies to the damned cruise ships.

Howard म्हणाले...

Laura Sanchez-Bezos is the poster child of the problem with gender affirming surgery.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Snark is always in fashion

Tina Trent म्हणाले...

A disguise to obscure Huma Abaden's wedding, as well as Chelsea Clinton's. Consider that hag Michelle Obama's endless trips to Europe with her entourage, paid by us.

At least these bozos didn't operate on the taxpayers' dime, unless you count the decades when Amazon was inappropriately untaxed.

Birches म्हणाले...

Bezos and Sanchez have been gaudy and gross throughout the Biden administration. This isn't new behavior. I do think it's kind of gross how they picked a Venice wedding so the paparazzi could film them and all their guests easily.

mccullough म्हणाले...

Flying on private jets didn’t happen “in the wake of” Trump 47.

Retire “in the wake of” and “aftermath.” After reads better

Skeptical Voter म्हणाले...

Ms. San chez has "got em" and she dresses to "flaunt em". Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Mark म्हणाले...

"Maybe hating on tacky oligarchs is itself just elitist...."

It's been ages since I last read an insightful sentence published by the New York Times. Good to see.

Mary Beth म्हणाले...

Old money vs. new money. It's been like this since forever. The old money uses sumptuary laws, luxury taxes and stern, frowny looks to keep the new money in check, but the new money goes on and does what makes them happy.

Enigma म्हणाले...

Meghan Markle and Sanchez show once again that female contact with power sometimes results in lasting power. For many outside observers, neither woman is remotely attractive.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

Sounds like a symbiotic relationship. If they didn't have a big mansion, with ground-floor windows, Amy Odell could not get paid to peer in at them. I'm not sure what it does for Bezos and Sanchez, but it must do something. At least he's not trying to sterilize us all, like Gates.

effinayright म्हणाले...

Meow!!!

FullMoon म्हणाले...

Check his wiki. Mom 17 , dad 19. Accidental?
How would the world be different if dad had worn a condom?.
Bezos legit worked at McDonalds.
Remember when he started Amazon? Selling books online, way cheaper than the book stores.
Now, with membership,I can have a $2.00 box of envelopes delivered free tomorrow .
Interesting how rare is mention of lockdowns contributing to amazons expansion. Would be interesting to see before and after stats.


Aggie म्हणाले...

The third-generation wealthy have discovered the magic of invisibility - they're able to cloak their wealth and keep the ostentation from public scrutiny, hidden from any interested eyes. Bezos and Musk, then Gates and Soros a generation further back - they're the Rockefellers and Carnegies and Morgans of the modern world. Meanwhile, the Rockefellers and their ilk are busy trying to dismantle & re-shape the modern world with dark money funding to ungovernable organizations. Their influence is removed a half-dozen times over, protecting their privacy, preserving their influence. They would find the live activism of Musk and Bezos, directly interacting with the modern economy by providing goods and services, distasteful. Earning money? Ugh.

Lazarus म्हणाले...

Was it Bezos who ordered a custom-built yacht and then found it was too big to go under the bridge and out to sea? One look at his boat and his bride should convince you that he won't go small, whoever is president.

Since he has millions and the boat was built in Holland, "Don't raise the bridge, lower the river" might actually be sound practical advice.

ALP म्हणाले...

Quiet luxury????? I'm pissing myself here....

Humperdink म्हणाले...

Every time the commie left delves into appearance(s), I can’t help think of Dr. Jill in those horrible looking table covers for dresses or former First Lady Iron Mike in her middle linebacker duds.

Leslie Graves म्हणाले...

Being able to consistently pull off understated luxury takes a family background that knows how to do that and that thinks it matters. People who are new to big money (or maybe also new to their gender expression), who can blame them for having some fun?

Kakistocracy म्हणाले...

Back when George and Amal Clooney tied their knots in Venice, there wasn't any protest. Even though they were rich and successful, they were not in the same league of super rich. Moreover, Clooney has maintained a residence in Lake Como, visit Italy regularly, and was a friend of the Venice mayor.

Clooney‘s approached it as a more„ measured event, as did German football star Sebastian Schweinsteiger. It is the size of the wedding that is not a fit for Venice and I can understand the frustration of the locals.

Leora म्हणाले...

One of the things that struck me about the second Mrs. Bezos is how much she physically resembles the first Mrs. Bezos but with a much more out there presentation. They are even about the same age which is odd for the second wife. She kind of looks like Ms Scott except liking to have fun instead of liking to be thought virtuous.

JIM म्हणाले...

The Trump effect? Geez, do they get a bonus or bonus points for tying any event to Trump? Loserville.

Enigma म्हणाले...

@Lazarus: "Was it Bezos who ordered a custom-built yacht and then found it was too big to go under the bridge and out to sea?"

Bezos had a custom sailing yacht built upstream of a historic bridge. It had been recently refurbished with the promise of "never" being taken down again. The SHIPBUILDER proposed taking the bridge down so they could install the masts in their construction yard rather than somewhere else.

After the media uproar targeting Bezos, the builder merely moved the unfinished ship past the brigde and completed it elsewhere. Bezos himself had little or nothing to do with this.

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