Land of the Preening Hipster
There are a lot of people back in Missouri who I might go so far as to characterize as "hipsters". You know, the sort of people who would never be caught dead looking as though they actually enjoy a band or a movie. They're the people who stand in the crowd with an impudent look on their face and don't do anything other than (maybe) nod along to the beat.
The Brits make this look like nothing. The snobbish, effete crowd at the Art London opening exhibit was about the same as that at the concerts I've attended, if better dressed. A lot of people seem to wander around terrified of being seen as passé or, god forbid, eager. It would seem that perception is incredibly important on this side of the Atlantic; it might be merely that I have reconciled myself to always being behind the perception 8-ball (read: I'm kinda lame and people have started to catch on) but even so it seems an extreme reaction to something that's really not that big of a deal.
This could, without too many leaps in logic, be linked back to the Victorian prim-and-proper repression that kept brazen strumpets like the one on the left going from around with their ankles all on display as if 'twere the sordid centre some heathen meat-market. Her usage of the seemly Hooped-Skirt kept the magistrates from having their terrible lusts enflamed, though her espousal of the demon-ethos Suffrage likely unbalanced their Spelenetic Humours.
That doesn't even make sense. I apologize.
Moving on. The overly self-conscious nature of the British is not a bad thing per se. Thanks to this, strange things happen that would never occur in a place less obsessed with image. For example, people on the subway apologize to you if they step on your foot. In New York this wouldn't ever happen; it might even get the aplogizer (which is probably not a word) beaten up.
In any case, it's an element of culture here that's going to take some getting used to. It's a bit of a drag to go to a good show and be the only person who's making a fool of himself. My fumbling attempts at dancing have only drawn snide looks so far, as the cultural reticence has prevented them from deigning to criticize a philistine such as myself. I'm being hyperbolic here, I know; I just think it's at least a bit funny to be surrounded by people who seem to take themselves so seriously.
The strangest thing is trying to reconcile this with British humor, which takes such pleasure in mocking the same sort of thing. Perhaps this is a cultural reaction to what I'm talking about. Or maybe I'd just feel better if everybody else looked as goofy as I did. In any case, it'd do me good to see someone out there who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Watch out for me: I'll be the one who just spilled his drink all over himself. Or all over Courtney's head. Both good.
The Brits make this look like nothing. The snobbish, effete crowd at the Art London opening exhibit was about the same as that at the concerts I've attended, if better dressed. A lot of people seem to wander around terrified of being seen as passé or, god forbid, eager. It would seem that perception is incredibly important on this side of the Atlantic; it might be merely that I have reconciled myself to always being behind the perception 8-ball (read: I'm kinda lame and people have started to catch on) but even so it seems an extreme reaction to something that's really not that big of a deal.
This could, without too many leaps in logic, be linked back to the Victorian prim-and-proper repression that kept brazen strumpets like the one on the left going from around with their ankles all on display as if 'twere the sordid centre some heathen meat-market. Her usage of the seemly Hooped-Skirt kept the magistrates from having their terrible lusts enflamed, though her espousal of the demon-ethos Suffrage likely unbalanced their Spelenetic Humours.That doesn't even make sense. I apologize.
Moving on. The overly self-conscious nature of the British is not a bad thing per se. Thanks to this, strange things happen that would never occur in a place less obsessed with image. For example, people on the subway apologize to you if they step on your foot. In New York this wouldn't ever happen; it might even get the aplogizer (which is probably not a word) beaten up.
In any case, it's an element of culture here that's going to take some getting used to. It's a bit of a drag to go to a good show and be the only person who's making a fool of himself. My fumbling attempts at dancing have only drawn snide looks so far, as the cultural reticence has prevented them from deigning to criticize a philistine such as myself. I'm being hyperbolic here, I know; I just think it's at least a bit funny to be surrounded by people who seem to take themselves so seriously.
The strangest thing is trying to reconcile this with British humor, which takes such pleasure in mocking the same sort of thing. Perhaps this is a cultural reaction to what I'm talking about. Or maybe I'd just feel better if everybody else looked as goofy as I did. In any case, it'd do me good to see someone out there who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Watch out for me: I'll be the one who just spilled his drink all over himself. Or all over Courtney's head. Both good.
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