The leisurely occupations.

[the_grynne]

Rereading Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899), his wit never fails to make me laugh and also cringe in class guilt. Its message seems even more pointed in our current period of forced frugality. Excerpt from chapter 3, Conspicuous Leisure:
'[L]eisure in the narrower sense, as distinct from exploit and from any ostensibly productive

Comments

[semyaza]

That's wonderful. *feels guilty*

[the_grynne]

His pen, 'tis sharp.

[staubundsterne]

Veblen <3! Unfortunately, I only own a translated version of that one, otherwise I'd try to initiate a quote battle. I do love the part(s) where he's talking about women and corsets, though.

[the_grynne]

'To apply this generalisation to women's dress, and put the matter in concrete terms: the high heel, the impracticable bonnet, the corset, and the general disregard of the wearer's comfort which is an obvious feature of all civilised women's apparel, are so many items of evidence to the effect that in the modern civilised scheme of life the women is still, in theory, the economic dependent of the man, - that, perhaps in a highly idealised sense, she still is the man's chattel. The homely reason for all this conspicuous leisure and attire on the part of women lies in the fact that they are servants to whom, in the differentiation of economic functions, has been delegated the office of putting in evidence of their master's ability to pay.'

You slay me, Thorstein.

[staubundsterne]

The angrier and more mocking he gets, the prettier his writing becomes.

You slay me, Thorstein.

With a mallet.

[staubundsterne]

Uh. That was me. My cookies, the do not work!

[notexotic]

Had to read this and Class last year. Lots of lulz but some definite cringing as well!