Driving home from my sister’s flat late one night I heard a programme on FM104. The idiot presenter had found two poor people (Liz and John) who were going to be spending a fortune (and I do mean a fortune) on their daughters’ first communions: stretch limos, 1,000 euro dresses, the lot.
He then found a number of middle class people to criticise Liz and John and how they chose to spend their money. [“I am from a very good family and I would never spend money in that way. Pictures of those communions circulate on the internet afterwards and people laugh at your children”] I thought that these people were patronising and deeply, deeply unpleasant. What I found disturbing was that the presenter did nothing to try to balance the coverage. John and Liz were a bit on the inarticulate side and the presenter joined right in, criticising their choices and mocking their spending. It was very nasty listening.
I suppose I’m not quite FM104’s target demographic but I won’t be going back there any time soon.
now then. What was it you were saying about the English just now?
A friend, comfortably ensconced in her expensive home, discoursed at length last weekend about how poor people don’t know to eke their money out by making hearty vegetable soup.
TM – you know that you don’t come here for consistency (or possibly consistancy).
Lesley, v. annoying. Also the assumption that you agree with them.
Of course, people should be able to spend their money any way they want and they should not be publicly ridiculed for their choices. That being said, it does seem an awful waste of money. Yes, it is an important moment in the life of the child, but is consumerism really the only way to emphasize the importance of an event? These lavish parties set up impossible expectations for poorer families, who are made to feel less religious because they could only afford a simple celebration.