Sunday, March 8, 2009

Bourgeois? or just Bougie?

What is bougie? It's a word to love and own up to. It's the epitome of "nouveau riche." It's what America is about. It's rags to riches, or The Gap to Prada, or McDonald's to PF Chang's. Or, in the recent economic downturn, it's Bank of America now owning Merrill Lynch. I, for one, love it.

Urban Dictionary (the common man's dictionary) defines it as (I've inserted my own comments where appropriate):

1. Bougie (adjective)
Adjective meaning extravagent, often to the point of snobbery (having class is not snobbery). Usually used in relation to the conspicuous consumption (it helps the economy) of the urban upper-middle class. Derived from "bourgeoisie."

"What kind of chips are those?"
"Organic Parmesan Oregeno with Olive Oil, they're 4 dollars a bag"

"Man those are bougie chips"

2. Bougie (adjective)

Anything that is perceived as "upscale" from a blue-collar point of view. 'Bougie' (pronounced boo'-she) is a hacked truncation of the word Bourgeoisie, which refers to the middle-class in Europe, but refers to a more affluent class level in the United States.

From Wikipedia.org:
In the United States, which lacks strict social classes, Bourgeoisie is sometimes used to refer to those seen as being upper class.

You can sit there and drink your bougie-ass microbrewed beer, but I still prefer my ice cold Coors (Gross!) original.

Did ya see Luthur (who is actually called Luther nowadays?) just roll up in his bougie new BMW?

You can eat your bougie $25.99 salad from Central Market for lunch, but I'm hangin' with Mikky D's!(Who can put a price on a healthy meal? Really. I say this as I'm eating a Fish Fillet from "Mikky D's".)

My #11 Meal from McDonald's was delicious. Obviously all I have left are the french fries. I snarfed the fish up so fast. It's like it never existed in the first place.

But, aren't we all a little bougie? Just a little? Or, at least, we all aspire to be. You'd have to be an ingrate to not want fine dining, nice clothes, and a little bit of Jazz music while you're studying for your next midterm, which you hope to pass with flying colors so that one day you will be able to afford your new bougie lifestyle. Le sigh.

Price: McDonald's No. 11 Fish Fillet Meal - $4.27. What I really wanted was the $25.99 salad from Central Market.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Discover the Experience...

Can the Jackson Family surprise us anymore? Seriously. It's as if Michael Jackson's own Neverland Ranch didn't leave us with enough crazy to last us a lifetime. What could possibly top Elephant remains and pedophilia all in one venue?

In Nigeria, Marlon Jackson decided to try to outshine his flamboyant brother. I think he wins. It's just my personal opinion.

According to the Guardian, he is starting up a Slavery Theme Park along with a museum dedicated to the Jackson 5. Yes, because Nigeria doesn't have problems of government infrastructure and oil corruption. Nigerians can now spend their non-existent leisure money to go "Discover the Experience" of Slavery. IN AFRICA! What the hell!?

"The Jackson family had been looking for a place to site their memorabilia collection," explained Gary Loster, chief executive of the Motherland Group, to the BBC. "We visited the site of the slave port in Badagry and Marlon turned to me and said: 'Let's put it here, this is right.'"

Jesus. This is worse than Jesus Land (or something like that).

The developers' plans, which include a lifesize replica of a slave ship, holograms of the Jackson Five and robot versions of 18th-century African musicians, are not without their opponents.

I'm speechless.

Why put a theme park about slavery in Africa? That's like putting a theme park dedicated to the IMF and the World Bank in Africa. We should put it in Arkansas or North Dakota where no one has seen a person of color. It should be in the Bible Belt. Africans have had enough of repression and enslavement. Honestly.

Wait. Why? Just...why? I don't think anyone needs a Slavery "Theme Park." The phrase theme park was not my idea. I would have said Museum...or...Memorial...or Burial Place...

The point of an amusement park is joy, wisdom and relaxation. Just saying.