Author Topic: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids  (Read 7371 times)

dude

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Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« on: March 24, 2014, 07:48:26 AM »
Perhaps this belongs in the anti-Mustachianism forum, I don't know.  Anyway, really interesting article (despite it being from the NY Post!) about the pressure to keep up with the Joneses in celebrity/fashion circles in NYC.

http://nypost.com/2014/03/23/scotts-suicide-reveals-tragic-side-of-citys-glitzy-scene/

Peony

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2014, 10:11:49 AM »
That is a much better article than I would've expected in that paper. Among other interesting facts in the article, I had no idea that it's common for models to work the most high-profile fashion shows for free (or for clothes). When I think about it, it makes sense; they need the designers more than the designers need them. And no wonder my friend's daughter (6' tall, outrageously thin, gorgeous and photogenic) who is trying to make it as a model in NYC keeps doing these photo shoots that basically are porn. She's no doubt just trying to keep a roof over her head.

Elaine

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2014, 11:40:35 AM »
NYC is this weird alternate universe. Never in my life have I met so many people without any discernible source of income.

+1

ichangedmyname

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2014, 09:47:19 PM »
Sorry I didn't know it already existed.

frugalecon

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2014, 10:33:14 AM »
I sometimes heard by father use an expression, "Living a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget," that is apt in these situations. It must feel awful when you realize that none of the "friends" you made on the way up will be sticking around for the descent. But maybe you never expected them to be there, anyway.

LibraTraci

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 11:48:44 AM »

One of the most interesting things with L'Wren Scott's suicide is that her money problems most certainly played a role in her feeling ashamed, trapped, hopeless, etc. 

And her spending problems almost certainly played a role in her money problems.

I imagine that things would have looked more workable if she had scaled back her lifestyle.  I mean, there is some sense of failure in shutting down your clothing line (professional bankruptcy) but there can be utter shame in not being able to pay for your groceries because your credit card is declining and you're 6 months behind on your rent. 

If it were only a matter of needing to shut down her business, she could have regrouped and done a line for target or for qvc, but I suspect she was in financial trouble on a personal level as well which got way out of control and left her feeling there was no way out.  Just speculating, of course, but one can only wonder if she could have done things differently and gotten a different outcome.


Miamoo

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 01:17:02 PM »
But how sad is this that the woman placed that social veneer and 'keeping up with the Jones's' to be more important than her own life.  How or why would one feel that worthless?  So sad.  What was so wrong with her?

soccerluvof4

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2014, 01:39:54 PM »
Not surprised really at all. I never envied these types. Seems more there always running from something than to something. Kinda another form of a drug.

greenmimama

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2014, 03:16:58 PM »
So very sad, on so many levels.

ichangedmyname

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2014, 04:03:13 PM »
But how sad is this that the woman placed that social veneer and 'keeping up with the Jones's' to be more important than her own life.  How or why would one feel that worthless?  So sad.  What was so wrong with her?

This. My reaction exactly. Like it's very sad because you know it's not just a money problem, there has to be something else that made the money problem so enormous that she had to do it. So sad.

Also Mick Jagger just broke up with her, I heard, That could be it, too?

luigi49

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2014, 08:56:20 PM »
Mick Jagger's tragic fashion designer girlfriend L'Wren Scott had left her entire $9million estate to the Rolling Stones rocker before taking her own life last week.

New York Post's Page Six reported Wednesday that Scott, whose remains were cremated Tuesday following a small, private funeral service in Los Angeles, left a simple will bequeathing all her jewelery, clothing, furniture, cars and other personal effects to 'Michael Phillip Jagger.'

Scott, 49, was found kneeling on the floor of her Manhattan condominium March 17 with a scarf wrapped around her neck that had been tied to a door handle.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2590384/LWren-Scott-leaves-entire-9M-estate-Mick-Jagger-cuts-siblings-will.html#ixzz2x7zb29Sp
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GoPackGo

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Re: Keeping up with the Joneses on steroids
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2014, 09:48:53 PM »
Great article. Title of this post couldn't have said it better.

Sad. Over the franchise’s eight-year lifespan, 12 Real Housewives have filed for bankruptcy, one has been evicted on camera, several have battled substance-abuse issues, one couple has pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court, one husband has been indicted for fraud and identity theft, and one husband has committed suicide.