Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Problematic Task of Becoming a Lady

I have a huge ethical problem with the concept of Ladette to Lady, but that doesn't stop me watching it and pissing myself laughing. The problem is the assumption that working class = wrong, upper class = right. I don't really understand why anyone would send their daughter away to be trained in the rules of behaviour of a different social class, because all that will happen is one of two things. Either they will forget it all (so it was therefore a total waste of time) or they will remember it and forevermore be completely out of place among family and former friends(so it was therefore a total waste of time). Nevertheless, I am glad that there are people stupid enough to think it is a good idea. Here is a little sample of the narrator's magic:


"Holly faces the problematic task of staying sober"

"The first course is escargots, but Simone has a history with molluscs."
-footage of Simone choking up oysters -
"This time she avoids returning her snails to the table. Simone's come a long way"

4 comments:

Cléa said...

You've got a documentary in the making.

It all sounds a little archaic. However, I'd like to see the making of a 'gentleman' in modern times, and how he can please one of the 'ladies'.

Felix for Zosia said...

This is what one of the infuriating points is - the women (or skanks to use their official title) are forever being thrown in front of inbred upper class men, around whom they are not supposed to flirt, but of course the men are totally playing into the whole men can sleep around, (and it doesn't count if it's with the maid) bollocks. Ok, big sigh, I am calm again... but I think there is a New Zealand show that does produce 'refined gentlemen' ... I can't remember it's name so let's call it "Dwayne to Urbane"!!

Mars said...

i have a major issue with that show also... as a matter of fact, i saw two of the 'reformed' ladettes on this morning show today... anyway, there was a little intro thing saying how she used to be some sort of a builder and used to drink and fart and swear too much or some such...

so 'ladette' comes out wearing this god awful laura ashley dress (could have been a curtain), still speaking like a flat-rat but when they asked her now what she did for a living she said... i do hair extensions and promotion modeling.

at which point i very nearly chucked the teevee out the window.

talk about totally trivialise the woman's very existence! let's weigh things up... before, she was a builder. someone who actually MADE SHIT that we need. who cares if she farts and swears?

now she sticks pieces of synthetic 'hair' onto other people's heads and uses her new found 'lady-like-ness' (read: tits) to flog someone else's product.

UGH! VOMS ALL ROUND.

Felix for Zosia said...

Egad! I knew it could only end in tears for these "ladettes". Don't worry Mars, I'll hold the bucket for you.

But do these people know what they are doing? Are they trying to narrow definitions of what is acceptable "feminine" behaviour, or teach people to behave as if they belonged to a different social/economic class?

Why should there be anything wrong with being a builder? Doing hair extensions is more feminine (in a nasty, narrow-minded sense) so if that is what the show tries to do then what is the point of all the elegant house parties with the fame-hungry society 'gentlemen'?
Too many questions, I'll be quiet now...