• Enquête snob

     

    Enquête snob  Jessi Malva de Moura : chroniqueuse, bloggeuse, consultante en communication, personal shopper et styliste. http://jessi-aleal.blogspot.fr

    Are you an occasional snob or a regular snob?

    J.M.d.M. : I think there are some core principles I´ve grown up with that stick with me all the time and can be perceived as snobbery by some people nowadays. For instance, vulgar behaviour, subservience or a tacky choice of attire – things that can seem “fun”, “common” or “harmless” to others - are beyond the pale for me.  I find that hard to ignore on a daily basis because sadly, it’s everywhere…so maybe I´d say that if that´s being a snob, I´m a regular.

    Have you ever been accused of being a snob? What was your reaction?

    J.M.d.M. : Well, yes. If you are a more private person who happens not to need company all the time, don´t get all excited over the latest trend, if you don´t constantly require the validation of others and despise the actual status quo of displaying weaknesses you might get accused of being haughty – or a snob. If it happens, it´s kind of amusing- there are worse things one can be accused of.

    What kind of snobs do you avoid? What kind of snobbism do you shun?

    J.M.d.M. : Academic degrees are a big deal where I come from- which is laughable given that pretty much everyone can get one currently. These people demand to go by “doctor” even if they don´t have a PhD. But  I´d say the worst is the crowd with a petty bourgeois, wannabe nouveau-riche frame of mind: both the young couples that now discovered the wonders of travelling, that struggle to appear “urban” and “cosmopolitan” doing crazy things such as pretending to enjoy “novelties” like gin and sushi, jumping each latest bandwagon (juicing, etc) flaunting their presence in the newest trendy restaurant where they pay to let a glorified chef supervise as they cook their own meal or displaying obvious (often, fake and/or mid-range) brand logos– and their parents and older siblings, that are proud of their Bimby/ Thermomix and Tupperwares. We´re talking about kitchen appliances, for crying out loud.  People that are not mundane enough to disregard worldly things for what they are and think that elevates their status to God knows what puzzle me.

    What are the snobbisms you like most?

    J.M.d.M. : I would say literary snobbism – like Tom Waits said, 'the world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.' There is a widespread acceptance of what´s “tolerable”, therefore so much trash around that it´s not safe to enter a book store or library anymore. If you go there with an open mind, you risk contamination: leaving with a few dead brain cells or worse- tolerating funny ideas, bad writing classified as literature and even –the horror-what some dare to call “poetry”. With a few exceptions – some of which I´m happy to have as personal friends -  I tend to read mostly dead authors : those can no longer surprise me, have proven themselves and there are so many classics it´s impossible to have gone through them all.

    Who is in your opinion the snobbiest person of our history (dead or alive)?

    J.M.d.M. : There are quite a few, like Cesar Borgia. He had looks, brains, he knew how to put on a show and frankly, you´ve got  to respect a man that had the nerve to demand “aut Caesar, aut nihil”. But I will name our very own Eça de Queiroz. He was a man of the world, witty – and snob -  enough to detail and mock all kinds of snobbery in his novels. It´s remarkable how much his 19th century characters (the maid who does what it takes to climb the ladder, the gold digging cocotte, the yes man, the new money dandy, not forgetting the star crossed aristocrat of wealth and taste) still portray types accurately.

    How many of your friends are snobs?

    J.M.d.M. : I could classify most of my dearest friends as snobs in one way or another- but it´s a kind of positive snobbism, I believe, because nowadays it´s hard to tell “good” snobbism from common sense. If you are selective and dare to refuse, despise or depict the ridicule, if you are somewhat old fashioned, strict, mundane and well-bred enough to not give a damn to what´s politically correct, you are labelled a snob. Moreover, all of them can afford to be snobs – either because they have the talent, the breeding, the spirit, the looks or the lifestyle to get away with it.

    What is according to you the snobbism at its height? 

    J.M.d.M. : If we are talking about a positive snobbism, I´d say daring to reject the herd mentality, the politically correct that is oddly widespread in the age of social media is the ultimate act of defiance. For instance, saying “ugly is the new pretty” became de rigueur – and only a few, like Roger Scruton, dare to say otherwise. I always perceived the good snob, the chic, mundane snob, as a rebel or as you put it, the enfant terrible. Not a rebel without a cause or a revolutionary trying to change the world (I consider Machiavelli a snob for boldly saying we should deal with the world as it is, not an idealized version- but look the reputation it got him!).  As for bad snobbery at its height, we have to mention the approach of some exclusive brands to “luxury”: they are so eager to please a new money audience, an audience obsessed to show “I´ve moved up in life!” that they forget the original consumer. Reversed snobbery is terrible – like the most iconic magazines saying its ok to elevate a reality show star to a fashion icon status, and forcing the public to accept it as fact out of nowhere.

    What is your "little" and very personal snobbism?

    J.M.d.M. : Maybe quality, especially when it comes to attire. Less is more, elegance is refusal and so on. For instance, a lot of women spend good money on costume jewellery that does nothing but cheapening their look. For me it´s the real deal or nothing, except maybe for a handcrafted necklace father bought for me in Venice or a bracelet a friend brought me from Egypt. If something is cute but feels or looks cheap, better to avoid it altogether. I prefer what is tried and true, properly tailored and adds value to a wardrobe- the more understated, the better.