My guilty pleasure is looking at the New York Social Diary, a visual record of wizened old women in St.John and stock-brokers who probably wear Gucci loafers with suits.
It's such a tacky website, littered with the pretentious ramblings and interviews of a vaguely illiterate social-climber and his coterie of photographers who use far too much flash. Mostly, it's an exhibition of bad taste. For a real treat, look out for the formal events where heinous rental black-tie is trotted out.
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/
Last edited by Incroyable (2007-11-09 01:56:26)
Last edited by The_Shooman (2007-11-09 02:42:55)
I have been a fan of the New York Social Diary for well since it was invented. I have exchanged a few emails with its author, notably about John O'Hara. I think we have a fantasy that New York social life was once interesting. But my reading of Edith Wharton ( a Jones, from keeping up with the Jones' phrase) maybe it never was. Always a world of old money trying unsuccessfully to keep new money out, bright people, boring people, drunk people and bounders. The world never changes but David Patrick Columbia seems like a good egg with good values if you read the essays. and he has some incites. Actually I like that website a lot.
It is useful to see how our betters are dressing.
Oh and I might add, most of NY social life now revolves around benefits for charities and events for some product. A lot of the older women you dismiss control some money, and some of it goes to decent causes. they don't show up to advertise a product. Maybe you prefer a lot of photos of Tinsley Mortimer, but if you read NYSD on a regular basis, you find out a bit of where the real money goes.
Last edited by tom222222 (2007-11-09 18:49:03)
The photograph of Sarah Ferguson and Aretha together is . . . weird.
So how many of those people do you think the Clown claims as his clients?
sorry. apologies. I have lost the thread. I do think Mr. Columbia is a kind, gentle, well mannered man. If you read the site for some time you will know about the very sad circumstances of his birth and his semi genteel upbringing. I must have completely misunderstood what you were saying. I agree that the shirtmaker guy is a complete suckup. sorry.
probably right about the questions. and you are right: the site is a guilty pleasure. Vanity Fair in perhaps the original sense of the phrase. But we are all sinners, and I am probably fortunate Mr. Columbia hasn't put my life up for public exposure. Many of those ladies are brave indeed.
On the other other hand, if Deborah Bancroft get's divorced and wants to know my phone number............
This is the "hot" NY social site of the moment:
https://parkavenuepeerage.wordpress.com/
Tom, there is a Palm Beach equivalent to the NYSD, but I have lost the link. I will make an attempt to re-locate the site.
Ol Chums,
Sounds like a bit of a professional hanger-on to me. Read the second article.
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socialdiary/2004/07_02_04/socialdiary07_02_04.php
Cheers,
Trip
Perusing the majority of the NYSD reminds me of this little ditty here:
http://www.dandyism.net/?p=335#comments