It already sounds infantile and cartoonish. Bling are basically accessories—which are bourgeois enough—with a 21st century twist. Where many accessories now must have a purpose: the iPod plays media, a mobile phone takes pictures; bling's purpose is to flaunt its uselessness.
That is, a person with bling is showing that they have money and therefore can choose to look cartoonish and infantile. So now, I believe we can all say without irony: Flava Flav is the bourgiest mothafucka on the planet. (Venus and Serena are allowed (but would I be saying anything different if they weren't so talented?) their very tasteful earrings.)
And it isn't a Black thing. Anyone willing to flaunt their uselessness on Vh1, Mtv (and BET) can wear bling. (Remember when New Money used to be an insult? You don't but just go with it.) But I would like to point out that 50 Cent and Li'l Kim can jive up their grills but Paris Hilton only has to do her Blackberry to bling herself. What would bell hooks say?
No comments:
Post a Comment