The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Elusive Trope's picture

    You're So Vain

    By Elusive Trope on Sat, 05/09/2015 - 4:12pm |

    The other day I was walking through downtown Seattle and something that reminded me of one of the reasons I left Portland, Oregon, for Indiana.

    This reason was what I perceived as whole lot of people flaunting of wealth, as well as possessing a shallow aesthetic and an extreme conceitedness (The last two could be said of many of the not-so-wealthy hipsters). What I saw in downtown Seattle was a little shop called Vain.

    Actually the shop itself is not all that bad. As they state about themselves:

    VAIN is a hair salon, an art gallery, a boutique and a community space committed to the expression of personal style.

    What I have a problem is the name of the shop. As a general rule, to call someone vain is an insult. It means you believe the other person is inordinately proud of one's appearance, possessions, or achievements, and/or given to ostentatious display.

    Naming one's shop Vain is in a sense saying if you're vain and proud of it, come on in. Putting aside a moment the whole 1% and political issue, I don't have a problem with people making a lot of money. Of course, I believe they should some of back to those individuals and families in need. And I definitely don't believe one's wealth determines whether you have been successful as human being. It does not make you more superior to those below the economic ladder. And for the record, I don't believe corporations should be considered as people.

    And it's just not wealth that can make one vain. But it is the wealthy who have the means to really make a show of it. You can't tell if someone is vain because he or she meet the culture's notion of who is beautiful until you actually talk to them.

    Obviously vanity as has been around as long as people have been around. It is in some cultures, one tries not to demonstrate he or she is vain, even if they are. When I went to Paris and the French Riviera over thirty years ago for the most part you couldn't tell who was extremely rich and someone who just getting by, unless you looked real close to what kind of suit or dress or watch they had on. They went with the shops of clothing and so forth. The only places where one saw the "Look at me! I'm really rich!" were those establishments that catered mainly to tourists from other countries.

    Beyond the intense self-absorption that comes with vanity (and we are all self-absorbed to one degree or another; being humble is not a easy characteristic to achieve and sustain), I believe that one cannot be vain without being what one might call shallow, including one's sense of aesthetic.The best example was some moons ago I was talking to one of the gallery owners in Pioneer Square who said a few day ago a wealthy couple came in looking for a painting that "matched their couch." 

    Being conceited, arrogant and narcissistic are not qualities we should embrace. Culturally we have to cultivate humility and modesty, but I'm not holding my breath.

    Comments

    Vain has been there forever, and used cater to counter culture folks that wanted pink and blue hair. Hardly a target for this argument.

    by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/09/2015 - 11:53pm

    It;s the apathetic of of this is this that what I'm driving, When even the somewhat poor are trying to are trying to act like they don't mind spending $20 plus for a breakfast at the latest pace to be seem, then there is a problem. It's a target because there are lot of people who consider themselves as being far left, yet at the same time seek to the life of self-absorbed luxury. Just because you shop at Whole Foods and recycle is not enough.


    by Elusive Trope on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 2:06am

    Buying a painting to match your couch is "vain"? Even poor barely clued in people do that, though they might buy at a swap meet.

    Perhaps the Riviera had a brief downturn in vanity, but I doubt they've missed out on conspicuous consumption and vanity accoutements as a rule - perhaps it's just that 8 million € weekend cottage in Nice with the 4 million € boat to match the 6 million € chalet in Barritz, or maybe the Gaultier outfit to match your Galliano - Peut-être you never visited Les Bains Douches, le très trendy nightclub de Paris?


    by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 1:41am

    I never claimed that places like France were void of vanity. But this is this the 1982 BMW:

    Hardly something that throws their wealth into the face of those not so fortunate.


    by Elusive Trope on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 2:15am

    I think you're confusing stodgy taste with lack-of-vanity.

    Here's showing off German-style, vintage 1982.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 3:56am

    There were probably a lot of them some who were stodgy and vain. And since they had money they bought more expensive cars, homes, clothing etc. I don't have a problem with that. In many cases this meant one was paying, in part, for better quality. Just in terms of dressing fashionably, many who were quite the opposite of stodgy.

    My point was culturally it seemed to me there seemed to be this attitude towards vanity in which it was not how one wanted to see themselves as being, or others thinking that about them. I would should have "good taste," regardless of one's economic status, It was just that the rich or well-to-do could afford more "good taste." 

    Even in Cannes and Nice, one just didn't not the well-to-do. They blended in with the masses, I was 19 at the time and had a chip on my shoulder about rich people,and going out on the streets or sitting on the sidewalk table sipping some espresso, you just couldn't tell who was and who wasn't wealthy.

    Maybe you're confusing stodgy with not-being-gaudy.


    by Elusive Trope on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 10:03am

    There is a reason why Ikea was so different than what people had to choose from.


    by Elusive Trope on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 10:10am

    Vain is the hair salon I've been getting my hair done at since I turned 40. It's weird you picked on Vain, Vain is a locally owned salon, not a part of larger corporate salons. That entire part of 1st ave is one of the tiny parts of Seattle that hasn't changed at all in 20 years, unlike a few blocks away in either direction that has been taken over by giant condos.

    You pick on the salon because of its name, which is catchy and brings them business. It has survived in the a pretty crappy part of town, not it's not the triangle, but it's pretty sketchy after 9 PM.  The Salon business in general is quite competitive, it's a testament to Vain they have survived as the tiny local business it is. They are merely a block away in either direction of two larger salons, Coupe Rokkei and Gary Manuel, both Aveda salons. I don't know Trope, seems like a strange criticism given the nature of Vain and it's local roots. Welcome home though. You must be visiting the family.

    Now if you want to bitch about change in Seattle, I can't believe Ballard, holy crap, it's horrible! What have they done to Ballard!!! Bring back old Ballard!!!


    by tmccarthy0 on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 1:12pm

    I had a whole rant about how Seattle has changed from the way it was in 1979 when I moved there to where it is not. And Ballard is gleaming centerpiece of all that has gone wrong with Seattle since then.There has been some good changes. But they freaking closed down the Harvard Exit for gawd's sake. Actually I live north of Seattle in what might call the countryside. And would generally have the same experience when I lived in Indian and went into Indianapolis. So a lot this is just preferring the peace of being surrounded by trees rather than condos and trendy restaurants.

    Yes I pick on the name. See my comment below to Moat for a good part of why I pick on the name. Getting one's hear done is not necessarily being vain.  Being vain, in this context, means having excessive pride, of being conceited and narcissistic. Just because you have your hair cut so it's not all ratty or to be able to keep your job or just because it's less hassle are reasons that are not vain. There's a lot of words out there they could have used to be catchy, and actually represented better the qualities you pointed out.

    I would add that having one's hair done in the latest style and/or taking pride in one's look is not vain. It is the excessive part that is so bad. Pride in one's self is okay. Excessive pride in one's self is bad.


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 10:08am

    LOL, Ballard is the worst! 

    But guess what, change is, period. Places don't stay the same, everyone and every place changes. Seattle has changed both for the better and for the worse over the year that is the nature of life itself.  

    Oh Noes. Vain is a name you don't approve of, and since it indicated excessive pride in oneself that is in an indication that people in Seattle are Vain! Ok, whatever it's a weird criticism dude, but you seem to happy with it ,so carry on.


    by tmccarthy0 on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 12:18pm

    The reason I left Portland and one of the facets of Seattle I don;t like is what  I perceived as people being conceited, looking down their noses at every one not like them. Actually one of the worst group of people I've encountered in this manner are Dead Heads. But in this society nothing gives a sense of superiority is being high on economic ladder. Throw in the hipsters and it is thrown in your face just about everywhere. The one thing I found refreshing about living in the Midwest was the self-deprecating perspective.

    So the name of the place was symbolic to me. Others may feel differenty.

    And, yes, change is inevitable. The cool thing is that if the change is not to one's liking, or the negatives outweigh the positives, one can move to somewhere more to their liking.


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 5:15pm

    Conspicuous consumption does allow many to pretend to be who they are not. That includes the followers of fashion who view the equipment as giving them a leg up, even if they cannot afford it. But the market is not only driven by the desire to look good for its own sake.

    What Marx called the fetishism of commodities is often an attempt by some people to have a larger share of the market than the crappy one they have at any given now. Perceptions of what makes one more powerful are odd and mostly wrong.

    Nonetheless, if a perceived requirement requires a person to dress up in a funny way and recite some lines, they will do it.

    As we all have.


    by moat on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 5:33pm

    You're right. And I think that's why I find calling a place "Vain" so repulsive: It says we've given up, the consumer  society has won, so just think of yourself and don't be concerned about anyone else. If this the latest look, then cut my hair so I have it, too. We've always done it, and in many cases just to get and keep a job, or to fit in with one's social circle.

    I think the people who decided on the name may have found it witty, or incorrectly thought they were being like totally ironic. Or they may have said people come here to look good, too look fashionable so let's be honest about it. The problem I have is that if one sees it in the context that it is in, vain starts to mean a positive thing.  War means Peace.  


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 9:20am

    I find calling a place "Vain" so repulsive:

     

       I take it that, prior to undertaking this rather granular deconstruction of "Vain", (which elicited two rebuttals from persons seemingly more conversant with the intended impact of the use of the offending word) you considered, and for reasons unstated, rejected the possibility that irony was involved here?

     


    by jollyroger on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 11:15am

    It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell when all your blog's in vain

    by anonymous pp (not verified) on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 12:28pm

    It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell when all your blog's in vain

    by anonymous pp (not verified) on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 12:29pm

    I seriously doubt they meant that patronizing their store as an act of futility.


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 4:53pm

    I take it you're not too phamiliar with rolling stones discography - have a look at Let it Bleed somewhere between Monkey Man and Country Honk ( the precursor to Honky Tonk Women). http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKsY4N9eoRc then The Clash did their Train in Vain.http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eNot47WRBFk

    by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 6:16pm

    So a beauty salon is telling potential customers "Come on in, but your attempt to look more attractive or be more stylish will all be in vain"? I doubt it.


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 6:41pm

    I'm just writing lines of Rolling Stones songs - what are you trying to do?

    You don't need a weather vein to know which way the blog rolls

    Vein it Black

    Kurt Covein - smells like teen spirit (aka Francis Farmer will spread her vanity on Seattle

    Prince Vanity 6?

    Christina Aguilera - Vanity?


    by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 05/12/2015 - 6:27am

    in both the Stones' and Clash's songs,the word "vain" was used in a non-ironic way. Both of them were songs about how their efforts for love were, so to speak, all in vain, or in other words: to no avail, fruitless, futile. It was this definition of the word that was used in the phrase: "it's hard to tell when all your blog's in vain." My assumption is this was not written ironically, which would be that the Anonymous PP was saying my blog was successful, fruitful and worthwhile.

    If you believe that "it's hard to tell when all your blog's in vain" was used ironically, then you don't understand the word.

    Just because "anti-establishment" bands (and, for the record, in high school I had a poster of The Clash on my wall and this was 1980) used the word "vain" still doesn't change the intent of the store's name.

    But I think you missed the whole point that the store's name, regardless of what their intention was for naming it, was for me was symbolic of what I don't like about cities, snd a culture that embraces a hedonistic perspective.

    [the phrase, it's hard to tell when all your blog's in vain, may have been written ironically since as of this moment this blog has 1053 reads, which are not all unique readers, but still a good number of read.]


    by Elusive Trope on Tue, 05/12/2015 - 7:42am

    But weren't the Clash about Revolution Porn, a certain kind of defending-the-downtrodden vanity? They were great as a band but they were posers - like so much of human ambition. Starbucks is as vain as any small salon. But then so were many of those liberal hippie children fleeing to pristine pastures of rural America and small colleges and the back-to-the-earth stock. It's more amusing that people profess to embrace vanity rather than deny it, and of course hair salons are all about self-embellishment, no? Vanity mirrors are just that. Vanity Fair is all about fashion - I don't even know where to begin, so I will end. But yes, incredible that a post on vanity got so many reads - you must be preening at the thought of it.


    by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 05/12/2015 - 8:56am

    Taking pride in one's self and looks, or fleeing to the countryside to be more in touch with Mother Earth if this pride is not excessive, which would include a sense of superiority to others and intense self absorption to point of losing empathy of others. I wouldn't consider someone being a Buddhist and retreating to monastery to meditate, although there are those who do so motivated in part by vanity.

    I don't like Vanity Fair or all those magazines that push what I would consider a vanity view of one's self in the world.

    Of course all of us are vain and self-absorbed to some degree. Pride, after al, is one of seven deadly sins.

    And while I like that this post received so many "reads," but I don't think that means I am better writer than someone whose blog had 200 reads. In fact the one with 200 reads may not only better written, but also more illuminating or informative than the one with over 1000 reads. But there is the notion of influence: Which has more influence Fox News or MSNBC? The point is becoming vain as a result of some accomplishment or attribute (good looks, high IQ) is a struggle to fight off. It is so easy to slip into the self-absorbed and superiority mindset.


    by Elusive Trope on Tue, 05/12/2015 - 9:16am

    Okay lets say that it was meant to be ironic. That would mean that going into beauty salon and boutique is a not a vain action. In some cases, patrons are vain and some are not vain.

    But naming it "Vain" as act being ironical is an example of the shallowness of the (sub)culture where just being ironic becomes the primary means of being "deep." This is taken to the point where actually being serious is seen as unacceptable and supporting the oppressive system that the Man controls. 

    This kind of dependence on irony is what drove the embracing of anything retro.


    by Elusive Trope on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 4:50pm

    This is delightful.

    Of course I have already written my apology. hahahahah

    I was off line for a week or so.

    This is art!

    What the hell do I know about art?

    I know it when I see it.

    I could not figure out how you ended up commenting on my post.

    I still do not understand it.

    But this post is artistic.

    That is all I got.

    V anity!

    Reminds me of Carlin talking about 'stuff'.

    Thank you for coming back.

     


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:54pm

    Thanks for the kind words. I could see Carlin rifting off this and turning it into actual great work of comedic art.


    by Elusive Trope on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 10:58am