Wednesday, March 5

whatever happened to CLASS?


Whatever happened to fair dealing?
And pure ethics?
And nice manners?
Why is it everyone now is a pain in the ass?
Whatever happened to class?





Many have sung that song, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah did it quite remarkably, though. The lyrics belong to the musical Chicago, but they're for me a piece of never-dying poetry which seems to fill itself with truth as days die and new ones are born. Class, class, whatever happened to class? Is it gone or transfigured or reinterpreted? I try to find it and I fancy my acting with it, living by it.
My eternal hunt for class has always brought my way distinct things that, combined, have given me a less blurry, more concise idea of what class is. Who would have thought that despite The Importance of Being Earnest, Tender is the night, The Picture of Dorian Gray or The Great Gatsby among others, it would be the televisation —indeed, I coined the word— of the swell novel Brideshead Revisited I would find the pure essence of class in.

As it happened with Out of Africa, I borrowed the DVD's from a friend —as a matter of fact the same one, classy and stylish in a delicious dose. (And I would like to dedicate this post to her) Wonders were told to me from those who had been ignorant witnesses of the precious virtue and I could obviously be no less. That is why as soon as I found myself in the softness of a spoiled Sunday evening I started and never stopped playing the 11 episodes. Charles Ryder, geniously played by Jeremy Irons, meets Sebastian Flyte, a young attractive aristocrat at Oxford with whom he instantly becomes instantly friends and by who he is entirely fascinated. Sebastian takes Charles to his palatial home, Brideshead Castle, where Ryder meets one by one all the members of the family, rapidly getting into the social craziness of a tempting yet complex alcohol, religion and troubled family relations cocktail.
Sebastian Flyte, played by Anthony Andrews, is the vivid essence of class. So are his sisters and mother and father. A dismantled family which perfectly knows how to behave in each situation, being examples of good manners, taste and elegance which ultimately translates in class.

If you have not had the fortune to see it, move fast and find a solution to it. To class-seekers out there, any thoughts?

[Picture credit: MovieZoo.dk]

I'm off.

PS. Brideshead Revisited, in the shape of a film, will be coming out by the end of the year. Read about it here.

18 comments:

María said...

Can you read my mind? LOL! This morning I was thinking how cool would be to dress as a classic English man. I'm even considering buying a pair of Church's brogues.

I encourage you to see "Jeeves and Wooster", is great for inspiration and you will laugh a lot.

alluretone said...

i'm reading the great gatsby right now.. but it's for class.
no one ever dresses or even loos like that anymore! seeing such nice clothes on men just make me happy!

Suzanna Mars said...

Class I do not confuse with elegance or style or manner of living. Class to me is the way one expresses oneself with gentility, selflessness, a polite and refined demeanor, and a quiet charity towards others.

A bum can have class, and a rich man can be vulgar.

Money cannot buy class and class has nothing to do with social station; perhaps my view is too democratized.

Unfortunately,we often presume class where none exists, and we also fail to realize that purchasing discreet china is not a class marker.

Class is not about acquistion. It's a demeanor.

atelier said...

People don't have any class lately. Most of them are just a pain in the ass (as you said)

Secretista said...

Classicaly delicious.

Lara said...

Amo tu Blog; siempre que entro en desesperación porque no tengo que usar... paso un rato y leo y tomo algunas frases y las utilizo como consejo. Este fin de semana necesito Ropa si o si y,creo que ya te conte, el lugar donde vivo no me permite vestirme como quiero... a pesar de las buenas marcas, no siempre está lo que yo quiero y me muero de bronca. Asique nada, estaré visitando tu Blog para tomar alguna frase o alguna idea y saber que ponerme!

Vos estudias (estudiabas) algo relacionado con la moda, no? Hasta creo que es tonto preguntarlo; me encanta tu gusto para la ropa!

Imelda Matt said...

"It is terribly important to do certain things, such as wear overembroidered dresses. After all, the mass follows class. Class never follows mass." The Real Deal Imelda, cited in Ang Katipunan, October 1980

a. said...

speaking of books like brideshead revisited being turned into brilliant BBC series(es) -

i've been watching the forsyte saga. it is FABULOUS.

re: class: what suzanna says.

Blue Floppy Hat said...

I'm with Suzanna on class. But re: the upcoming movie, I'm horrified that they're leaving Aloysius out- I can't imagine Sebastian without him..

iñaki said...

Dear everyone,

I agree with our dear genious Suzanna too. I never said class had anything to do with money, I simply tried to bring together class and my much adores series.

Thanx for all the comments!

Iñaki xx

Mer said...

those pictures look pretty promising about the movie...

Los hippies se llevaron parte de la idea, los 70´s y el pensamiento que tener clase, o lucir elegante, era bourgeois.

La necesidad que tenemos de la idea de tener clase y compostura, viene de un conservadurismo que va a mas.
Espero no sonar totalmente snob, pero creo que hay una tendencia allí muy fuerte, ni mejor, ni peor, pero que es palpable, basta ver la colección de missoni, y hasta la de prada (por nombrar algunas de estas fashion weeks...) Puro conservadurismo y vuelta a las buenas épocas...

Me enrollé, besos

Coco's Tea Party said...

Class and Classy to me are too different things
but I cannot define how I chose between them
and neither of them is the same as Chic

NonchalantMod said...

great post..

if only class did exist.

Iheartfashion said...

Great post! Agreed, real class is highly underrated these days. I think of class as a refinement and sense of discretion, and one has only to look at Paris, Britney et al to see it has nothing to do with money!

Jen (MahaloFashion) said...

I loved the great gatsby it was one of my favorite books in high school!
Such an elegant time...

hannah said...

i love the great gatsby, it is wierd that i came across this post at this moment because i am watching it as we speak! spooky.

i wish we could go back to those days. so much.

riz said...

Oh and pop celebrities = the death of class

riz said...

This is a very interesting topic. I agree with SM that class is such a diffuse term.

Jeremy Irons - bestill my heart (swoon)