What are you flaunting today? Is it your gorgeous legs, your after-baby, bikini body or your stunning abs? Last week, Kate Middleton flaunted her cleavage at the Olympic Games and the same week several actors were flaunting their after-workout buns. These folks may or may not have been aware of flaunting anything but "flaunt" is the media's favorite, descriptive word these days. I think it suits, as it reflects the time we live in, an age of narcissism.
At various times, a dominant way of behaving seems to define an era. Social and sexual repression in the Victorian age, depression in the first half on the last century (two world wars and the actual Depression) prevalence of anxiety in the second half. And now we have arrived at narcissism. Our heroes, like Madonna or Lady Gaga, are show-offs, our kids want to be famous without accomplishing anything, we tell the world everything about ourselves through social media. It is an age in which we worship and promote the self, live under constant demand to do better, to produce more, to beat out others, to be beautiful, to be rich, to make ourselves projects and our children idols. Our external lives are everything; our neglected, internal lives painfully confused; but who cares about that.
Makes me kind of miss those long, long ago ages; sitting around the fire roasting some humongous, freshly clubbed thing. No one caring how you looked as you chomped down on the day's achievement.You didn't live long, of course, but you had lots of company and very little washing up to do. And as for flaunting ...
5 comments:
I'm not sure that I think it is all bad, for the kids anyway. Maybe they have moved "post-flaunt"?
That is, I see my children and their friends totally sunk into this sexualized, flat, material culture, but *also* with a sense of humor about it all, and with a real appreciation for the individual and his or her particular strengths, which they celebrate (the funny guy, the athlete, the girl who can turn her tongue upside down, etc...). Let's hope it holds as they get older, and rather then feel inadequate as some of us might when presented with some of these images, just find our own thing to flaunt. With a grin and a wave!
Very perceptive!
Narcissism was a big thing just before the collapse of the Roman Empire and just before the French Revolution.... History doesn't repeat itself, but those who don't know the past are fated to repeat its mistakes.
I agree that it's good to value your talents and your individuality. I think that is different from creating a false self and commercializing it. Obsession with the self often leads to anxiety and depression. I actually think flaunting is not a very good thing.You can be proud or pleased with yourself without thinking less of others...flaunting is a shot out, "I'm better than you."
MtC, thanks for that larger larger.
MtC, thanks for that larger picture.
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