Best-Of Advice

On classy and trashy

People constantly quote you for your definition of cheating, but what are your definitions for classy and trashy? You seem classy, but you’ve had life experiences that some of the more narrow minded populace would consider quite the opposite. How do you define those things?

Classy and trashy are objective manifestations of opposing states of mind that exist across a subjective spectrum of aesthetic sophistication.

These objective manifestations aren’t classy or trashy within themselves. They require contextualization within an aesthetic framework.

For instance, Britney Spears sporting fishnets and a top hat is inevitably trashy, whereas Madonna rocking out the exact same outfit is classy as fuck.

Now, is this due to either woman’s money, talent, or beauty? No, not at all. You’re missing the point if you think like that. Those things have no direct correlation to aesthetic sophistication, and while money, talent, and beauty may make it easier to develop and express aesthetic sophistication, they also make it easier to express a blatant lack of it.

This isn’t just about fashion, by the way. The same holds true across the entire range of aesthetic endeavors — design, music, architecture, the visual and performing arts, even culinary aesthetics.

Come on, it doesn’t take much to know that Anthony Bourdain is all class and Rachael Ray is nothing but trash.


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