Mama Wants A Brand New Bag

And she'll do anything to get it. Hermes.com Seriously. Recently, I had the pleasure of being involved in a discussion about those that can't have, those that want it but can't afford it and those that would do anything imaginable to get it. Ever heard of push presents? (Nope) What about year-end bonuses for keeping the staff in line? (Nope) How about a clothing allowance? (Me either) And lest we forget: a handsome salary for spin classes; trips with your BFFs to comment on who has had what done or needs to have done; nannies, gardeners, drivers, tutors for everything...hell, there is even a salary for someone to hold an umbrella over the dog when it needs to take a dump. Talk about excess? But, that's not the worst of it. What really caused everyone to break out in a chorus line of twerkin' mirkin-wearing protesters shouting "Are you kidding me?" and "Seriously, I mean, really?" and "What the hell?" was  the $150K price tag for a bag she coveted. Seriously? Yes, seriously! According to this lady, to be a part of the "in crowd" of this group of women in the Upper East Side of New York City, membership requires the purchase and display of a designer handbag called a Birkin. They are extremely rare and can run upwards in price up to $150K. Does this bring the old quotation of "Flaunt it if you got it" to another level? Or is it just another prime example of people that are out of their freaking minds? Would peer pressure make you pay that much money for a purse. A purse? It's not like it's studded with diamonds or anything? It's a handbag, for Pete's sake. (Pete wouldn't buy it, either and if I was Pete's wife, I wouldn't let him.) The author (I'm not giving her any space on my blog) wrote a book about her experiences living there and it was excerpted in the NY Times. She claimed, in the beginning, that she used her background in Anthropology to try and ascertain why these well-educated and smart women lived the way they did. Personally, I think she's just trying to sell books. And in this society of today, if it ain't outrageous, totally over the top or laughing at the expense of others, it won't even be a blip on the radar. To quote Forrest Gump: "That's all I got to say about that." But there are others that do have something to say about it. Namely, my good friend, Gina Barreca. She is a Women's Humorist, Writer, Speaker and Professor Of English And  Feminist Theory at UCONN, a columnist for the Hartford Courant and is internationally syndicated with Tribune News Service. She's the real deal. Read the column and see for yourself: GinaBarreca.com                         Gina Barreca's Hartford Courant Column She absolutely nails it in this column and speaks  for a lot of folks out there who could really use $150K for something other than a handbag. Here's my final take on this over-priced subject: Gina ain't from the Upper East Side; she's from Brooklyn and it doesn't cost anything to be a member of her Tribe. "Our Tribe-the Tribe of Smart, Funny Broads--stands together, laughs together, and watches out for one another. Here's to neither lying down nor leaning in--here's to standing up, standing together and laughing out loud." --Gina Barreca (From Gina's new book due out next year.)