http://www.uesjournal.com/2009/04/13/socials-vs-socialites/ Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:23:55 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.uesjournal.com/2009/04/13/socials-vs-socialites/comment-page-1/#comment-26267 G Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:09:06 +0000 http://www.uesjournal.com/?p=489#comment-26267 Hot for words? Hot for words?

]]> http://www.uesjournal.com/2009/04/13/socials-vs-socialites/comment-page-1/#comment-26241 Nick Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:47:55 +0000 http://www.uesjournal.com/?p=489#comment-26241 What's more interesting to me than which is correct is why one is gaining attention over the other. If I had to guess I would point to the recession. Yes, it seems 'socialite' did not have the negative connotation originally - but it also had not been so much a part of the mainstream lexicon since the late 60's. Enter the Paris Hilton archetype. The term socialite was part of the national conversation but now the definition included a cavalier, big spending attitude. So, the recession happens. All of the sudden it's not cool to be TOO too fabulous, but there is still all of this energy behind this character in the collective unconscious. So the answer is to re-brand it. Now you have this new word which essentially signifies the same thing, without the whatever negative feelings you may have towards the original. What’s more interesting to me than which is correct is why one is gaining attention over the other.
If I had to guess I would point to the recession.
Yes, it seems ’socialite’ did not have the negative connotation originally – but it also had not been so much a part of the mainstream lexicon since the late 60’s. Enter the Paris Hilton archetype. The term socialite was part of the national conversation but now the definition included a cavalier, big spending attitude.
So, the recession happens.
All of the sudden it’s not cool to be TOO too fabulous, but there is still all of this energy behind this character in the collective unconscious. So the answer is to re-brand it. Now you have this new word which essentially signifies the same thing, without the whatever negative feelings you may have towards the original.

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