B2 – Upper Intermediate
Sociologist Ashley Mears attended VIP parties to understand how wealthy people view extravagant spending that can seem excessive to others. She discovered a strange mix of money and beauty, shaped by traditional gender roles and a blend of enjoyment and exploitation.
Read the article about some surprising things Ashley Mears discovered as she joined the world’s Very Important People at their parties.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “hand-me-down” mean? “Over the next few years, I interviewed 44 promoters by day and followed them out at night, first in New York, and then in Miami, the Hamptons, and Cannes, donning the requisite four-inch high heels and a hand-me-down Chanel purse.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “spending spree” mean? “I joined the VIP party because I wanted to understand how the rich think about spending sprees that, to outsiders, border on ridiculous.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “whale” mean here, “When the whales get to spending, the club feels electric: people cheer and take photos while beautiful cocktail waitresses carry sparkler-clad bottles of champagne to rich people’s tables.” Use the word in a sentence in this context. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- What are your thoughts on rich people’s high-priced art, yachts, and private planes, all broadcasted in lurid detail on their social media accounts?
- What can you say about this, “Rich people are ridiculous, and they know it.”?
- Share your thoughts on this: “Girls are currency, but it is most valuable to men.”
- Share your insight on this: “Through their looks, they could get close to what they and most other women are otherwise excluded from: economic power. In this exploitative arrangement, women are active participants, and seeking pleasure, too.”
- Do you think you would also find partying in this setting fun? Why or why not?