You Must Be Kidding Me

CBS Sunday Morning did a story on some Judith Leiber woman's purses. They kept talking about how elegant they were. Um...no. They were kitsch. Something that's covered in rhinestones or shaped like a tomato is kitsch. It can be cute, funny, cost more money than I make in a year, and be carried by every diva and Hollywood star -- but that doesn't make it high elegance. It makes it a slightly more expensive, more well-made version of the crap you find at garage sales.

I applaud this Leiber woman for making bucks by having fun, though. I just wish the rich and powerful women of this country had the guts to openly embrace their inner trailer trash, instead of pretending they are patronizing works of fine art.

(However, I very much appreciated the essay on how high heels hurt. Go, Nancy! Also, I'm glad to say that Baz Luhrmann's Broadway production of La Boheme looks and sounds very nice. The amplification of voices is an unfortunate necessity given the theater; the presentation of the opera looks like 40's dress, which looks very good; and using Moulin Rouge's popularity is the perfect way to get first-time-opera-going butts into seats. Go, Baz, and go, his wife the production designer!)