Some folks on the right are having fun with this article about ... brace yourselves ... ecosexuals:
Welcome to the latest turn of the wheel in the obsessive trend-creating machine that brought us "metrosexuals." Ecosexuals are an evolving breed of city dweller for whom keeping green is every bit as important in their romantic life as in their choice of household cleanser, dinner food, or wall paint. Sure, everyone has a checklist of qualities they want in a mate: smart, funny, good-looking, six-figure potential, listens to Beck, and so on. But now we're adding characteristics like "sexy conservationist" or "romantic recycler" to the list.
It's easy to make fun of this kind of self-righteous, finicky elitism, especially reading stuff like this:
For a while she was happily dating a film producer from Los Angeles who, she thought, was definitely on her eco-wavelength. But one morning they went out for breakfast, and Mr. Right ordered an all-meat meal and doused his coffee with several packets of Equal. "I was dumbstruck," says Pearson. "I think I ate my entire meal in silence. Pork plus NutraSweet? That was definitely our last date."
Deep.
Nonetheless, as our own BioD constantly reminds us, there is immense power in the human drive for status. This kind of cultural posturing is certainly no substitute for real action, but however much it makes me want to burp, eat a big steak, and throw an aluminum can at the next snooty San Francisco singleton I see, I'm inclined to think it's a positive thing on balance.
This kind of thing always starts out among the cultural creatives in the urban enclaves and filters its way down to the masses -- it's how our culture works. Five years ago, Will & Grace was still a big deal. Remember? In five years, I expect not recycling will be no more socially acceptable than racism, and snotty coastal hipsters will be on to setting themselves apart with some other kind of self-conscious virtue. And so it goes, the circle of life.
PS: Is listening to Beck still cool? I'm pretty sure that moment passed by in the mid-90s.
Energy efficiency and sex
Umbra advises on population
Ask Umbra’s musical advice for sweeping toxics from your sex life
Comments
View as Flat
Roz Cummins Posted 9:37 am
27 Nov 2006
The sound of breaking glass...
I met my college boyfriend when I heard the sound of breaking glass and I realized that someone must be recycling. I followed my ears until I found a hippie lugging crates of empty pop bottles into the mail van, which he borrowed from the college each weekend so he could make trips to the local recycling center. To this day the smell of rotting pepsi makes me swoon.
Permalink
Biodiversivist Posted 1:25 pm
27 Nov 2006
That's funny Roz
I met my wife at the Rainbow here in Seattle when I asked her to dance to a song called "I love the sound of breaking glass" by Nick Lowe. By the way, my oldest sister is named Roz (Rosalind).
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: www.saveourbiodiversity.com
Permalink
KathyF Posted 2:44 pm
27 Nov 2006
Dating
On our first date my husband took me to Bonanza. I decided to give him another chance.
On a related note, when we first visited Madison WI in the late 80s/early 90s I saw graffiti on the square that read "recycle or die."
We decided right then and there to move there when the chance came, and we did, by which time recycling was mandatory.
Permalink
amazingdrx Posted 3:09 pm
27 Nov 2006
Environmentalists
Do it outside! Naturally. Ecosexual? Oh yeah!!
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
Permalink
Summer Posted 5:21 pm
27 Nov 2006
Beck...
...has gotten way cooler since the mid 90's (I'll watch for flying aluminum cans).
Who knew environmental irresponsibility could be such a turn off? Love it.
Summer Bowen
Founder
BTC Elements
Store: www.btcelements.com
Blog: www.btcelements.com/blog
888.395.2135
Permalink
caniscandida Posted 11:15 pm
27 Nov 2006
Beckophobia
You young cool people are just too ruthless, the way you drown your own. Myself, I was never very impressed by Beck, but that does not matter at all, it is the principle. I am sure the lad is quite gifted, and needs encouragement. So who is next? Bright Eyes? There we are again: you all should clap generously for Conor Oberst, a very talented performer and writer (apparently; or else, yes, it might just be the drugs), and keep your snidely acid comments to yourselves.
Oh sure, Biodiv will remind us how important it is in the Universal Competition to know how to apply acid in just the right way ...
As for Mademoiselle Pearson, I quite understand her reaction to what Boyfriend ordered for breakfast. But I cannot help but feel she is disingenuous, when she claims she believed earlier that he was "definitely on her eco-wavelength." Being a film producer in LA should have been warning enough. My guess is, Mademoiselle was bedazzled by that six-figure paycheck, and saw little else at the periphery.
On "Deep": At least she did not share anything about his timing of when he took his socks off, and how it placed on her socks-off scale.
Ain't it the truth, though, the way those gentlemen with the perfect sock-removal choreography go forth the next morning and demand the slaughter of hogs for their breakfast pleasure.
(The issue with NutraSweet is a bit too rarefied for me.)
A digressive synchronicity: I barely restrained myself from referring to "Will and Grace" in the "Righteousness" thread. Whether or not anyone realizes it, the title characters are named for major concepts in Christian ethics, established in Saint Augustine's reading of Saint Paul.
And whether or not that TV show has done all that much good for the cause of gay rights, awaits to be seen.
Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!
Permalink
kmp Posted 7:10 am
28 Nov 2006
Typical Chick
The poor pork-eating-Nutrasweet-swilling guy probably has no idea why she never returned his calls.
He's probably lucky to have escaped someone who would use the term "eco-wavelength."
BioD - Nick Lowe rocks. I own that song on several compilations on vinyl. I really must figure out how to convert to mp3 one of these days.
Permalink
elizaperson Posted 8:34 am
28 Nov 2006
Get real
As someone who's tongue was tripping over the word "recyclables" as soon as I could teeter out to the bin clutching a bag in my tiny palm, recycling could easily be a deal maker or breaker in my relationships. I guess I've meet too many great guys who are thoughtful, but never learned to think about where their garbage goes. Writing a guy off because he doesn't know the difference between type 2 and type 5 plastic seems, well, like a plastic attitude. Until there are better education programs out there for the general public (aka those not raised by environmentalist dirt worshipers) you can't blame someone for their ignorance. It's great that it's hip to recycle - it's counter-productive to turn it into a put-down.
That being said, a man who eats real meat should go for real sugar packets. Pearson missed out on a real opportunity for merciless teasing there.
Permalink
Parmesan Posted 10:26 pm
28 Nov 2006
Me too!
I fell for my girl at UK student organisation People and Planet's Shared Planet conference back in 1999. Our first date was at a demo at the Menwith Hill spybase. In September last year we got engaged on the spot where she asked me out (I had asked her out three weeks beforehand but she turned me down). We are continuing to live a green life (well, as far as we can in a draughty flat) and, when the time comes, raising a green family.
More details at http://peopleandplanet.org/navid2775
Anyway, interesting to know that there is another box in which I can put myself other than "Generation Y."
Permalink