Veblen vs. The Swans, Part II - The Verdura and the Ugly Duckling

Prompt No. 25: Joanne's Tacky Thanksgiving, Tommy Orange Returns, and Conspicuous Coffee Carafes

Let’s cut to the chase. I believe I can breakdown Thorstein Veblen’s incredibly dense “Theory of the Leisure Class” through FX’s limited series Capote vs. The Swans. Is this an ambitious, possibly ludicrous undertaking? Absolutely. What do we stand to gain from the exercise? A great deal. Features of the leisure class, including exploitation, evidence, esteem, and emulation, have long dictated the consumptive habits of all Americans. In this edition, we focus on what underpins the stringent details that hold and maintain esteem. Through the swans, we discover an intoxicating world of uneconomical beauty, one that exemplifies Veblen’s notion of the pecuniary cannons of taste. By strictly adhering to what is “reputably correct” in terms of consumption and presentation, the women garner esteem in their own right. This is what defines and sets the swans apart.

They even notice and compliment one another’s choice in lightbulbs.

In the premier episode, we see Truman establish a bond with Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, and Slim Keith, New York Society women the writer refers to as his “swans.” A stunning image on the surface, Babe, C.Z., and Slim apply an unseen level of rigor to life that ensures the perfect public presentation. Babe, having arrived at her beauty fortuitously, maintains a gilded event diary of things she could do better next time; C.Z., having tucked away her dreams of a bohemian life, bathes her herbaceous plants in milk; and Slim, a relative outsider from California, maintains strict adherence to the standards of high society of which she now belongs.  Each swan represents various branches of learning exclusive to the leisure class. This knowledge rails against the decay of ceremonial code or “the vulgarization of life” caused by labor. Throughout the series, evidence of that knowledge aptly serves as a backdrop to their conspicuous consumption and consciousness of pecuniary cannons of taste. In other words: As wealthy, well-bred women, the swans have some great shit and know exactly how to use it!