Photo Credit: Esquire
Coming in today at number eight is a man who is certainly a dandy, and he is an individual that could easily be number one on other lists. Yes, number eight is Richard Merkin. Richard demonstrates some of the most beautiful outfits I have ever seen, and I love his tweed suits, cream linen suits, dandified hats, walking sticks, and favoring a boutonniere over pocket squares. In addition, his footwear is remarkable. For example, notice the kiltie loafers he is wearing with his cream linen suit. So, if Mr. Merkin could be number one on other lists, why did I choose him for number eight? The answer is mostly for his dandy style. It suits him, but I cannot choose a true dandy for the number one spot. This is of course WASP 101, and not Dandyism.net.
14 comments:
Richard,
Any reader of your blog knows full well the Duke is number one!
I like fresh scrod in a butter sauce.
Happy Easter! What will you be wearing? I hope you will be sharing your choices for Sunday services.
Not a bad choice at all really whether
number 8 or not.
Richard I implore you , do a research ,study,
and a presentation if you wish on a gentleman
known as Jock Whitney. You like the Duke?
Wait till you get to know Mr Whitney.
His life story will be an never ending source
for your observations of all things WASP.
You won't regret it.
Richard,
You blog is supposedly about WASP and all things WASP, and yet you repeatedly demonstrate a lack of even the most rudimentary understanding of what it means to be WASP. The fact you get a few post right and then veer into left field belies the fact you don't know what you're doing and instead are just guessing. You don't have that innate sense of what is or isn't WASP and your powers of observation are underdeveloped. You are still too focused on the image and not the essence of what constitutes WASP. You are still a poser and not a purveyor or WASPdom.
Richard, so far based on your comments, the fact someone wears tweed or a bowtie is all it takes to earn him a place on your Top 10. Your #10 pick seemed solid and the aura of the man surpassed the wardrobe. Your #9 pick seemed too convenient as if you didn't have time to invest in making another unexpected pick or searching the web for less common fodder. And now you #8 pick seems to suggest you are more fixated on the tassel loafers you won on Ebay and will receive soon than on using your brain! This letharo looks like a real life version of the cartoon character Pippy LePew and makes me want to rush for the shower to wash off the germs. Rather than give me a dose of WASPism your recent post gives me the willies!
Richard, I'm calling for a do over on this one. So, who is the real #8 on your list?
It's a pink seersucker suit, and the image is from GQ.
Anonymous 12:55 - Will from a suitable wardrobe used this photo and credited it to esquire. In additon, he specifically cited the suit as being a cream linen suit. I agree with him.
Anonymous 9:25 - You and others miss the point of my blog on a daily basis. And furthermore, you miss the point of this series. Will every member on the list be a bonafide WASP? No! Will all of the choices exhibit some WASP like qualities? Yes! Mr. Merkin is with out a doubt a dandy, but he does wear clothing that WASP would wear. The fact he is not a full fledge WASP does not exclude him or others from making the list. As far as my blog goes, I have given up explaining its purpose.
To Anonymous of 9.25AM
You make a big deal of berating Richard for his lack of understanding of what it is to be a WASP. You make it seem as if being a WASP has some significance other than image. You then make a disgusting slur against a fine artist and a decent man, Richard Merkin ("and makes me want to rush for the shower to wash off the germs"). If this is how WASPs think and behave then I'm rather glad that Richard isn't, as you claim, a part of their fraternity. Some civility and decency might be something for WASPs to aspire to, on your grubby evidence.
"As if being a WASP has some significance
other than image"?!?!?
Now , even further insight here.
That's all WASP stands for, to you Anon?
If that is truly the interpretation out there
among you readers no wonder you reject
the critics claims. Un - believable.
Just Un - believable.
Anon 9:25:
It's not "Pippy LePew".
Pepé Le Pew is an Academy Award-winning fictional character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, first introduced in 1945. A French anthropomorphic skunk that always strolls around in Paris in the springtime, when everyone's thoughts are of "love", Pepé is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own. However, he has three huge turnoffs to any prospective mates: his malodorous scent and the fact that he comes on too aggressively or with too much passion, to both of which he is cheerfully oblivious. Furthermore, he can't take 'no' for an answer, blissfully convinced that the girl is flirting with him, even when she physically assaults him.
Richard,
Anonymous is absolutely correct on Jock Whitney. A very fascinating character.
To Anonymous of 9:16AM
I rather think, "Un-believable" though it is, that you are missing the point, and that is that 9:25AM seems to be making great claims for WASPs, but doesn't seem to be able to back it up, particularly as his behaviour is pretty low class. You don't do much better, I have to say.
I'm not particularly bothered by what WASP means in this or any other context. Hysterical reactions here have been most illuminating in pointing out quite clearly that America has a class system. Also that, as Europe and elsewhere, those that make the biggest fuss about it are the people, like you and your friend, who aspire to being at the top end of it, rather than the people safely ensconced at the top. It's the people who live at the gate, and their dogs, who act as guardians, not those in the big house up the drive.
So, what claim can you make for this great thing called WASP, apart from the clothes? Racial identity? Member of a narrow social class? Religion? Well, that's good then, no jews, blacks or catholics? Sometimes, from the comments found here it's hard to tell if people are claiming to be WASPs or members of the Ku Klux Klan.
It isn't education; there isn't an intelligence test to join. It isn't even manners or decorum as the behaviour of WASPs isn't noted for much more than boorish behaviour within Ivy League university fraternities and a misplaced feeling of superiority. And as we've seen here, the behaviour of those most keen on berating Richard for his lack of WASP-ness are those with the least grasp of common courtesy.
Is it some ideal of behaviour? Well, WASP history is as full of betrayals, corruption and stupidity as any other group of people united by nothing but origin. Morality, virtue, decency, class aren't limited to a single social group. It isn't even wealth, thanks to Mr Madoff there are a few WASP families that might poorer than their staff before too long.
Might there be an ideal combination of behaviour, image, background? But you start asking people to live up to that and your true WASP quota will get very small indeed.
It seems that the best one can claim is that it's more like being bon chic bon genre, or a Sloane; a mixture of background combined with image. Not much to be getting worked up about, is it?
Well, Anon 3:45....
You espouse the same old anti - class system,
doctrine of equality , left viewpoint sensibilties.
WASP -should- be lost in translation to you.
Glad that it is. Go sit in your multicultural
hypocritcal circle of self righteousness and sing
KUMBAYA till your jaw collapses.
I am at the "top" by the way mister.
Don't care for the criticism Richard receives?
OK, fine. Your pseudo intellectual diatribe
doen't redefine or dogmatically change
anything.
Getting worked up about it he says ladies
and gentlemen.....yeah...uh Anon 3:45?
It's you and your offended sensibilties that got
worked up and caused you to post .....
Ain't it?
Dear 1:28AM
Ah, the reference to "multicultural" and accusing anyone who disagrees with you of being left wing gives the game away. You are crazy angry capitals man and I claim my prize. Shouldn't you be over at WASP101sucks with all the other nuts?
And no, I'll write this very slowly for the hard of understanding, I'm not particularly keen on the thought that everyone is equal. If anything, what I wrote was a criticism of those that think status is defined by birth, or membership of a social group, rather than through personal qualities. Those aren't so much, as you describe in your tortured phrase, "left viewpoint sensibilities", as American sensibilities. It's what this country was built on. And should be proud of.
And those at the "top" don't need to screech about it. Didn't you know? Somebody should have told you. You rather prove my point about the dogs at the gate for me, don't you realise? Don't you get it at all?
I'm starting to wonder whether you are in fact American at all. After all, your incompetent use of language, especially the sentence "Your pseudo intellectual diatribe
doen't redefine or dogmatically change
anything." suggests that English is not your mother tongue. Do you even know what "dogmatically" means? Do you not realise how inappropriate it is within this sentence?
And if my fairly unambitious outline of the issues strikes you as an attempt to be intellectual, pseudo or otherwise, then you have real problems. I don't know what hick town you went to school in but your teacher should be ashamed.
Finally, and I know that this will disappoint you as you so like to upset people, my sensibilities aren't offended. I rather like being called a pseudo intellectual. After all, it's what the stupid call anyone they don't understand.
Regards
Anon 3:45
Yeah Ok Anon 3:45 now 7:59.....
as if it's expected you're going to accept the
criticisms leveled at you in the first place.
Your retort was just smart remark after smart
remark ,no - substance -whatsoever.
Just plainly state your posistion.
You honestly believe you have a clear,
unbiased ,objective judgement of the
The Amercian WASP.
YOU DON'T. SIMPLE.
9:25 AM ACCURATELY.....accur- ate - ly...
repeated the same old charges against
Richard . He does not have a thorough
understanding of all things WASP. PERIOD.
That's all. No further trading smart remark
for smart remark required here.
That's it. You are the dog at the gate,
who hates anyone at the top "vulgar"
enough to dare criticize this WASP101
FIASCO. Richard's personal qualities have
your approval do they??
Nothing further to discuss then,
and I mean nothing. See things as how you
see fit. Sighhhhh..............
You are a strange little specimen aren't you. Dear oh dear. And you really can't debate, can you?
I'll try to make it simple for you.
Accusing everyone who calls you out on your diatribes of being left wing and "multicultural" (whatever the hell that is) isn't debate. It's, given your warped sense of values, an attempt at abuse. It's also a form of lying. None of it leaves you coming out smelling of roses. Next time you start another paranoid rant about everyone who disagrees with you being part of the great Communist World Conspiracy have a think about it.
For the record, and the hard of thinking, I shall clarify. I made no comment on 9:25AM's comments about Richard's understanding of what WASP means. I commented about their rather revolting slur against Richard Merkin. Not only did they compare him to a skunk cartoon character, Pepé Le Pew (which they named inaccurately, yes, in your vocabulary that is in- accur- ate - ly) they also describe him as a letharo (in- accur- ate - ly, again). Incidentally, are all pretend WASPs incapable of spelling? If either of you tell me you've had an Ivy League education then I'm going to know that you're lying yet again. Either that or the system sucks.
What evidence did they have about Mr Merkin's personal habits that would have justified "makes me want to rush for the shower to wash off the germs"? He is, whether one likes his style or not, impeccably groomed. Didn't he didn't look white, anglo-saxon or protestant enough for him? Does the use of "Pippy" provide a clue to the real problem? That they thought he looked a bit continental? And we all know what people like you with an obsession about "multiculturals" think about continentals, don't we? What next, burning a cross on his lawn?
I also made no comment whatsoever about Richard's grasp of WASP-ness. Hadn't you noticed? I did however question your little friend's understanding of what it means, given their behaviour. I'm not, given your behaviour, particularly impressed when it comes to yours either. Perhaps you see it now?
And, once again, not that you seem to appreciate this, whenever you get riled up and start ending random sentences in capitals it is the equivalent of SHOUTING, and rude, see? Internet protocol is fairly clearly established here. If WASP means anything other than a narrow - and rather boring - definition about family origin and clothing style then it should be about being rather classier than you've ever managed to be.
Do please tell us what WASP means to you. Take the opportunity to be positive about this thing that keeps you lurking on the internet spitting out abuse. Define your terms. Make us poor ignorant saps appreciate how glorious it is. And don't try getting away with another tirade or that hoary old line "people like you will never understand"...
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