walking through the rich neighborhoods of st. louis is a good reminder that this country has huge pockets of extremely wealthy people who basically leave no footprint on the nation’s culture
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
The mega-rich have no country. Their fortunes are not tied to any one place, and they could have a nearly identical lifestyle in just about any global city.
A bit niche to be fair, but when St Louis rich guy Rex Sinquefield isn't giving money to right-wing political causes he basically funds the entire American chess scene. The St Louis Chess Club is now the clear center of American chess, which wasn't the case before he put a bunch of money into it.
Jamelle, I once asked friends to name an artform that had developed in a prosperous democracy and the only one they could think of was jazz, and one would have difficulty arguing that Black people in the 30s were benefiting from wealth and enfranchisement.
God, Ann Arbor, Michigan is fascinating for this because there's a city that has cultural footprints and yet there's another half of it which is just invisible rich people with no connection to the other Ann Arbor.
how dare you disregard the cultural impact of rich streets rebranding as "Candy Cane Lane" every December and setting up a donation booth to help them afford their xmas lights
honestly this was just a riff on something I see in Old Money neighborhoods in various CA cities. I assumed it was common in a lot of big cities, but maybe not
There is a wealthy-ish street that does Candy Cane Lane every year in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood, behind the Ted Drewes on Chippewa. I don't know if they do the taking donations thing, though.
St. Louis City? Proper St. Louis? Those are wealthy democrats with a few others mixed in. They're the ones on the board of Planned Parenthood, the ones speaking out against a proposed mask ban, the people who care about others. St. Louis County, on the other hand... NIMBY, JOY99, MAGA
jfc conspiracy theories really are rooted in some kind of reality sometimes eh? super rich weirdos having secretive dorky dress-up rituals because idk, evulz?
"Meanwhile, Scott was rappelling on a rope from a balcony when she tumbled hard to the floor, climbed to her feet, rushed to the stage, grabbed the crown and veil and yanked it from that year's VP..."
"he Post-Dispatch reported that "the Veiled Prophet, whom everybody could see was bald, and very angry, struggled gallantly to restore the veil and its 95-year-old tradition [of anonymity] to its proper place."[43][44] The VP was later to be revealed as Monsanto executive Tom K. Smith Jr.[1]"
"More recently...protested by Black Lives Matters..
In 2021, the "Veiled Prophet Parade" was replaced by the "American Birthday Parade" as to assuage concerns that the pageant was "a symbol of wealth, power, and to some racism."[15][16] The Veiled Prophet was replaced with Archibald the bald eagle.
"Historian Thomas Spencer considered that the VP parade was created in part to displace the parades regularly held by the trade unions, and believes that the event generally revealed rather than soothed class conflicts.[7]"
If you're actually able to walk through the neighborhood, the very wealthy purple who live there have left a cultural footprint. St Louis is filled with private streets that don't allow outsiders. That's where the most culturally disconnected people actually live.
Now now, think of the generational, epoch-defining talents they drove into exile with their power and their provincialism. That is a certain kind of footprint.
I now see the event that was here and wish I was better plugged into the Danforth campus. Our medical school spends its free time inviting crackpots and anrivaxxers sadly.
Interesting observation-
Most of what you described in St. Louis is Old money handed down.
Old money cultural impacts are more subtle with supporting the arts, education/pvt. universalizes & pvt colleges, NPR, various charities, etc & of course influencing politics.
I would really like to know what kinds of problems these people have. I'm thinking of starting a business, but all the problems that I can think of, the people I know don't have any money to support my business ideas.
I got hired as a temp worker to sort out the home office of a guy who lived in one of these parts of STL. From what I could see of his financial documents, his main problem was a cycle of buying boats and then having to sell them at a huge loss
Seconded! Take zero native st louis food advice. As far as I can tell their cuisine is based on a series of dares over what can be fried or served to people with a straight face. You’ll end up eating pizza on a saltine base or chewing on tough gray barbeque.
I don't mind the saltine crust, it's the *cheddar* cheese blend abomination called Provel that ruins it for me. Besides, there really ARE some decent restaurants in St Louis which would be far preferable to Imo's - I'm sorry if you haven't discovered them!
Oh I have. There’s great food here. I’m just making the distinction between what the natives think is food and what is actually food are two different things.
The late great Bulrush might have been my favorite restaurant on earth before Chef Rob had to flee Missouri for civilization.
St Louis has cheap real estate - the best possible factor for incubating good food. You can both own a brick and mortar and have employees that can afford to live here.
I mean if you're visiting St Louis for a short time, why not try the unique food that you can only get in St Louis? Imo's pizza and some t-ravs and you're all set! You could go to I dunno Yellow Belly too which is also great but there are restaurants like that everywhere.
Coincidentally watched this last night. Somehow, naively, did not previously believe a home could sell for 195 million dollars. I guess I thought they'd max out around 20 million: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3EJpS7NhMI
Living in LA has taught me that $$$ is an extremely weird concept and wealth is ever weirder. And the things people with too much of it have will do? Yeah.
Town of my birth. 55 years gone. Wealthy neighborhoods full of mausoleums. Definitely stratified classes and culture. I'd say it was the most racist place I ever lived, but interior northern California here is no better than the TX Panhandle.
Really curious what you’re thinking of re “culture” here. St Louis opened my 18yo eyes to the durability of overt segregation in a lot of this country.
Tennessee Williams grew up in St. Louis, T.S. Elliot, Kate Chopin, Eugene Field, Jon Hamm & Kevin Kline were all born into wealthy families in St. Louis. Judging any group of people based upon their outward appearance is a prejudice that should be unlearned.
I don't follow this, what do you know about those people and what they do or don't do to leave a footprint on the culture (a phrase that could mean many things)....is it an "if you're not in LA or NY you might as well not exist" kind of thing?
Not at all. It means they absolutely do not participate in their own communities, or attempt to have any positive impact. They just protect their own interests and only associate with people exactly like themselves, and their neighborhoods are verboten to the other residents of the same city.
That is harsh and true. Most people do not even know they exist. What do they contribute, who knows? Most people do not even know they exist. Swimming in their little fishbowls, their little colonies where they do not have to see the unwashed masses.
They have left a very large footprint, both in their exploitation and their philanthropy. We have libraries and museums, for example, paid for by child labor.
Oh, I know. I live in central Phoenix, and the house next to us (1500 sq ft, four teeeeny bedrooms) is up for 600k. It's nice enough, but not 600k nice.
They're the ones who invade neighborhoods, buy old homes with character, kill said character, than charge higher rates for the privilege of renting it.
Reminds me of San Antonio and how when I was going to what was cited by the Clinton admin as a failed, struggling elementary school and among the worst in the nation... and like 10 blocks away there were mansions and walled communities who more or less didn't exist in our minds.
(1) Broken Heart of America about STL history explained so many things I sensed but didn’t understand growing up near there
(2) forthcoming book about the Veiled Prophet fair/society stuff is going to be v. Interesting
Interesting point! In Rio, no major cultural production comes from wealthier areas (i.e. Barra da Tijuca). Carnaval, Samba and Funk, Rio cultural signatures, come from the poorer neighborhoods and favelas. Bossa Nova, an exception, from Copacabana, but whose artists ultimately just transformed Samba
Welcome to St. Louis! I would probably start with Phyllis Schlafly as a wealthy person who left a large footprint on the nation’s culture, but your point is taken.
They were day-drinking when they suddenly spotted Black people walking down their street. Too drunk for shoelaces, but they knew where their guns were.
What's even the point of being extremely wealthy if you aren't going to be a massive patron of the arts? Fund some wild community theater! Pay for some murals! Finance a music festival for up and coming bands! Back a new fashion house! I don't know, be the one who keeps a roof over artists' heads!
Comments
None of it is good or enjoyable, but still...
jfc conspiracy theories really are rooted in some kind of reality sometimes eh? super rich weirdos having secretive dorky dress-up rituals because idk, evulz?
weird.
"Meanwhile, Scott was rappelling on a rope from a balcony when she tumbled hard to the floor, climbed to her feet, rushed to the stage, grabbed the crown and veil and yanked it from that year's VP..."
In 2021, the "Veiled Prophet Parade" was replaced by the "American Birthday Parade" as to assuage concerns that the pageant was "a symbol of wealth, power, and to some racism."[15][16] The Veiled Prophet was replaced with Archibald the bald eagle.
(Wiki)
"Historian Thomas Spencer considered that the VP parade was created in part to displace the parades regularly held by the trade unions, and believes that the event generally revealed rather than soothed class conflicts.[7]"
https://citymuseum.org/
Most of what you described in St. Louis is Old money handed down.
Old money cultural impacts are more subtle with supporting the arts, education/pvt. universalizes & pvt colleges, NPR, various charities, etc & of course influencing politics.
Have everything you need and could ever want, and because nobody knows who you are, everybody leaves you alone.
St Louis has cheap real estate - the best possible factor for incubating good food. You can both own a brick and mortar and have employees that can afford to live here.
There are wide swaths of multiple cultures that are influenced by the fallout and greed of rich lifestyles.
How many days has it been since the STL cops shot an unarmed black man in the back for no reason?
The fucking St Louis Gun Couple and their pro aristocrat French revolution hiding wardrobe
I guess I'd rather leave that footprint, especially if it was a positive one. And after all, Tina Turner, for one example, didn't die a pauper.
** don’t pull the string too hard there.
(2) forthcoming book about the Veiled Prophet fair/society stuff is going to be v. Interesting
https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/ellie-kemper-veiled-prophet-ball-response-1234985436/amp/
https://youtu.be/ynWkndr5p-U?si=eay2FOgXdY4fItWJ
The rich are not like you and me. They are hateful, spiteful people who should be the first up against the wall come the revolution.