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95 comments:
Like the title of the play by Moss Hart you "Light Up The Sky!" ---- Richard
Very nice Muffy! Congratulations. If you need someone to negotiate your royalties from L.L. Bean and Brooks Brothers, please let me know. Please be careful while traveling, as we wouldn't want to lose track of you. :)
P.S. I can't wait to hear what Ferd thinks of this.
Ha, Ha! What a lot of fun! And you're just being yourself. ; )
Another indication i'm getting old...didn't know who any of the other icons were except Rosie, Amelia E., & Patti Smith.
You are in good company with Janelle Monae. She makes spectacular music along with her interesting sartorial choices.
What do you think of this, Muffy?
Interesting grouping. My Mother always said,"you are judged by the company you keep". Amelia and Patti okay. The rest?
@Anonymous 7:50. I can't wait to read Ferd' s commentary.
@Farrah - We are acknowledging the compliment, yet shaking our heads and laughing.
Wow. Just. Wow.
Is androgyny a hallmark of Prep? If it is I think we can safely put the debate about Southern Preps to rest. Belles don't do androgyny, it's not in our DNA.
"We are acknowledging the compliment, yet shaking our heads and laughing."
That's exactly how I pictured your reaction. Quite the ecclectic bunch--you definitely have the best overall style. The only other one that I would even consider "following" would be Ellen, and I've always thought of her style as "Preppy-Lite". Too fun!
We already knew that you were a style icon we didn't need Complex to tell us that :)
So oxford shirts, navy blazers, and Barbour jackets aren't for women? And L.L. Bean isn't day-to-day wear? Who knew?
Obviously these people never visited any women's liberal arts colleges in 1980, or saw a yearbook from one. If they did, I'm sure they'd be horrified. I don't know whether to be amused or annoyed!
For what it's worth, I think you should be the benchmark for men AND women--one of the reasons for which is the humor and grace with which you handle people who just don't get it.
Alright, enough already here, you flatterers and bootlickers among Muffies’ masses. (As an aside, I want you all to know how unpleasant this is for me to write to you this morning, as I had to work 19 hours yesterday just to make my Porche car payment). I am unfamiliar with the publication that has so nobly dubbed our beloved Muffmeister. The appellation provided is not only accurate but is also a key for the rest of you unwashed acolytes; beware reading on children, I am writing to impress here.
True Prep women are all tomboys of one stripe or another. It all starts with those vigorous activities in childhood with Daddy, such as pond hockey, hunting, sailing, skiing and the occasional journey into the pastimes of the petit bourgeoisie, golf. Daddy is rugged, therefore I am. Boys, to the young True Prep girl, are not in the least bit interesting. Indeed, they are simply competition.
As the True Prep female edges to puberty and prep school, little changes. Outings with Daddy are replaced with team sports and remote summer camps previously attended by nine generations of women ancestors. To succeed in this milieu, the True Prep adolescent must emulate the most venerated person in her small little snowball world, to wit, the True Prep, Prep School Stud. There is not enough room here to describe him accurately other than to say that he is breathtakingly handsome at 14, tall with wavy light brown hair, whip thin and whip-smart, rich as sin, effortlessly athletic, aloof to a point that scares adults and, in a word (hyphenated) God-Like.
Thus, our True Prep young lady wears essentially the same clothing, plays the same sports, eats the same food and presents the same haughty persona as the True Prep, Prep School Stud. Since God-Like wears no makeup, she wears no make up. Because his hair is short (but not too short to be, like the Werewolf’s hair at Trader Vic’s, “perfect”) her hair is short. Because he is a stone cold adolescent aristocrat, she is a perfect princess. From a distance, with the possible exception of height, they are indistinguishable. It is her goal to be him and so it will be the rest of her life.
Sex, of course, is involved, but only in the muscular sense. Please, all of you, remember that the True Prep women is but a millisecond distant from the Victorian era (whilst the rest of you squalid sisters are living in the second coming of Sodom). Only the most fictional of Victorian women actually indulged in sexual relations. True Prep women are many things, but fiction requires imagination and that ends that.
And so it is that the True Prep woman emerges to what the rest of you call adulthood. For her, of course, it is just more of the same. One plays Paddle or rides, remains slender and curve-less, drinks in a manly manner and continues to wear clothing that, with the exception of under-britches, are facsimiles of their husband’s (albeit, on occasion, in a smaller size). When she ‘dresses up’ it may be that a dress is worn, but only with a degree of chagrin so marked that one half anticipates that she has khakis on underneath. Jewelry is minimal to the point of pointlessness, and this is not unplanned on her part. Remember, True Prep, Prep School Stud is not a peacock, he is a deity. Deities don’t wear jewelry.
It's surprising Katharine Hepburn was left off this list...
*sara*
I don't know how exactly to put this. . . but somehow I knew Patti Smith would be on that list. I never listen to her music, just know she's somehow "influential" there and she's married to John McEnroe.
What a weird blog notion. Um, congratulations?
ferd: interesting little bit there; been marinating in the old preppy handbook any?
"True Prep is not a peacock", great catchphrase !
How fun. Congrats.
If only the quality in a LL Bean catalog was par with the Daily Prep blog. Fun compliment, Muffy!
Ok Greenfield, this is for you. I "get" and appreciate Ferd's "Yankee humor" in his latest post. I even detect a bit of self-deprecation in it. Obviously it IS possible to be funny & entertaining without being ugly and personal.
*sara*
Anonymous 9:48--John McEnroe is married to Patty Smyth, not Patti Smith. Although that would have been an interesting combination!!!
My inner editor cringed at daily/day-to-day/daily in a single sentence. But, congrats! (I think; my workplace has the perhaps good sense to block the linked website.)
The Ferdster is in rare form again providing a tome of a comment for us “bootlickers” and “flatterers” here on Muffy’s blog today. I won’t attempt to refute any of it as I know that he’d just come back and eviscerate me. He is “The Man” here is Daily-Prep-Land after all.
There is one thing though, just a Porsche? Really? I would have thought that a well aged former True Prep, Prep School Stud who’s now as sophisticated and ultra-successful as he would be driving an Aston Martin DB9.
In any event, Ferd, keep the snarkyness coming my good man, but don’t work so many hours! That’s what associates are for…
Stop using your nom de plume Ferd and attach your real name to your social commentaries. You offer much better material than some of the nonsense passed off as "prose" these days in The New Yorker.
"...second coming of Sodom"
Ha!
Have to admit surprise that Ferd has to work to make his car payments. Obviously my assumption that "true preps" drove the Grand Wagonner passed down through the family for the past 30 years is incorrect. You learn something new here everyday!
*sara*
The Aston is gaining appeal with the NJ Range Rover crowd thanks to mainstream Hip Hop, NBA Players, Bravo TV and I presume a few European Trance DJs.
Restore a BMW 2002 instead and splurge on Norwegian Sweaters, Nantucket Reds and Clam Chowder Shacks.
Ditto what 11:22 said, and a standing ovation for FERD!!! Congrats to Muffy, though this is all a cautionary tale of how the Internet can get away from one.
BTW, I saw Muffy's polar opposite yesterday in a grocery store that will remain nameless to protect the guilty. Blonde celebrity-wannabe, clad in tights, black BEARSKIN boots with the hair still on, forming a Solla-Sollew effect just below the knees. Cherry red Chanel quilted tote bigger'n a mains'l bag that probably cost more than Ferd's Porsche. Hair teased, streaked, treated with at least 7 kinds of heavy metal. And just in case the security cameras missed her, a white, hair-on vest that looked for all the world like she'd skinned my old white horse. Hey, at least it covered her bum. She was flouncing down the aisle glancing around to make certain _everyone_ was looking. . .
The bar is raised for TTFW! ;)
Congratulations to all the contestants and winners, but especially to Miss Androgyny!
-the other Flo
Now that I have a face to go with Ferd (Don Rickles) I get his humor. Although I wish it were George Clooney's face.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this. But, I've only heard of you and Amelia Earhart.
Yea Muffy!!!
Yea Ferd!!!
Well, look at it this way, it's awesome free advertising for this wonderful blog! You keep being you, that's why we are all here! --Holly in PA
Muffy -as to your androgynous true prep style, most women (or men) would love to wear it so well! I believe you could wear a Crocker sack and make it look fabulous.
I however need all the help I can get, more pictures of you and your style please.
Wow. Bahamadia, LP, Da Brat, and...Muffy.
A point about prep androgyny: it goes both ways (groan). That is to say, when I went off to college and became immersed in a less homogeneous world, I was acutely aware that what I took for granted, or perhaps didn't give a second's thought to, was looked askance at by others. Believe me, a man in a pair of red or yellow or kelly green pants, no socks, and a pair of moccasins was not exactly lighting it up on the masculine meter. Even today, I will sometimes get a comment when I am wearing a pink shirt.
You are to true prep what Jenna Lyons is to today's J.Crew. LL Bean should hired you as creative director. I love your blog, you are a style icon to me, a woman.
Ferd, you brilliant lunatic! Thanks for the laugh.
Muffy, I really don't know what to make of that list. Quite a range of individuals! Fun nonetheless.
Erica in Cazenovia, NY
Very cool, and not remotely surprising.
Ferd has done it again. I really think he knows what he is talking about. However, I think something is missing from most descriptions of prep people, at least on the men's side of the aisle. They are on the go. What better example of this than der Ferd himself? I wonder where he is today.
Not only did prep men risk getting kicked out of school, which some succeed in doing, once they have their walking papers, they go off and do crazy thing. I believe it is more likely to be true for those who did not finish prep school than those who did. Either way, they go off and become foreign correspondents, mountain climbing guides and such like. They marry foreigners, usually blonds with beautiful, uh, accents. It's a difficult life at best.
The gentleman Ferd so elegantly describes reminds me an awful lot of Ty Webb....
Everyone seems to be cheering for Ferd. Am I missing something here? Does he not insult us all on a regular basis? Is this what we do at Muffy's place, or is he only kidding? Or do I expose myself as an unwashed "boot-licker" by even asking?
Someone please educate me.
Oh John, you haven't gotten the message? You live in Virginia. Perhaps you were born in the south? If so, you, like the rest of us poor southerners (and fellow Virginians) can never be "prep" and we don't understand that "Yankee humor" is very different from ours. Apparently it has something to do with being house bound for months on end in the winter or some such nonesense as that. Greenfield will be able to explain it again...he/she did so in the comments on Nantucket Reds.
Ferd did dial it back on his most recent post but it's a relief to know I'm not the only one who doesn't always consider it so funny.
sara
John, With all due respect, as the Washington Post subscription sales advertising tag line goes: “If you don't get it, you don't get it."
1. Ferd's humor is sardonic and self-deprecating. In short, he's merely communicating through a character much the way Seth MacFarlane conveys his social commentaries through his animation. The more offensive, the funnier. If you're taking it seriously, you've missed the point. I personally look for his comments on this site. In this cold climate, it's refreshing and much needed.
2. There are variations to Ferd's Prep Lady. He described the Muffy type: purity in the sense of objective morality, germ-free, classically beautiful, athletic, strong work ethic, voracious reader, highly-developed sense of wit, etc. There is an opposite which was best conveyed through Nicole Kidman's character in the film "Margot at the Wedding". She's hyper-competitive, given to fits of frustrations, super critical, selfish, conniving, etc.
In Muffyland everything is sunny and happy, and all-cotton, made in USA.
Sorry, gang. Guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Hope everyone will forgive my meanderings...especially Muffy.
Muffy, if LLBean hires you will you please get rid of Dusty Rose or any variation? Please?!? I think Muffy as creative director is a fabulous idea.
I would say that some of the Virginians on this blog don't appreciate Ferd's humor, but I know the argument would then be that we don't appreciate it because we don't understand it and that is a ridiculous circle to enter. And so I think we should just say "fine, we don't get it, oh well" and move on.
I never identified with what I call the "pink and green" southern blogs or the trendy girl in the big city blogs, so I was very happy to find Muffy's. Her values seem to be in alignment with those of the most admired members of my family, who were part of "The Greatest Generation." However, nothing in the last five years has made me feel more southern than the comments section of this blog over the past six months. And I live in New York, which is probably a lot farther removed (culturally) from Virginia than New England is.
This Southerner (like most of us) holds no ill will toward our northern brethren. I endure their jibes with a sense of good cheer and the enduring retort "bless their hearts".
Go to New Orleans and have a Sazerac or five, y'all.
....
Re: the Muffian Proprietress of this here blog...congrats? Although I could see a collab between Muffy and Da Brat. Cole Porter meets Snoop? Straight Outta Wiscasset.
Calling Muffy's readers "bootlickers" isn't "Yankee humour," it's just rude and vulgar. And it makes whatever else follows, however clever, unpleasant to read. I'm always disappointed to come across that sort of post on this site, where it seems wildly out of place.
John don't feel bad about what you said earlier it took me awhile to get his humor. Not everyone likes low brow, let's face it it doesn't take much talent to ridicule people you've never met. Comparing Ferd to Seth MacFarlane pretty much sums up the caliber of writer your dealing with...Juvenile.
I made an earlier comment that was, I assume, found too inflammatory for posting. (Can't say I really blame Muffy, upon further reflection.) Suffice to say, mark me down as "get it, hate it, and unamused" in the great Ferd debate. Lisa Birnbach reborn as a bitter, unfunny troll fails to impress, and frequently ruins the otherwise pleasant and intelligent tone of this site.
I think ruffling a few feathers is the what Ferd hopes for and delivers.
I find Ferd to be witty, intelligent, irritating and hilarious.
Endless sugary comments would be so boring.
I look forward to the banter in the comment section. It's what makes
The daily preps comment section unique and so readable!
Anonymous at 7:49. I read your initial posting and my first thought was that Ferd can dish it out; let's see if he can take it. Also thought your comments were examples of what some people consider "sardonic Yankee humor", and similiar to the type of thing Ferd writes.
Oh well, different people have different senses of humor. Perhaps it's best to ignore the troll and just enjoy the lovely pictures and New England travel info found here. There's never going to be an agreement as to what a "true prep" is and besides, I always thought this blog should be called something different - "The Daily Traditionalist" perhaps - but that's because when I hear the word "prep", I think of someone college aged.
Dear friends,
It is now apparent that our common language lacks a sufficient number of adjectives, both pejorative and pleasant, to describe me, my writing, my ‘humor’, my dog and the crux of this beast who observes you. I admit to be gasping for gibes at this point; I am spent, my cruelest, most irritating, vulgar aphorisms having already been laid before you for so little gain.
There is nothing left to do than come clean. I can’t take it. I am bereft. To think that the erudite, worldly and wise among you can so easily find fault with me is too much to bear. I have decided to end it all today. My plan is this: open a can of aged anchovies and a handle of Southern Comfort, sit back and blend into my red leather chair. After this final act, absent divine intervention that may indeed occur since our Lord is unlikely to want me this early, you shall all be rid of me forever. Guilt will creep slowly into your middling minds when you commence to understand the genius you have destroyed, but so be it. Your remarks, slings and arrows have fatally flattened me. Adieu
PS. Contributions to the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the Swan Bar in Lambertville New Jersey in lieu of flowers are requested.
Ah, Ferd. The only thing harder than printing your comments would be not printing your comments. But I hope this is not your De Profundis.
Ferd - If you want some southern comfort, try Woodford Reserve.
Life without Ferd, Greenfield and the cast of regulars here in the Troll Colony would be unthinkable. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It's important for the disjointed running commentaries to continue because we can't possible allow for Team Birnbach to prevail. We're already witnessing the decline of Bean before our very eyes. What's next--J. Press opening up sweat shops in the sweltering slums of Guangdong? I mean, it's bad enough that Volvo ended production on rear-wheel drive models but to make a Faustian Bargain and appeal to mainstream "luxury" car buyers was appalling!
Search your soul, chi, reason or secular gnosis Ferd. What would Winston Churchill do? Would he back down from a good fight against the NASCAR and SEC cabal?
To y'all from away whose sensibilities are Offended! yes, Offended! to the point of seeking redress from your lofty position of High Dudgeon . . .
Why, in Heaven's name, do you keep reading the Comments section if a little satire bothers you? No one anywhere is obliged to tailor their wisecracks to your sensibilities. Muffy would not post any comment she thought was inappropriate or in poor taste.
Either call Ferd out for a duel in fine Cavalier fashion OR, I suggest you read just Muffy's posts and go have a nice day!
Oh Ferd. Please say, "it ain't so". Who else could bring us to the brink of a second war between the states over a simple pair of pants.
@Greenfield, I love the idea of a duel.
One of the things which attracted me to this blog is the tag line "authenticity stewardship graciousness". Those are not qualities found over most of the internet.
Muffy and the majority of readers here seem authentic and civil. It is possible to be informative, thought provoking, interesting and spicy (or whatever term Greenville used a couple of days ago) without being ugly and personal.
For whatever reason, Ferd's internet personality seems to be neither authentic or gracious. Most blogs seem to have a shelf life of 3 years and most bloggers stop because they've either run out of things to write about or they get tired of dealing with the negative trolls. If Muffy wants to use (and that's my assumption) this blog as a stepping stone to something else, her readership has to continue to grow.
I read this blog and the comments to learn something new - not to be slammed by the likes of Ferd for expressing simple opinions or asking questions. Based on other comments here recently, I'm not the only one who feels this way so if you're a fan of Ferd, enjoy his screeds. The rest of us will simply wonder why he doesn't have his own blog in which to express his sardonic humor. And hopefully this kind of thing won't turn people off "The Daily Prep" and onto something new.
And I really miss Wharf Rat's postings. His seemed to be a better example of Yankee humor.
sara
Ferd,
Please don't do it! Every life has value. Granted you are probably only three-fifths of a person worth of value in the eyes of our southern readers, but that's something, right? Focus on the positive that you can offer this noble tome Muffy has assembled, and take that notion of self- worth, pull it into your bosom, and let it assuage your soul. Grabbing a jug of whiskey and sinking into your red chair to a mind numbing barrage of NASCAR while licking your honey boo-boos is not for you. You are far better than that. You just have to want it. Let me assure you there is a better future waiting. It is right in front of you, there for the taking. You can change Ferd, I know you can. Your previous post admits you realize your own culpability in this situation, that is the first step. To that point, please understand that you must begin by learning to comment while getting along in our happy Grover's Corner of Muffy's most entertaining posts. Don't squander your talents, use them to entertain everyone. Not just the select, educated few. Northern preps and southern preps can all agree to agree on this point and come together like corn and Lima beans in a suffering succotash of sycophantic bloggering. One that doesn't hurt feelings and cause discord. Put the sticks and stones down Ferd, and stop harming others in your quest to entertain the elite. I apologize to everyone for this emotional rant, but Ferd is my nephew whom I care about deeply, but hate to see him behave this way.
Sincerely,
Tom
Hogwash, hogwash and more hogwash! The idea that poor pitiful Ferd is being forced into retirement by the dastardly "NASCAR and SEC cabal" is in a word, not-true.
I suspect the truth to be much more sinister. I posit that our very own dear Ferd recently learned that he is the illegitimate love child (without a hyphen) of the dear sweet Katie Scarlett O'Hara and a certain Truman Streckfus Persons (which explains the sweet and sour sauce he spreads) sent "up north" for his own good.
It was all hushed up to protect the honor of all involved and determined that "up north" he could live out his life without much notice. Unfortunately he stayed true to his roots and just can not resist being snarky (after all it is his birthright).
All this "commotion" i suspect is the true reason he has decided to abandon the life of a snark before his true identity be revealed. After all, how can a true waspy, preppy brahmin face life once he learns there is bulldog blood in his veins!
Of course I could be wrong about all of this.
Between lazy responses to pending emails and sips of Jameson last night, I watched the program "Yukon Men" for the first time. It's basically a "reality show" contrived, scripted and poorly acted out by homesteader types living in the desolate Alaskan wilderness. They hunt, fish, gather, build, fix and if time permits, share a few off-color jokes. In this context, humor is not only refreshing but necessary.
I didn't vote for Captain Charisma. I disagree with him on a fundamental level on nearly everything. I resent his appeal through cheap persuasion, empty rhetoric and soaring platitudes. But I can understand why his supporters like him. His smile can warm up even the most hostile Red State lobbyist.
In certain passages within the Synoptic Gospels, you can find humor especially if you take into consideration the mighty arrogance of the Pharisees.
This is what Ferd offers. He's funny but in a witty, slightly cruel, elitist way. Think Niles Crane without the dorky hair cut.
I'm no Prep but I can't find fault in Ferd's bullet-proof arguments.
It’s a good thing I’m getting a late start and have not eaten breakfast yet because the thought of anchovies and Southern Comfort makes me want to hurl…
I blame the Media for promoting generalizations about the Deep South. I'm not sure if every Southerner wears Schlitz Truckers Hats, drinks Moonshine, hunts Gators and tailgate for 5 days stretches before a big game or is fascinated with high-powered, modified cars circling around endlessly on a track.
Step up to the plate Southerners and defend yourself against Ferd. If you feel the slings and arrows resulting from the squabble is unjust or unsolicited, respond in kind. This doesn't mean resorting to vulgarity or the language of barbarians common in more mainstream domains. It just means that every self-respecting Southerner should dispel the myths and debunk the fallacies.
Tell us more. Why is Emory better than Bowdoin? Why is about the dark sinister manifestos of Albert Pike you guys find so appealing? Is the Derby legit or is it rigged? How authentic is Bush's accent? Do you still hold a grudge against Urban Meyer? Did you boycott the screening of "Lincoln"? What else should people deep-fry? Is Daniel Woodrell the James Ellroy of the Ozarks? Did Pynchon get it right in Mason & Dixon? Did that Peanut Farmer really betray the Deep South by aligning with Zbigniew Brzezinski and David Rockefeller?
The BIG excitement in Richmond and Petersburg last year was the filming of "Lincoln". People turned out in droves to watch any filming they could and there are few people in the area who haven't seen the movie.
Congratulations Ferd ....um, "Tom". You showed great restraint in not bringing up that vile and nasty Honey BooBoo until very late in the conversation.
I have found Ferd's surplus of authenticity, and ultimately stewardship, regarding a core prep lifestyle to hugely overcompensate for a lack of tact. Having said that, anyone who believes that graciousness simply equals a universal inoffensiveness is mistaken. Finally, any great character, be it fictional or merely heightened, earns the affection of the audience not by being perfect but by being of integrity.
Call me a bootlicker, I'd pay to be seated at a table with Muffy, Greenfield and Ferd any day over the overly sensitive politically correct whiners. Greenfield -I promise not to wear any BEARSKIN or spandex.
I guess I have a "deficit" in sensitivity. Drinks on Ferd next time you see him at The Chilton in Boston. Bowl of Chowder on Greenfield's Boat. I'll buy the first round at the Middlesex Lounge later tonight.
I agree about the media and the characterizations about the South. Case in point being Sally Field's portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln in the above mentioned film. Either do the accent correctly or do not do one at all. If Mrs. Lincoln had been from the Mississippi Delta or parts of Georgia it would pass muster, but such is not the case, Mrs. Lincoln was from Kentucky. Ferd, you had a bad experience down here, but I do think that if you came back and visited the right people you might change your mind. It seems to me that we are all comparing the New England prep to everyone in the South. This is unfair. The South is full of rednecks, white trash, upwardly mobile new money and, last but not least, the nice people. I would imagine that New England can be stratified similarly. Everyone in the New England states does not look, dress, and behave like Muffy any more than everyone in the South looks, dresses or behaves like Honey Boo Boo or Dolly Pardon.
Let's slow down a bit before heeding that battle cry for Dixie. Before the ink is dry on my admonishment of my dear nephew, several of you are already seeking to exacerbate his precarious emotional situation. I find that not only unsympathetic, but somewhat churlish on your part as well. I would much prefer you seek that actual duel than to imprudently rally the southern troops to defend your perceived attack on the Confederacy. While you might bear a fortuitous chance of prevailing in an attempt at the former, I would caution that you not press your good fortune in a contest of erudition.
At the risk of continuing in a seemingly pedantic manner, I will humbly offer that attempting to seek your redress through imprudent tactics, such as impuning dear Bowdoin with the suggestion of a comparison to Emory, not only offends the sensibilities, but is the intellectual equivalent of taking a knife to a Polar Bear fight. I have urged Ferd to practice restraint and seek harmony in his offerings, but I caution that our family will suffer no fools.
If this is the course you plan to take then I would urge all Southerners to rethink their positions on the implementation of some level of "Blog Control." Perhaps limiting posts to less than thirty words might allow those with limited cognitive gifts to take action while reloading occurs. I do realize hunting with more than five words at a clip does seem rather unsportsmanlike, and will concede that my nephew's abbreviated limit of patience can be exhausting for those whose less than sophisticated sensibilities are easily offended. But, I urge you to let discretion be the better part of valor and stick to reinforcing your love for "preppy-ness," and leave the linguistic pugilism to professionals before innocent bystanders are harmed.
Warm regards,
Tom
P.S. By the way, I am not Ferd.
I'm sorry to be so ignorant but I truly don't understand what "political correctness" (anonymous at 6:30) has to do with being civil while having a lively discussion or disagreement without making ugly or personal remarks.
Could someone please explain this to me? I don't understand why Ferd freely expresses his opinion and it's considered funny but when others express their opinion that he is rude or vulgar, they are branded "politically correct whiners".
Y'all are an educated crowd. Please enlighten me. Thanks!
sara
Correction: Although Ferd gives me androgynous vibes, he's a full blooded male. So it's The Somerset. The Chilton is for the ladies.
In fact, Patti Smith was married to Fred "Sonic" Smith, now deceased, of the revolutionary MC5 music group.
E.B. White once wrote that "humor can be dissected as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific minds."
Quoted by Judson D. Hale in "Inside New England."
Every time someone says "Snark," I think of a very small plastic, cartopper sailboat ca. 1975.
This "Suthrunuh" hopes His Ferdiness stays. He's entertaining in his own way, bless his heart.
Disagreement and graciousness are not mutually exclusive. However, graciousness and offensiveness are, at least in my opinion.
Having said that I have tangled with (dueled) Ferd before and enjoyed it very much. I found that he responds well to being called out directly rather than discussed. And so:
Ferd, would you argue that you are gracious? I sort of think you would not.
For the love of all that is good and sane, the north/south debate should have died and become an IKEA meatball long ago. If I read it correctly, Ferd's inital comment made reference to "flatterers" and "bootlickers". No mention, nada, at all of any regions.
Please Ferd, don't do anything you'll regret - you will regret those anchovies - and post a missive when the time seems fit. Hopefully, sooner than later.
Dave T....read the comments on the post about Nantucket Reds which is where all this started....
To my fellow Southerners, have you all forgotten your ancestors warnings about those "Damnmoneygrubbinyankees"? Oh dear...all this over some clothes.
Ok Tom the Anonymous - I'll take my stand. If you would like a little linguistic pugilism then I'm your huckleberry. Let's have at it! But be warned that discretion has nothing to do with valor and that some southern schools actually teach things other that hog calling or cow tipping. In fact Emory (a school I know well) even offers advanced degrees and everything. sometimes we even wear shoes and shirts. You bring the polar bear (I'm sure you have a few outside your door you living in the great white north and all) and I'll bring a knife (a pocket knife should do)!
Dave T:
Extra points for the "IKEA meatball." You have potential. Stick around! ;)
Anon 8:40... A clarification is in order. As far as this post goes, Ferd made no regional distiction. The debate goes back just a little further than the Nantucket Red entry.
I was taken aback by him not fully disclosing a historical fact (with his educational creditials..tsk..tsk..)
Whether or not you agree with his delivery, there is keen observation and acerbic wit when he decides to enter (start?) the fray. While harsh, it's entertaining having the likes of Ferd commenting.
Sara and LG.... That!
Dear mortals,
He ate and drank the precious Words, his Spirit grew robust; He knew no more that he was poor, nor that his frame was Dust. In the event Emily is my neighbor here. Who knew? Well, I am not Phoenix nor am I a coward. The deed is done. My corporeal embodiment ist Kaput. (There are hoards of Germans here).
Having an eternity on my hands, I have time to write. I have good news and bad. First the good. For all of you living south of say, Harrisburg, you are golden. Nothing to worry about. Live it up. You’ve got everything to live for and everything to die for. Wow.
Now the bad. For we (formerly) lucky few in a small corner of New England, we proper priests of True Prep, repent! Do good deeds! Feed the poor! Eat dinner with the help! For if you do not lead a good and holy life, the afterlife that awaits you is more horrible that even Mr. Alighieri imagined.
As it turns out, Hell is the Hattiesburg Country Club, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (Now I know why my Grandmother referred to Hades as “down there”). And let me tell you, Satan was never an Angel. He bears (now upon current reflection) an unremarkable resemblance to Colonel Sanders. And He is so genial, gentlemanly and, what was that word – gracious. Days are spent playing golf and Bridge. All the men wear the latest Peter Millar golf attire and smoke cigars. The ladies are dressed to the nines and wear make up as though applied with a gardening spade. Each day is another grinding groundhog of a day, replete with buckets of Bourbon, Ritz Crackers with Cheese Whip, genteel conversation about relatives, SEC Football and homes in Aspen. Everyone drives Cadillacs.
I want to die, but well, that is no longer an option. Muffy’s Southern faithful no doubt will find a good comeuppance in this (maybe they knew all along this was to be my fate). By the way, I should mention that there are indeed Rings down here. The cruelest stage is apparently reserved for sycophants like my Uncle Tom whose attempts at mimicry is so flaccid as to embarrass. Tom, give it up lest ye suffer exceptionally.
So it is for me now. There are rumors that Heaven is a small western corner of Orr’s Island, Maine, but I will never know. Sara and Rachel, when you pass through the pearly gates, please sent me a text with a picture, won’t you.
Yours in eternal boredom,
Good Ole’ Ferd
Will Ferd be reincarnated looking like Rhett Butler..
With a southern accent?
If he's lucky.
Relax dear Ferd, you are not in Hell but what we in the southland call summer. It is an often made mistake by those unfamiliar with the concept. It may seem to last forever but it will in fact end (as will your exile).
You have been sent "down south" to do penance for your mortal sins - namely disrespecting all things southern. Do not despair, just like phoenix you too shall rise from the ashes.
Think of this as a quest for enlightenment. Make the most of your time here. Learn to love grits. Take time to savor the magnolias and camellias. Drive a pick-up truck, But beware:
All southern gentlemen are colonels and the devil may indeed look like our dear colonel sanders. Learning to tell the difference is the first step in knowledge and redemption.
Oh and that thing with the rings, don't be fooled. It's just hard water stains. Be sure and tell the maid about them and she'll take care of it.
Good luck and may the spirit of Light Horse Harry Lee guide you and keep you safe.
Anybody here familiar with Gladys Taber's books?
And why can some women get away with the androgyny look and others just look, well, masculine?
@Anon 11:19: as with many things, it seems easier to pull off androgyny if one is petite and/or very slender.
Thanks for the tip, Ferd. (I always thought hell was the Times Square subway tunnels in August.) I'll have to organize my (made in Sri Lanka) Lillys, just in case.
By all mercy, it appears as though the report of Ferd's demise has been greatly exaggerated. Luckily, as Heaven goes by favor and not merit.
Flaccid, Tom may have seemed in the wake of such steely prose, but it appears that might have been the limit of his rising, given the actions he was subject to defend for family honor. Surely we can understand his sink into the Slough of Despond given all that he has to bear. However, it will take more than a mild castigation of his good ole' Uncle Tom for Ferd to ingratiate himself to the southern masses. But in any event, I'm sure his apology is accepted.
Alas, please do not concern yourself with Tom's cruel place in Purgatorio, as I am sure it is not his first time in Tophet, nor approach to the Wicket Gate. Those from the deepest South to The Pilgrim's Progress do not wilt in the face of evil. When faced with deity, or Ferd's Good-Will rather, solace is taken by all in the immortal words, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
So, here I sit in my Kentucky cabin with chowder in hand, (actually it's not mine, it's my uncle's cabin. I only summer here.) as I gird up my loins, sharpen my sword, and adjust my breastplate in anticipation of Ferd's second coming. Or we can move on to discussing sailboats being readied to leave harbor.
Unexceptionally yours,
Simon Legree
Sara and Rachel, I would gladly join you at The Greenbrier for a Julep at your convenience, and allow dear Dooley to have his satisfaction as well, "once we get the rules straight." :)
That would be lovely but opening day at Keeneland would be wonderful too!
Sara
I'm in!! I make a wicked Mint Julep, it's Henry Clay's recipe.
Yum. You don't by any chance have the secret ingredients for "The Mouse Trap's" (in Lexington)pimento cheese, do you?
sara
I've never been, I'll have to try it. I really hate cooking but my pimento cheese is pretty good. Just grated sharp cheddar cheese, Hellmans or Dukes mayo, pimentos and lots of hot sauce. Everyone I know has the Bluegrass Winner's cookbook and that recipe is also good. The cheese grits are good too.
Bluegrass Winner's is one of my favorites and their pim cheese receipe is very close to the Mouse Trap's. I wonder if pimento cheese would be considered a preppy food?
sara
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