I wish I wrote more in this, I really do

because no matter what my parents say or do, I still long to be a journalist.  Not exactly a fashion journalist per se though it would be quite thrilling, but more likely to be in magazine or the Times' Fashion/Style, the Arts, or Dining section.  I really like eating and though I'm not sure my palette is sophisticated enough to be a critic just yet, it could happen....right?  Or just some job that allows me to eat out often on someone else's tab while also maintaining a good looking weight. Hence this blog about various things.
Etiquette. Something I love and adore.  Though my cousin once described me as "classy but chumpy", in which I wholeheartedly agree, there are times where you must bust out one or the other.  Though I can't say I have read countless etiquette books or even touched any of Emily Post's writings, I have read enough material to generally know some odd tidbits on how things should be.  The most recent, a fairly new book by Derek Blasberg entitled Classy: Be a Lady, not a Tramp is a somewhat fun presentation of some very basic manner rules with many colorful pictures/illustrations that make it fun for the little ones.  Apparently the book is aimed towards the modern day teenager but in my opinion, what teenager wants to know about etiquette?  Aside from me of course.  And at that I would scarcely call it etiquette.  Though some parts (however, very few) parts made me laugh out loud, many were just your stereotypical gay male sayings and frankly, stupid similes/metaphors that made no sense whatsoever, trying to fashion himself as if he were Chelsea Handler (To take inspiration from his voice: Trust me honey, you ain't).  Which, by the way, I have read Are you there Vodka, it's me Chelsea since the last time I blogged about her and I am also currently reading My Horizontal Life: a Collection of One-Night Stands.  Terrific.  Though I read her books in reverse order, the order I like them in is probably in which they were written, though all are stunning.  As typical, I digress.  Blasberg's statements many times come off as "know-it-all"esque, as if females didn't know that thongs above the pantline are utterly vulgar.  Though some may not realize I guess, but then again they are most likely hoochie mamas that shop at Cache.  His book is name-dropping in the manner of a teenager girl-- he mentions countless times about how he is such close friends with so-and-so and went to a ______ themed party with ya-di-yada; it's absolutely exhausting! I had no idea who Derek was coming into this aside from the fact that he moved from the Midwest to the Big Apple as he mentioned, say, every five pages.  Not sure how it was relevant.  Coming into the book I asked for manners tips, not your autobiography.
Though I should've been tipped off by the title, I actually expected more basic etiquette rules to be in there, or rather more scenarios such as Kate Spade did in her book.  Though he mentions things such as place settings and throwing a gathering, there was a lot of Don't do this if you want to be classy and the Classy vs. Trashy comparison, something not very hard to decipher.  Upon ending the book, I basically assumed he was some random social climber just waiting to actually be famous.  I wondered how he was able to sign on to write this book and of course, googled him.
Revelation moment---what?  He's an editor at V magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and style.com?!! This isn't for real (automatically gain remote sense of respect).  So odd, I thought...and so young! This gives hope for me of course, after all, he is only from the Midwest...and with a Bachelor's in journalism only.  I was planning to get a Masters; theoretically I would go to NYU for the bachelor's (where you are forced to double major if pursuing journalism) and then I would go to Columbia for graduate school.  Aka have better odds than him.  I'm personable, it could happen!
So screw the book/personality, thank you Derek Blasberg for giving a gal hope.  I would recommend your book to others anyways so regardless of my semi-harsh criticism, at least you tried to make a difference with the younger set and for that, I commend you.