Hometown papers
Posted by Amy on November 24, 1997 at 09:38:36:
In response to Shocking!, written by Arnessa on November 24, 1997 at 01:50:53
] I suppose someone could argue the society pages now are not much different. Even now, we print where the bride and groom work and where their parents work. Incidentally, these bridal announcements in the paper are REALLY BIG in the town where I grew up. Every few months I get a letter from one of my parents or an aunt, with the bridal announcement of one of my former classmates enclosed.
I know exactly what you mean, Arnessa. I grew up in a town of about 20k people -- with antoher 20k students -- and the newspaper always listed in wedding and engagement announcements: the occupations of the couple and their parents, plus the education of the couple, which is in essence an American definition of social class. And with the couple's particulars put there so pointedly, it is impossible not to make judgements on the match -- or "how well" the person you know "did!" If an acquaintence from school was announced to be marrying a guy from another town who was attending the University of Michigan medical school and his father is a doctor, I'd think, well, she did better than I thought she could. But if another was marrying somebody who'd "attended Mid-Michigan Community College" I'd think, "she must be pregnant" or "where's her self-respect."
Don't think ill of me for exposing these little private thoughts.
Reference coming up.
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
