Very Important People
Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit
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Very Important People
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Narrated by:
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Mia Barron
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By:
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Ashley Mears
About this listen
A sociologist and former fashion model takes listeners inside the elite global party circuit of "models and bottles" to reveal how beautiful young women are used to boost the status of men.
Million-dollar birthday parties, megayachts on the French Riviera, and $40,000 bottles of champagne. In today's New Gilded Age, the world's moneyed classes have taken conspicuous consumption to new extremes. In Very Important People, sociologist, author, and former fashion model Ashley Mears takes listeners inside the exclusive global nightclub and party circuit - from New York City and the Hamptons to Miami and Saint-Tropez - to reveal the intricate economy of beauty, status, and money that lies behind these spectacular displays of wealth and leisure.
Mears spent 18 months in this world of "models and bottles" to write this captivating, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking narrative. She describes how clubs and restaurants pay promoters to recruit beautiful young women to their venues in order to attract men and get them to spend huge sums in the ritual of bottle service. These "girls" enhance the status of the men and enrich club owners, exchanging their bodily capital for as little as free drinks and a chance to party with men who are rich or aspire to be. Though they are priceless assets in the party circuit, these women are regarded as worthless as long-term relationship prospects, and their bodies are constantly assessed against men's money.
A story of extreme gender inequality in a seductive world, Very Important People unveils troubling realities behind moneyed leisure in an age of record economic disparity.
©2020 Ashley Mears (P)2020 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Very Important People
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael De S
- 07-10-20
WOW. This woman is SERIOUSLY SMART. Shines a light
This is a fantastic listen to a subject written by a highly intelligent, smart and savvy woman. I never really read books on Sociology, its not my field. I am so glad that I listened to this book. Ashley shines a light on a world that everyone wants to be a part of but most people only observe from the outside. She tells it how it really is from the perspective of a lot of the major players in that arena. The cold hard truth is brought to bare on things.
It has clearly been very thoroughly researched and is very very well written. In no way is the book patronizing or looking down on anyone. Facts are presented as facts. Written in a very open and approachable way, in way that is lacking in so many academic books these days. A lot of academics seem to have their heads up their own backsides. This book is a refreshing change from all that.
My only criticism would be that I wish it had be narrated by the author. Nothing wrong with the narration, I just prefer books to be narrated by the author.
Those people who are giving bad reviews clearly have some kind of chip on their shoulder. Those people who say that models are all stupid or nasty are just as narrow minded and bigoted as those that think that all ugly people must have nice personalities and be very intelligent. To the person who said "Who cares what models think?", I care and so do a whole load of other people.
She presents an inside look into a world that is spoken about, written about and often derided and yet so many people want to be a part of it. There is an explanation about the economics of what goes on as well as a sociological look at things.
I really look forward to discovering more work by this author. She has clearly got brains and physical beauty and what appears to me to be a very down to earth and realistic approach to life. Keep up the great work Ashley and lets hope that you are able to narrate your next book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- M. C. J. Armour
- 21-07-24
Repeats a lot
Could be half the size lots of things are repeated sometimes several times but a decent read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-08-20
Fun and interesting
I like books on socioeconomics, particularly as applied to parts of the economy that I don't have visibility into. This book was exactly that and was interesting and enjoyable.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Kay
- 12-10-21
Detailed, eye opening, but tedious and monotonous
Mears' book was extremely well researched, full of interesting accounts of the work of real life promoters and 'girls'. It was too detailed however, very repetitive and monotonous to listen to.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 02-08-20
Absolute rubbish
The only reason I purchased the book was on foot of a not bad review in Saturdays FT. I am now through four chapters and cannot force myself to go any further. So far it consists solely of a list of New York clubs and the names of those who can gain you access where for the dubious pleasure of parting with exorbitant amounts of money for various brands of alcohol one can have the company of very tall young women. What other services these ladies may be called upon to provide is politely skirted. It would appear that the the billionaire frequenters of these establishments have no ulterior motive other than to share their good fortune with aspiring models, admittedly very tall ones.
I really must take it up with the FT. How the reviewer could decribe Very Important People as other than drivel is beyond me.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- penny rodgers
- 26-07-20
A book that should have been an article
Rich men like young, beautiful girls which can be provided by other men who like money.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 25-09-20
Who cares about Joe Low
Rubbish book I couldn’t believe this got past any editor.. boring dull who gives a fuck about ‘models and bottles
’ Jesus wept
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