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Late capitalism produces two kinds of insufferable rich people: New York Times insufferable rich people, with their concerns about Culture and Minorities and the like, and Wall Street Journal insufferable rich people, who mostly just ride around shining. When the markets are open, it can be tough to distinguish the two. But everybody's working for the weekend, which arrives in the bifurcated form of Sunday Styles in the Times and Pursuits in the Journal—both soft-core catalogs of places and things, usually with exact prices attached. So, who's buying better shit?

Some rules: We will tally up prices for each of the items featured in this weekend's editions of Styles and Pursuits. Anything that may have intrinsic non-commercial value (books, movies, CDs) is out—the rich in question don't write rhymes; they write checks.

Pursuits, Wall Street Journal

  • Travel—Panama City (p.1): Round trip flight from Miami ( $600 on Expedia) + 7 nights at The Bristol Hotel ($2100) = $2700
  • Chandelier Chic (p. 5): Neues Light Scintilla ($2790, "can work under water") + Roast Design Spirit Balls (!) ($2000) + En Pieza Volivik Lamp ($1000) = $5790
  • Lessons with newfangled "Golfing Machine" (p. 6): Three hours, $300
  • Shopping with: Alain Mikli; Winter Sunglasses: Bulgari with Swarovski crystals ($469) + Chanel with double-C arms ($335) + Ray-Ban Junior Aviators ($60) + Dior Parabole 2 ($375) = $1239

TOTAL: $10,029


Sunday Styles, New York Times

  • Pulse (p.3): Tod D-bag ($1495) + Le Flash patent case ($105) + Reptile House Belts ($248) + Ted Rossi cuff bangle ($78) + Marc Jacobs mini-watch ($150) + Tory Burch trench coat ($495) + Zac Posen evening bag ($1275) + Prada flats ($390) = $4236
  • Bottle service power! (p.6): Average night, $3500
  • Possessed (p.10 ): Le Corbusier Grand Comfort Chair, $2965 for a licensed reproduction on the Internet

TOTAL: $10,701

Highly suspicious! Let's call it a draw this week. But does anyone out there know why ten grand seems to be the common assumption for weekly disposable income?


EARLIER: Trip Gabriel: Not about Getting and Spending