Years ago I remember reading that whereas the Life
of Winston Churchill, Roosevelt or Marilyn Monroe, illustrated, would be a good
read, the lives and times of unknowns, minor celebrities or even most ‘stars’
are of little, or no interest, whatsoever.

Toby Young’s book is about an uninformed,
superficial, spoiled youth, who in spite of a fair education has failed to grow
up, or establish some values, respect for truth, decency or marginally
civilized standards of behavior… 
Honor is missing completely. He writes of his life as a journalist
wishing to enter the synthetic world of Public Relations, in New York.  It is true that his own lack of backbone
enables him to report of the lack of values of magazine owners, Editors of
glossy Magazines where the cult of power is supposed to equal prestige and the
level of money to indicate social status.

Hacks & Flacks. 
Hacks are journalists and flacks are P R people. Their world is circled
by 8000 names, graded as AAA’s, AA’s, and A’s.   AAA’s are those who deem themselves, terribly important, almost
untouchable. Behavior seems to be the more unpleasant the higher the
level.  The lesson is to always avoid
any contact whatsoever with the top rank of drug taking, lying, foul-mouthed
tasteless rubbish who are the AAA’s.

To reach these levels seems (according to the book)
rather like trying to swim up a sewage pipe. The one at the top is the biggest
rat whilst those beneath him, enables his position to be maintained while he or
she is still covered in sewage which is added to by those at the top   In spite of that, they are still wallowing
in the climb apparently unaware that they are really low life, as the repetitive
tedious text shows.

For the Honorable (his father was a life Peer
appointed by the Labour Party — enough said) Toby Young, women are valued by
the size of their breasts and willingness to be a sexual toy or temporary
moment. If the same big breasted thing was also a board walker (model), even
better.  A super board walker would rack
up more points.  Even in this
meaningless world the top women rejected any man without money, fame or power.

We are not talking decent society here remember. We
remain in the sewer he loves.  In New
York, illicit sex, perfect dry Martini’s and Bolivian Marching Powder (drugs)
are the twinkling horizons that amuse among the Editors, Hacks & Flacks.

On page 123 the lifestyle is illustrated by the
following quotation. 

"The place to be, she said (at a modeling show)
is backstage. I mean you wanna see naked girls — right?"

"Absofuckinglutely".

He believes that Manhattan is the center of the
important social world.  Towards the end
of this drivel, at the age of 35, he shows signs of emerging maturity and
returning to England, discovers that in decent society a man may be valued as a
friend and welcomed by others, even if he is not rich or famous or driven by a
lust for power.

Snippets:

New York women spend all day preparing to go out in
the evening. Shallow self important tarts selling themselves to rich men.

Damien Hurst loves cocaine

Publicists look down on writers and journalists.

Gossip columnists are bought/bribed.

 How his
father must feel about his son I cannot imagine. It is true that the sons of
men of character, idea’s and ideals are usually pathetic specimens. Toby Young
is no exception, with the hope that his very late appreciation of some values
might keep him away from that to which he aspired so strongly.

Should you read this book?  ONLY if you are on an economy flight of over 12 hours duration.

 

©
2003 Wyndham Perring

 

Wyndham Perring lives in Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, UK. 

Categories: Memoirs