We see your young tuxedoed and begowned, strolling the square in the evenings, attempting savoire faire but filled with exuberance, excitement, energy, off to exhibit class and breeding, off to become masters of the universe, off to make connections, eat well, dance stiffly, make out using the promise of power as the penultimate aphrodisiac.
The girls often are earnest and awkward, dressed up on their way to social justice; it’s particularly the boys exuding an endearing arrogance, an anticipatory air of position: some day a high-priced lawyer; powerful governor; world-changing entrepreneur.
The strippers of Lynn show us the teen under the trappings — or perhaps preoccupation with the inevitable Congressional confirmation hearings — through the work of Harvard Crimson writer April H.N. Lee.
Bambi stripped at Harvard once. The guys, not far from her age, were quiet, dressed in tuxedoes, their hands clasped on their knees. The whole thing seemed like an initiation, but this was a long time ago; she doesn’t remember where it happened. During the show, they were polite, she says, but apparently unremarkable. Beyond the tuxedoes, she doesn’t remember much about them.
It’s not the standard collegiate approach. At [Boston University], the guys participate, playing along with dollar bills, whipped cream, and the rest. At Harvard, they sat in chairs. It was a little weird, but Bambi didn’t think much of it.
5 comments:
There is nothing remarkable about Harvard besides, perhaps, it's perdurability despite the academic cadence that began decades ago.
As far as the narrative included here: It is of little surprise to me that the crimson collegians became so staid in the presence of a naked woman. My wager would be that as the young "Bambi" danced each one of those boys was thinking about their political future. "If I stand out someone will remember my presence here when I run for President in 2024."
Veritas.
The deletions seen above are nothing more than a comment and reply made to the wrong posting. The comment and reply have also been made to the right posting. So the deletions are housecleaning, not censorship (and not even self-censorship).
Anyway:
Gee, Jesse, when I read about the "perdurability despite the academic cadence," I thought I was getting a comment from Christopher Mulrooney, the topic of my April 30 posting.
Ambivalent as one may be about Harvard, it's important to give it its due: It has resources, a good name and momentum, which means its gives its graduates the gift of good contacts. And success helps breed success.
I was willing to give the school a good record among federal nominees such as for cabinet-level positions, heads of U.S. agencies and judgeships. I see you're willing to also send some of these lads off to the presidency. For the record, though, there have been only five Harvard College grads in the Oval Office: both Adamses, both Roosevelts and JFK.
And I'm pretty sure Kennedy would have been doing more than sitting around just watching Bambi. But times have changed.
Hence the use of the word "cadence."
What I mean is that Harvard has fallen, but fallen from a previously great height.
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