Five years ago the expression- keeping up with the Joneses seemed so passe.. at least I thought so. I mean, who cares what your neighbor has or does? Right? WRONG. I was SO wrong, but I think I know why. I grew up in New York. In New York, we never really cared what anyone else was doing. We were all too busy doing our own thing. Weren't we?
That was of course before Bravo unleashed The Real Housewives of Orange County, New Jersey, Atlanta, and New York City. Clearly, there are wannabe women and men in every city. Even if there is not one bona fide socialite in any of those shows, the scense are true enough of the second tier socials that are hungry for attention.
While these shows are not reality- they are a scripted version of what is happening just beyond the fabulous set. WEEDS on Showtime is also a great look at what happens when you scrape off the veneer of a luxury suburban community.
When I saw the movie trailer for THE JONESES with Demi Moore and David Duchovney, I knew I had to see the film. While the movie is flat lining at the box office, the social commentary of this story is brilliant. So on point in fact, everyone with a Facebook account should rent the movie. Written, produced and directed by Derrick Borte.. the movie is able to nail the angst, emptiness, and insecurity that fuels a major portion of the American Economy. While Facebook and Twitter are never mentioned, social networking is taken to another level in this story set in an upscale suburban existence. It seems marketing companies have taken the next step to getting the word out to the target market. Lauren Hutton makes a surprise appearance as cold as ice boss lady representing the powers that be.
Watch the movie and hopefully it won't be like looking in a mirror!