Keeping up with the Joneses

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"Keeping up with the Joneses" is a popular catchphrase in many parts of the English-speaking world. It refers to the desire to be seen as being as good as one's neighbours or contemporaries using the comparative benchmarks of social caste or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to "keep up with the Joneses" is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.

According to The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson, the origin of this phrase is rooted in the popular comic strip of the same name created by cartoonist Arthur R. "Pop" Momand. The strip debuted in 1913, ran in American newspapers for 28 years, and eventually was adapted into books, films, and musical comedies. The "Joneses" of the title were neighbors of the strip's main characters, and were spoken of but never actually seen in person.

It is possible that Momand named them in reference to George Frederic and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander Jones, parents of novelist Edith Wharton.[citation needed] However, it is most likely that this phrase derives its meaning from Pembroke Jones, shipping and railway industrialist of the early twentieth century. Jones, of Wilmington, North Carolina, was a leader in both New York and Newport social circles well known for hosting lavish parties.

A related British phrase is "keeping up with appearances", which is also the title of a British sitcom on this theme.

Contents

[edit] Film, television and music

The tagline for the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was "Have the adventure of your life keeping up with the Joneses", in reference to the title character and his father. A cue on the film's soundtrack was called "Keeping up with the Joneses".

In the film Mona Lisa Smile, Julia Roberts' character attends the high society wedding of Kirsten Dunst's character. Other wedding attendees include, as it is pointed out to Roberts' character, the Joneses of "Keeping up with the Joneses."

In The Simpsons, there are numerous references to this concept, especially in the feud between Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders.

The jazz album Jambo Caribe, which trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie made in 1964, features a tune called Don't Try To Keep Up With The Joneses. This Caribbean flavoured music and lyrics tell the story of an argument between a man and his wife, the latter being jealous of her neighbours wealth. A verse in the tune is: "We used to have a joint account / ZERO! is now the amount / you spent it all on fancy clothes / and shoes with open toes."

The film Keeping Up with the Steins has a similar theme but is about bar mitzvahs.

A 2007 reality television series was called Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The show gives viewers "a peek inside the private family life of twenty-something socialite Kim Kardashian, the daughter of the late L.A. power attorney Robert Kardashian."[1]

The band The Medic Droid wrote a song named Keeping Up with the Joneses.

[edit] Games

The computer game Jones in the Fast Lane alludes to this term in its title and gameplay.

[edit] Social effects

The philosophy of "keeping up with the Joneses" has widespread effects on society. According to this philosophy, conspicuous consumption occurs when "households care about their relative standard of living" in relation to their societal peers.[2]

According to Roger Mason, "the demand for status goods, fueled by conspicuous consumption, has diverted many resources away from investment in the manufacture of more material goods and services in order to satisfy consumer preoccupations with their relative social standing and prestige."[3]

Social status once depended on ones' family name; however, the rise of consumerism in the United States gave rise to social mobility. With the increasing availability of goods, people became more inclined to define themselves by what they possessed and the subtle quest for higher status accelerated. Conspicuous consumption and materialism have been an insatiable juggernaut ever since.[4] The desire to increase one's position in the social hierarchy is responsible for much of the social mobility in America. The upward mobility over the past few decades in America is due in part by the large number of women joining the labor force. U.S. women have slowly and steadily increased their participation in the labor force from 46 percent of all women (age 16+) in 1974 to almost 60 percent in 2004.[5]

In addition, the number of college graduates are at an all time high. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of full time college students increased by 33 percent. College enrollment hit a projected record level of 18 million in 2007. Between 2007 and 2016, enrollment is expected to increase by 14 percent.[6] With more people receiving higher levels of education, and more women entering the labor force, the upward mobility in America continues to climb; however, right alongside it has risen the degree to which these people want to consume things which will keep them at the same level in the social hierarchy as their peers.[citation needed]

One area in which "living above ones' means" has caused negative social effects is that of credit card usage. In the first quarter of 2002, total credit debt was $660 billion. Total credit card debt was approximately $60 billion. By 2005, the total credit card debt had increased to $735 billion.[7] Americas' average credit card debt in 2007 was $8400 per household. By the end of 2007, consumer debt in America has risen to $2.5 trillion.[8] According to the Federal Reserve, over 40% of households spend more than they earn.

[edit] Variations

"Keeping up with the Gateses" is a modern variation of this phrase. It refers to the desire to live a lifestyle comparable to the multi-billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates. Such desires are fueled by the portrayal of the spending habits of the rich on television and in magazines. Many attempt to adopt some aspect of this high-end lifestyle despite the lack of comparable personal income.

A British varaition of this is "Keeping up with the Beckhams". This refers to a desire to have a lifestyle similar to David Beckham and his wife Victoria as portrayed on television and in celebrity magazines. Another variation is "spend it like Beckham".[9][10][11]

[edit] See also

Look up keep up with the Joneses in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1086761/
  2. ^ Gali, Jordi. Keeping up with the Joneses: Consumption Externalities, Portfolio Choice, and Asset Prices. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Feb.,1994), pp. 1-8
  3. ^ Mason, Roger. Conspicuous Consumption and the Positional Economy: Policy and Prescription since 1970. Managerial and Decision Economics, Vol. 21. No. 3/4, The Behavioral Economics of Consumption (Apr.-Jun.,2000), pp.123-132
  4. ^ http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/stuf2s99.htm
  5. ^ http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ArticleReader?itemid=00003582
  6. ^ http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/
  7. ^ http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/debt-j15.shtml
  8. ^ http://creditcounselingbiz.com/credit_counseling_statistics.htm
  9. ^ Oliver James- Affluenza, Vermillion Books, ISBN 978009191900113
  10. ^ Is Money Too Important in our Lives, Culture? « Peace and Freedom
  11. ^ Young, footloose - and broke - Telegraph

[edit] External links