Wednesday 19 December 2012

Not quite PLU darling

I've been reading a book called "Whiter Shades of Pale" by Christian Lander. It's the sequel to "Stuff White People Like" and lists items beloved by middle class white Americans. Prime examples are World Music, Starbucks and the film Juno. A lot of the listings can apply to the English middle classes too, whole food co-operatives, tea and pretending to know about wine to name three.
It got me thinking about the equivalent of "White People" in this green and pleasant land. I would call them PLU - People Like Us.
PLU isn't affected by money, although education whether formalised or not definitely plays a part. It's not even truly about the class structure as it exists in the UK. And don't ever try and believe it doesn't exist. Class is affected by your job level, your family salary and your parentage. As a child of immigrants I am immediately excluded from certain classes, no matter what my parents did for a living! But the chances are the people who live near you are educated to a similar level to you, earn roughly the same as you and go on similar holidays. That's class.

I guess PLU is about taste, it's about appreciating the finer things in life, looking for quality. For the benefit of you, dear reader, here is my list of what is and isn't PLU.

PLU
White lights on your Christmas tree
Loving the theatre, especially the Royal Exchange and the Lowry as opposed to The Palace
Game (I'm talking venison here, pigeon, quail)
White metal jewellery: silver and platinum.
Wholefood co-operatives
Delicatessens
Whisky
France
The Landmark Trust
Radio 4
Radio Times
BBC4
Cufflinks
Prosecco
Leather Chesterfields (in brown, ox blood and green only!)

Not PLU, darling
Leggings as an alternative to trousers as opposed to an alternative to tights
Lots of gold jewellery
Frozen meat. It's plumped with so much water you're not really getting the bargain you think you are
Drinking jagerbombs once you are over the age of 21 (I'm being generous here. Lets be honest, once you're out of your teens, it's time to move on to something else)
Pontins
Caravans
Shiny suits
Toilet paper dollies
Toilet seat covers
Antimacassars
Stiletto heels

Now, hopefully you've been nodding your head along with this, because otherwise you're just not PLU, darling! Feel free to add your own PLU and non-PLU in the comments...





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