Conspicuous Consumption Taken To Extremes

[minsue]

Now this is just tacky -

Shredded euro confetti scandalizes town

PARIS (Reuters) - A lavish wedding where newlyweds were sprinkled with shredded euro-note confetti has provoked outrage in a French town, a newspaper reported Tuesday. Liberation said angry locals in the southern town of Sete scrambled on the ground to scrape up the bits of 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro notesscattered at the July 8 nuptials.

"People chucking money away in the street for everyone to see, when there are so many struggling to get by!" said Frederic, a resident quoted by the newspaper.

Around 200 people attended the ceremony, which included a fireworks display estimated to have cost 40,000 euros ($51,000), the paper said. The bride was the daughter of a local businessmen who made his money in textiles.

Townspeople lodged a complaint with police since destroying bank notes is a crime in France. Police and a spokesman at the town hall where the couple were married declined to comment.

 

[Aurora Black]

They should have given them to me.

 

[Liar]

Heh, what a waste. If I had that cash to spare, I'd rent a big-ass cicus tent and host a public party with giant FREE BEER signs visible for miles.

 

[Aurora Black]

I would have had a small wedding party and the rest of the money would have been used for a honeymoon in the Caribbean. Le sigh.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Conspicuous consumption is always extreme.

It is always insulting, that's the whole point- whether the spenders realise it or not.

 

[Aurora Black]

"Let them eat cake" seems to sum up this entire situation.

 

[SummerMorning]

Conspicuous consumption is a show, not an insult ... only the envious get insulted. I find it a farce.

 

[FallingToFly]

Random:

Did you know that you're not allowed to throw rice at weddings anymore? Now it has to be birdseed.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

It is insulting, and disguting.

There may be some benefit to the French (EU?) treasury: The value of the shredded notes has been removed as a claim on the treasury. The treasury exchanged the value of pieces of paper for the value of what that paper represented - a good trade.

(I think that's correct, but fiat currency and central banks are a bit arcane, so there might be some error in my analysis.)

BTW, I believe I have seen shredded retired U.S. banknotes for sale as a novelty.

All that said - Strike up the Marseillaise and sharpen up the guillotine!

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Conspicuous consumption is a show, not an insult ... only the envious get insulted. I find it a farce.

I dunno, Summer. Those pieces of paper represent something that most people have to bust their butts for, and that is worthy of respect. Insult is in the eye of the heholder, I guess - and I'm insulted.

 

[minsue]

BTW, I believe I have seen shredded retired U.S. banknotes for sale as a novelty.

Yup, they make all sorts of things out of shredded US banknotes, but generally not until after those bills are already considered mutilated and taken out of circulation.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

BTW, I believe I have seen shredded retired U.S. banknotes for sale as a novelty.

Quite correct, Roxanne. But one big difference. The novelty shredded bank notes were purchased from the Federal Reserve, shredded at the Federal Reserve and consisted of outdated and old currency. Actually saved the taxpayers the cost of burning them.

Good Moring, BTW

 

[Stella_Omega]

Conspicuous consumption is a show, not an insult ... only the envious get insulted. I find it a farce.

Speaking as someone who hasn't made the rent yet- I am pretty fucking insulted.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Quite correct, Roxanne. But one big difference. The novelty shredded bank notes were purchased from the Federal Reserve, shredded at the Federal Reserve and consisted of outdated and old currency. Actually saved the taxpayers the cost of burning them.

Good Moring, BTW

Slight threadjack: Hiya, Jenny! Good morning to you. Nice to see your "cheerfulness with an attitude" posts around here.

Back to subject: Right on the "old" currency only used for novelties. In my post I used the term "retired" bank notes, as in taken out of service by the Treasury and replaced with new ones.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I wonder if the Euronotes used for confetti were ones taken out of circulation?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I wonder if the Euronotes used for confetti were ones taken out of circulation?

Euro notes haven't been in circulation for long enough. The only ones taken out of circulation so far have been the fakes.

 

[Aurora Black]

Euro notes haven't been in circulation for long enough. The only ones taken out of circulation so far have been the fakes.

Fake Euros, which the Greeks lovingly call "Monkey Money."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

People like ALMOST tempt me to turn Marxist....emphasis on the ALMOST part. Then I remember that not all rich folks are bitches and SOBs.

 

[3113]

I'm suspicious about this. I wonder if they were REAL notes or fakes--and the bride et al said they were real as a joke or just to show off. I'd like to see it confirmed that they were real bank notes.

 

[CharleyH]

Now this is just tacky -

Shredded euro confetti scandalizes town

PARIS (Reuters) - A lavish wedding where newlyweds were sprinkled with shredded euro-note confetti has provoked outrage in a French town, a newspaper reported Tuesday. Liberation said angry locals in the southern town of Sete scrambled on the ground to scrape up the bits of 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro notesscattered at the July 8 nuptials.

"People chucking money away in the street for everyone to see, when there are so many struggling to get by!" said Frederic, a resident quoted by the newspaper.

Around 200 people attended the ceremony, which included a fireworks display estimated to have cost 40,000 euros ($51,000), the paper said. The bride was the daughter of a local businessmen who made his money in textiles.

Townspeople lodged a complaint with police since destroying bank notes is a crime in France. Police and a spokesman at the town hall where the couple were married declined to comment.

I wonder - lol - If the same was done to the American dollar? Who would be scambling on their knees?

As an aside? It must be nice to have so much money LOL. (green with envy).

 

[CharleyH]

Conspicuous consumption is always extreme.

It is always insulting, that's the whole point- whether the spenders realise it or not.

Yep LOL - maybe that was their point of comment, though?

 

[Stella_Omega]

I wonder - lol - If the same was done to the American dollar? Who would be scambling on their knees?

Me.

 

[matriarch]

If you had so much money you could afford to shred it and use as confetti, what would YOU do with it instead??

Me? If I had enough, there'd be one hell of a wedding party in the very near future, with every single AH-er being provided with air ticket to attend.

For now, I'll just keep buying the lottery tickets each week. And hoping.

 

[CharleyH]

Me.

LOL I might be there with you!

 

[CharleyH]

If you had so much money you could afford to shred it and use as confetti, what would YOU do with it instead??

Me? If I had enough, there'd be one hell of a wedding party in the very near future, with every single AH-er being provided with air ticket to attend.

For now, I'll just keep buying the lottery tickets each week. And hoping.

If I had money to do away with? I'd actually thow it as confetti in a non-shred way. Why the hell not? It means nothing to me but much to some. Although ... hm - Stella is right.