My Precious: God & Bling

 

 

I’ve been procrastinating. I’ve been putting off writing this blog because I don’t really know what to write. Even this evening I’ve done every other job I can conceivably do to avoid starting writing without it looking too obvious (but goodness only knows who I’m trying to kid) and even now I’ve written 5 ½ lines without even coming close to mentioning the topic of this months blog.

 

I guess the problem is that I don’t really understand jewellery. I wear a modest amount, and don’t demonstrate any interest in expanding my collection – or Helen’s. I think I’ve made a decision at some point; I don’t have – and I’m unlikely to have - the money to indulge myself in lots of jewels, and to do so would be pointless, jewellery is a luxury item, and the definition of a luxury is an item we can do without, so it’s an aspect of life I’ve ignored. So all I can really do in this blog is give you a couple of observations I’ve made about bling and see what you think about them.

 

The first thing to note is why people wear jewellery. Since civilisation began people have decorated their bodies, and jewellery has formed a major part of this along with tattoos and a variety of different styles of clothes for different occasions. Jewellery and accessories can bring an outfit to life, putting the finishing touches to how a person looks. But it is used for more than just that. The type of jewellery worn by your average hip-hopper is different to that worn by your average goth, jewellery provides a badge of identity and a sign of belonging. It also indicates social status; the type of jewellery worn by the upper classes is very different to that worn by the working classes. Jewellery is used to demonstrate wealth. So far that’s all fairly obvious.

 

The biggest blingers are hip-hop artists. The way they use their jewellery is in massively ostentatious shows of wealth. Way back in the 80s when hip-hop came to the attention of the world it was the music of the streets. It was music that the population of the ghettoes of New York could make as it involved very little financial outlay. Beat boxing was a way of creating beats without having to buy any percussion instruments, Dj-ing and scratching similarly were ways of creating sounds and textures using items most people would already have in their possession. It disposed of ‘elitist’ musical practices and gave music back to the man on the street. But as it’s success has grown and it has become a multi-million dollar musical genre it’s proponents have chosen to separate themselves from that origin by very sporting very gaudy and obvious shows of wealth.  Sociologically they’re not alone in doing this; most people who escape poverty will seek to demonstrate publicly how far away from their roots they are, but it makes me wonder whether hip-hop is still ‘the music of the streets’ and whether those who are still in the ghettoes feel ownership or betrayal because or in spite of it.

 

There is only one thing I can think of that’s a bigger blinger than hip-hop and that’s religion. Over history many monuments, cathedrals and mausoleums have been built that have been dripping in gold and jewels. It’s supposed to reflect the glory of God, but it just makes me do a little bit of sick in my mouth. That the Christian Church is rich is something that would be debated by treasurers up and down the country. That the Church historically has been wealthy is a fact. Whether the Church has used its wealth for the good of the people – as God would require - is a highly debatable point, and one that I leave you with. If we are happy seeing images of slums surrounding great cathedrals that are caked in gold leaf and marble then all is ok. If we are not happy with such images and demand that the Church should be helping people escape poverty then we need to effect change, and that change will start with your own attitude to your own wealth.