Andre Jute wrote:
You're not a Bohemian, Bruce, you're a snob.

A Bohemian is created by his culture and taste and achivements. You
don't choose to be a Bohemian; bohemianism chooses you. Bohemianism is
not a tool for posing as fashionably cool.

I would have thought you would have been more supportive. I'm not
trying to fit into a specific label. There are Bohemian aspects of my
current thinking, but a true Bohemian (if such a thing exists) would
probably consider my lifestyle unimpressive. I use the term for lack of
a better description.

Additionally, these changes have happened slowly over the last 10 years
or so. It's not like I woke up one day and decided I no longer liked
Hollywood movies and was going to watch art films. In the case of film,
for example, I gradually grew disenchanted with the assembly line of
cookie cutter plots and gravitated more towards more thoughtful films,
like I would assume any intelligent person would after getting a
constant dose of Hollywood for years and years. I don't hate those who
can find enjoyment out of a mindless action flick, but having
experienced it countless times, I'm tired of it. If that makes me a
snob, then I guess I am one.

I think you've been lucky so far not to meet a girl of genuine
intellect and taste. When you do, her contempt for your pretentious
shallowness will sear your soul.

Hell, I'd be happy to meet one who wasn't crazy or just living for the
next shopping fix. Besides, I haven't said anything about my own
intellect. I could very well be quite intelligent. Or not. I don't
think any of this stuff has much to do with true intellect. One could
be a cultured idiot or an uncultured genius.

I don't discount the possibility that I still need character
development or have personality flaws to address. Pretentiousness may
very well be one of them. Your criticism isn't exactly constructive,
however.

Andre Jute
Artist. Intellectual. Bicyclist. Sophisticate. Dressed daily in
joggers.

I at least have to dress professionally for work, so I might as well do
it well. I realise that after a certain age, there's not much point in
trying to look good, especially if you're married. I am still young by
comparison to most here and a bachelor, so it's not yet a complete
waste of time and effort. I put more effort into physical fitness than
clothes though. A fat man in a $2000 suit is still a fat man, after
all.