Very Important People

Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit

By: Ashley Mears

Narrated by: Mia Barron

A sociologist and former fashion model takes listeners inside the elite global party circuit of "models and bottles" to reveal how beautiful young women are used to boost the status of men.

Million-dollar birthday parties, megayachts on the French Riviera, and $40,000 bottles of champagne. In today's New Gilded Age, the world's moneyed classes have taken conspicuous consumption to new extremes. In Very Important People, sociologist, author, and former fashion model Ashley Mears takes listeners inside the exclusive global nightclub and party circuit - from New York City and the Hamptons to Miami and Saint-Tropez - to reveal the intricate economy of beauty, status, and money that lies behind these spectacular displays of wealth and leisure.

Mears spent 18 months in this world of "models and bottles" to write this captivating, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking narrative. She describes how clubs and restaurants pay promoters to recruit beautiful young women to their venues in order to attract men and get them to spend huge sums in the ritual of bottle service. These "girls" enhance the status of the men and enrich club owners, exchanging their bodily capital for as little as free drinks and a chance to party with men who are rich or aspire to be. Though they are priceless assets in the party circuit, these women are regarded as worthless as long-term relationship prospects, and their bodies are constantly assessed against men's money.

A story of extreme gender inequality in a seductive world, Very Important People unveils troubling realities behind moneyed leisure in an age of record economic disparity.

©2020 Ashley Mears (P)2020 Recorded Books

Single-handedly cured my lack of self confidence in the club scene

I’ve always thought that I was a massive loser in the club scene because I wasn’t surrounded by 20 beautiful women. It’s a breath of relief that an entire economy powers this and these men in clubs aren’t surrounded by people because they’re simply “that cool”. No hate to any parties in this book, it’s just so appreciated that I now understand how this whole world works and don’t have to feel like a loser in clubs anymore.

I liked it.

I didnt know this type of world existed. It was really interesting to hear. !

Fascinating but very repetitive

Fascinating look into this world, but it told essentially the same stories over and over with slight variations. The same points are also made over and over. I suppose that makes for good entertainment, but if you just want the key points it's a far too laborious.

an excellent story but a little cynical

The book had a very Marxist view that value creation is always exploitation and seem to suggest a lack of agency from women, many of which probably understand this world and choose to participate in it willingly. The speaker was excellent.

Great

Tell you about night life and it’s secrets it is a very great book to learn how to network