Reason.tv: From Ayn Rand to the iPod - Chris Lehmann on "Rich People Things"

What do TARP, Wired Magazine, The New York Times, David Brooks, Ayn Rand, Alan Greenspan, Malcolm Gladwell, and libertarianism have in common? They're all "rich people things," according to journalist Chris Lehmann, a veteran of Mother Jones, In These Times, Tikkun, New York magazine, and The Washington Post.

In his engaging new book of essays, drawn from his contributions to The Awl, Lehmann explains why what he calls the "airless dogma" of Rand, the "hollow…comic sociology" of Brooks, and other excresences of wealth suck. Lehmann skewers the iPad: In his view, the hype surrounding Apple products helps the company distract consumers from its practice of outsourcing youth-destroying tasks to Chinese factories staffed by workers living in cockroach-infested dormitories.

Reason's Nick Gillespie sat down with Lehmann, who has contributed to Reason, to talk about his collection and to ask how "rich people things" like the Democratic Party and Michelle Obama's vacation fit into his worldview. Among the surprises: Lehmann grants that Ayn Rand's popularity remains an interesting phenomenon, that the left is all but dead, and that libertarianism is a vital force in America today.

Approximately 7.26 minutes. Shot by Jim Epstein and Meredith Bragg. Edited by Josh Swain.

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Comments

[heller]

Chris Lehmann is clueless.

[Bill]

He is good at putting words together into phrases and sentences. They don't mean much, but he managed to keep talking for most of the 7 minutes.

[heller]

Except for the part where he had to keep repeating "you know..." while his brain struggled to formulate semi-coherent thoughts.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

Maybe Reason could like have a cage match between Lehmann and Megan McCain.

[Bruce Majors]

Please. A fight to both deaths. Just neuter them first so there is no spawn.

[Realist]

Pretty scummy looking guy. He doesn't like Rand because she wasn't a stoner!

[SugarFree]

They're all "rich people things," according to journalist Chris Lehmann, a veteran of Mother Jones, In These Times, Tikkun, New York magazine, and The Washington Post.

I see poor people around here reading New York magazine all the time.

[Almanian]

Only after the tophat-wearing, monocled Libertarian? drops his barely-skimmed copy in the trash - as he heads to Chez Whitey for dinner - do the miscreants get their hands on a copy.

Only then...

[SugarFree]

What Proper Libertarian would even read Mother Jones? I mean, they are such rigid ideologues that they couldn't possibly stomach a dissenting viewpoint.

[Almanian]

Libs just read the New Yawker - their kids read Mother Jones

[SugarFree]

their kids read Mother Jones Utne Reader

[The Gobbler]

I used to run into Mr. Utne from time to time. He looked like someone begging to be kicked in the nuts.

[SugarFree]

That's the secret kink of all the magazine leftists. Preferable by a black kid, so they can mitigate some of that white guilt.

[Realist]

+5

[Evil Red Scandi]

Threadwinner.

[Barry D]

What proper libertarian would read Mother Jones, when life offers such wonderful ways to spend our time?

Seriously, are uber-liberals so dependent on penance rituals that they'd not only pay good money to drive a Prius, but would actually spend their precious time reading Mother Jones?

[Barry D]

...or the Utne Reader?

[Realist]

...or getting kicked in the nuts by a black kid!

[Jason]

Mother Jones is bought to be displayed, not read.

[Bruce Majors]

Not that I am not all for cussing out any socialist at any time, as my footprint on the internet shows, but MJ had a few stories last year on failed government programs and media bias in tea party coverage that Reason wishes it had had first.

[The Gobbler]

That's Chez Blanc, sir, and the veal is fantastic!

[Rimfax]

Funny, I always thought that rich people's kids were the most ardent advocates of progressivism, so why isn't that a "rich people thing"? What about NPR and NEA financed works like opera?

His prediction of the nigh-demise of the left seems to be the strongest possible assurance of its eternal endurance.

[Special Sauce]

^^^ THIS ^^^

Funny, somehow I grew up a racial minority in the poorest county in California and became the first in my family to graduate from college... and considered myself a devotee of libertarianism the entire time. I must have missed the memo that, "libertarianism is a rich people thing".

[Lemmiwinks]

But you count as rich because even when poor you were gonna be rich. If I were liberal that would make more sense.

[Episiarch]

Class warfare is so refreshing and new, isn't it? It's such original thinking.

[SugarFree]

This isn't class warfare. It's a genuine interest in solving the conundrum of why rich and poor people don't have the exact same taste in things. And the answer is obviously racism.

[re-defiler]

This isn't racism. It's a genuine interest in solving the conundrum of why different people don't have the exact same taste in things. And the answer is obviously capitalism.

[Ha, Ha, Ha!]

Approximately 7.26 minutes.

[CorporateDrone]

I can't stand to listen to people who say "you know" as a punctuation device.

you know... you know... you know....

[Brian Sorgatz]

7.26? What? Are there no math geeks at Reason.com? Seven minutes and 26 seconds translates decimally into 7.43 minutes. But 7.26 minutes is more like seven minutes and 16 seconds.

If I don't make myself clear, maybe Tom Lehrer can explain it for you.

[Jeff P]

I'm fairly deep into the middle class bracket, but if I bought a $700 pair of garish sneakers I'd look like a damn fool...

[Jewel]

Was it my imagination but did Nick look like he was bored to tears and thinks Lehmann is a complete idiot?

Metal allies?

But he was nice to him because he has submitted a column or two to Reason.

[prolefeed]

the left is all but dead, and that libertarianism is a vital force in America today.

That would explain why there are almost no Democrats in Congress, having been replaced by Libertarian Party candidates.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

I wish. The left isn't dead. It's the undead.

[WTF?]

I kind of want to re-watch this and count the number of times Mr. Lehmann utters the phrase "you know." But that would require me to sit through another uncomfortable 7 minutes and 26 seconds.

[Daze]

I'm pretty sure that watching video segments on reason tv is a "rich people thing".

[Xenocles]

This guy is way behind the times. You don't say "rich people" anymore; it's too easy to defeat your screed with the simple existence of non-rich people to whom it applies. It is now preferred to talk about "privilege."

[mofo]

Im not sure I got a single point he was trying to make, or was it that he wasent making any points at all?

Why is libertarianism a 'rich people thing'? What makes something a 'rich person thing' and why should i care? Seriously, is his book the same, semi-coherent rambling that this interview is?

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

It's a white people thing, like sea salt and not owning a television. Get with the program already.

[Jeff]

It would be nice for him to specify his criteria for something being a rich people thing instead of bitching about things he doesn't understand... (you know)

[sarcasmic]

Holy shit that dude is queerer than a three dollar bill.

Maybe he's Tony...?

[Audrey the Liberal]

Okay, I'm all about skewering clueless progressives till the cows come home, but could we please layoff the homophobia.

[Yonemoto]

There are plenty of gay people that aren't queer. And there are plenty of straights who are queer like this guy is.

[sarcasmic]

What is homophobic about observing that that dude is leaving an incandescent trail across the sky?

[KPres]

Queer means obnoxious douchebags, particularly Harley drivers.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

He looks more like metrosexual zombie to me. Just look at his teeth. You can tell he's been chewing on other people's brains.

[Austan Ghoulsbee]

Fresh brains? Where?

I went to those publications and left hungry.

[Rc]

That is a real nice shirt Mr. Gillespie.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

I'd like to thank Mr. Gillespie for letting his leather jacket air out.

[Maz]

Rich People Things #1: Writing snarky, vacuous observations about Rich People Things

[Bruce Majors]

He's kind of cute except for a little need for cosmetic dentistry. He seems to be Wonkette's husband (Rachel Maddow co-tea bagging gal pal Anna Marie Cox), though before I googled that I thought he was a fellow homo. There is a reason they call journ0lisps journ0lisps. You Beltway metrosexuals are so confusing.

[Tony]

I'd agree with Lehmann, but I have two houses - one with beachfront property - and lots of toys, so that makes me a liberal who enjoys nice things.

But I still want higher taxes, because I don't deserve what I have.

[ABC]

Send your shit to me and save yourself the paperwork.

[PabloKoh]

"Well, you know." No. We don't that is why you are being interviewed.

[NAL]

I found that interview totally without substance. Lehmann seems totally vapid.

I will say this for him, though. He's got some impressive canine teeth. I'm thinking vampire.

[Juice]

I guess, if I had to categorize myself, I'd call myself libertarian. But, for the love of Pete, I would never call myself the conscience of conservatism. Conservatism can die quickly for all I care.

[ABC]

It?s too bad he didn?t live in Chile in the 70s or Spain in the 40s.

[tiffany jewellery]

good topic

[nike shoes UK]

is good

[Kevin Durant Shoes]

so perfect