Short Stuff: Bourgeoisie

Summary

Podcast Summary: Short Stuff: Bourgeoisie

Stuff You Should Know
Episode: Short Stuff: Bourgeoisie
Release Date: January 15, 2025
Hosts: Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant (Jerry filling in for Dave)
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Bourgeoisie," hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the intricate meanings and historical evolution of the term "bourgeois." The discussion navigates through its linguistic origins, socio-economic implications, and its transformation in modern American slang. The episode also touches upon cultural references that have influenced the contemporary understanding of the word.

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Defining Bourgeois and Bourgeoisie

Josh Clark [00:49]:
"Yeah, no, I'm not. I wouldn't do that. I think it's kind of a mean thing to say to somebody, at least in America."

The conversation opens with an exploration of the term "bourgeois," clarifying its dual usage as both an adjective and a noun. Josh explains that when used as a noun, it refers to an individual exhibiting bourgeois behavior, while "bourgeoisie" collectively denotes the middle class.

Chuck Bryant [01:02]:
"But if you talk to Americans, a lot of Americans probably hear bourgeois and they think, oh, fancy, fancy, fancy."

Chuck highlights the common misconception in America, where "bourgeois" is often mistaken for meaning "fancy" or "upper-class," which oversimplifies its true socio-economic connotation.

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Historical Context and Marxist Theory

Josh Clark [02:00]:
"The bourgeoisie are the ones who are making the money off the working class in their labor."

The hosts trace the term's roots back to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, emphasizing its role in Marxist theory. In 1848, Marx and Engels co-authored the Communist Manifesto, where they redefined "bourgeoisie" to describe the capitalist class that owns the means of production and exploits the proletariat, or working class.

Chuck Bryant [02:59]:
"In America, they may translate that as civil society or maybe a bourgeois society...the bourgeoisie are the bad people."

Chuck elucidates how Marxist terminology was adapted into American discourse, often painting the bourgeoisie in a negative light as exploitative capitalists.

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Evolution of the Term in American Slang

Josh Clark [04:00]:
"They have a new car with a sunroof. They have new clothes... forgetting where they come from."

Transitioning to modern usage, Josh discusses how "bourgeois" evolved into "bougie" in American slang. Originally a derogatory term used by early 20th-century industrial workers (the Wobblies) to describe the middle class, "bougie" eventually morphed into a shorthand for someone perceived as pretentious or overly concerned with wealth and status.

Chuck Bryant [04:25]:
"The slang word was bourgeois. B U S H, W A...sort of morphed into a slang for B.S."

Chuck points out the linguistic transformation where "bourgeois" became associated with "B.S.," implying insincerity or superficiality, further embedding the term into everyday vernacular.

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Cultural References Influencing Modern Usage

Josh Clark [05:24]:
"If you want to hear any of the song Bougie Bougie, you can find it on YouTube..."

The hosts reference Gladys Knight and the Pips' 1980 disco hit "Bougie Bougie," which satirizes individuals from working-class backgrounds flaunting newfound wealth. The song serves as an early example of "bougie" being used to critique superficial displays of affluence.

Chuck Bryant [09:13]:
"They have a song called Bad and Boujee...a new fancy lifestyle."

Furthering the discussion, Chuck cites Migos' "Bad and Boujee," where the term is reappropriated to celebrate a luxurious lifestyle achieved through unconventional means. Unlike earlier uses, Migos embrace the "bougie" identity, showcasing its versatility and evolving connotations.

Josh Clark [09:53]:
"They were proud of being Bougie. They were like, yeah, I'm Bougie."

Josh contrasts this with previous interpretations, noting that in some contexts, being "bougie" is a point of pride, reflecting success and elevated social status rather than a mere pejorative.

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Bourgeois vs. Bougie: A Comparative Analysis

Chuck Bryant [07:29]:
"So if you want to go back to the original bougie...the original meaning is from a French word."

The discussion pivots to the original French meaning of "bourgeois," derived from "bourg," meaning a small town. In medieval France, bourgeois referred to the emerging middle class, distinct from both the nobility and the peasantry.

Josh Clark [08:02]:
"Which is just the way that it was. It wasn't like a put down. It wasn't like a compliment."

Josh emphasizes that historically, "bourgeois" was a neutral descriptor of social standing, devoid of inherent positive or negative connotations until later cultural shifts.

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Modern French Interpretation

Chuck Bryant [10:27]:
"In modern France, it does not mean pedestrian. It's a little more like well mannered, well educated."

Contrasting with American usage, Chuck explains that in France, "bourgeois" retains a more nuanced meaning, often associated with being well-mannered and educated. It also encompasses various social strata within the middle class, such as the "petite bourgeois" (shopkeepers, artists) and professionals like doctors and attorneys.

Josh Clark [11:06]:
"They behave the same way. It just depends on how much money you have."

Josh notes that despite the hierarchical distinctions within the French bourgeoisie, the term uniformly describes a certain lifestyle and behavior tied to socio-economic status.

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Conclusion and Reflections

Chuck Bryant [11:43]:
"We'll follow up in 10 years and see if the definition's changed again."

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the dynamic nature of language and social constructs, acknowledging that the meanings of "bourgeois" and "bougie" continue to evolve. They anticipate further transformations and invite listeners to observe future shifts in the term's usage.

Josh Clark [11:47]:
"In the meantime, Short Stuff is out."

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Notable Quotes with Attributions

1. Josh Clark [01:20]:
   "Bourgeois can mean... it can be an adjective and a noun."

2. Chuck Bryant [02:59]:
   "The bourgeoisie are the bad people."

3. Josh Clark [04:52]:
   "And then. So it also kind of morphed in a new way. Kind of the way that we view it today."

4. Chuck Bryant [08:57]:
   "Moliere was punching down to the middle class... making fun of some middle class social climber."

5. Josh Clark [09:56]:
   "It's a great song."

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Key Insights and Takeaways

• Linguistic Evolution: The term "bourgeois" has undergone significant transformations, shifting from a neutral socio-economic descriptor in medieval France to a loaded term in Marxist theory, and further into contemporary American slang with both pejorative and celebratory connotations.

• Cultural Reappropriation: Music and popular culture, exemplified by Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Bougie Bougie" and Migos' "Bad and Boujee," have played pivotal roles in redefining and popularizing the term within different contexts and communities.

• Socio-Economic Implications: The discussion underscores the enduring relevance of class distinctions and perceptions, highlighting how language reflects and influences societal attitudes towards wealth, status, and behavior.

• Global Perspectives: There is a clear distinction between American and French interpretations of "bourgeois," emphasizing the importance of cultural context in understanding and using socio-economic terminology.

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Conclusion

Josh and Chuck provide a comprehensive exploration of "bourgeois," tracing its origins, historical significance, and contemporary meanings. Through engaging dialogue and cultural references, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how language evolves alongside social structures and cultural trends. The episode serves as an insightful examination of the intersection between language, class, and cultural identity.

Transcript

[Jon Stewart]

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[Josh Clark]

Hello and welcome to the Short Stuff. I'm Josh and there's Chuck and Jerry sitting in for Dave. So it's Short stuff, you basic person.

[Chuck Bryant]

You calling me bougie?

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, no, I'm not. I wouldn't do that. I think it's kind of a mean thing to say to somebody, at least in America. In France, they're like, yes, you're right. Thank you. In America, it's a bit of a put down.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. And that's what we're talking about today. We are talking about a word, bourgeois. B O U R G E O I S. Yeah. Not to be confused with bourgeoisie. Correct?

[Josh Clark]

Well, yeah, they're very closely related. Bourgeois can mean. It can be an adjective and a noun.

[Chuck Bryant]

Right.

[Josh Clark]

If it's a noun, you're talking about one person who is bourgeois. So that's their behavior. Or it's the one person. Bourgeoisie is all of the people who are bourgeois. It's a noun only. Okay, everybody, there's going to be a quiz at the end of this episode.

[Chuck Bryant]

But if you talk to Americans, a lot of Americans probably hear bourgeois and they think, oh, fancy, fancy, fancy.

[Josh Clark]

Right.

[Chuck Bryant]

And that is not the case because bourgeois refers to like you called me basic, sort of a middle class, basic individual.

[Josh Clark]

Yes.

[Chuck Bryant]

Or group of individuals.

[Josh Clark]

Right. But there's a long road between the original version of bourgeois that we'll talk about and then the American version that it has now. And right smack dab in the middle are the commies. Specifically Karl Marx. I don't understand why Joseph Engels never gets his due. Because he and Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto. But it's always just Karl Marx. Karl Marx, you know, must drive Engels crazy. But in 1848, they published the Communist Manifesto, and in that they adopted the word that had formerly been middle class people. It wasn't really much of a put down. It was just a useful word for a while. He equated them with the people who owned the capital that the labor was produced on and decided that they were exploiting the proletariat, the working class. Right?

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. And he was writing in German, so of course, he did not say bourgeois. He said gesellschaft and English.

[Josh Clark]

You make German sound beautiful, Chuck.

[Chuck Bryant]

Thank you, Danka. In America, they may translate that as civil society or maybe a bourgeois society, but either way you slice it, what he's saying is the bourgeoisie are the bad people.

[Josh Clark]

They're exploitive. They're not actually doing anything. They just own the stuff that the people who are actually doing something are using to do the thing that they're doing. But really, the bourgeoisie are the ones who are making the money off the working class in their labor. Right. So it was not. It was not a. At this. At this time, it was not viewed as a very popular or it was. It wasn't praise. How about that? No one ever used it for praise by this time. And when it finally crossed the Atlantic to America around the early 20th century, the wobblies, the industrial workers of the world, who were pretty. I believe we talked about them before, and they were split between communists and anarchists. And there was a big struggle, I think, between the two. But regardless of whether you're a communist or an anarchist, at the beginning of the 20th century, you were not a fan of the bourgeoisie. And. Yeah, so the Wobblies did not like the bourgeoisie either, and they, in fact, came up with a new slang term for them.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. The slang word was bourgeois. B U S H, W A. And what's weird, I think that was in a quote from a 1970 article. What's weird, though, is that that word bourgeois eventually was sort of morphed into a slang for B.S. like somebody's full of hot air or B.S. someone, you know is full of bourgeois.

[Josh Clark]

Right. We have to thank our friends at the Grammar Phobia blog for digging that stuff up.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right.

[Josh Clark]

And then. So it also kind of morphed in a new way. Kind of the way that we view it today, but a little. Yeah, I guess it was pretty much the way we view it today. It first pops up in black culture, where it kind of morphed thanks to Gladys Knight and the Pips. They had a disco hit in 1980 called Bougie Bougie.

[Chuck Bryant]

Can we hear a snippet?

[Josh Clark]

No, we can't, unfortunately. But if you want to hear any of the song Bougie Bougie, you can find it on YouTube or just about anywhere where you can listen to it free and clear. But it's a great Song, and I strongly recommend people go listen to it.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. And that would be B O U r G I E comma, B O u r g I E. Right.

[Josh Clark]

And the whole point of the song is it's about somebody who comes from the working class or a poorer background, but started to make money, and now they're flaunting it. They have, like, a new car with a sunroof. They have new clothes. And it was a commentary on them, but also kind of like a snide one, too. These people are being tacky in a way, and forgetting who they are, where they come from, I guess.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. And it's kind of like that new money, old money thing, which is just so bleh, you know?

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. I say we take a break, Chuck.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yes, I was about to say that. Nice work.

[Jon Stewart]

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[Chuck Bryant]

So if you want to go back to the original bougie, if you want to go back to France, the original meaning is from a French word. B O U r G. Or which I guess would that be? Burg.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, kind of like burg on the end of a town.

[Chuck Bryant]

Okay. And that's like a small town or a small market. In the Middle Ages, the people that lived there sort of adopted that name for themselves. So it kind of. This word is just morphing and morphing all over the place over the years. They were one step up from like a farming peasant. So they were sort of the middle class of the time.

[Josh Clark]

Right. Which is just the way that it was. Again, I said it was like a useful word. It wasn't like a put down. It wasn't like a compliment. It was like, you are bourgeois.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's That a descriptor. Yeah.

[Josh Clark]

Right. Very nice. And it wasn't until the 17th century, specifically, I think in 1670, when Moliere, the French playwright, came up with a musical comedy. He was hilarious, called Le Bourgeois Gentil Gentile Homme, or the Bourgeois Gentleman. And this is when it takes Bourgeois and makes fun of it. Moliere was punching down to the middle class and essentially doing the exact same thing that Gladys Knight and the Pips are doing with Bougie. Bougie. He was basically making fun of some middle class social climber who was trying to make a name for himself in French society.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. And that would be the definition that is most sort of thought of today in the 21st century when someone says Bougie. Another modern musical example is Atlanta's own from the atl, Migos. You ever listen to Migos?

[Josh Clark]

Oh, yeah, it's good stuff.

[Chuck Bryant]

They have a song called Bad and Boujee, in this case spelled B O U J E. And it sort of leans back on that, what the Pips were talking about. Sort of a new fancy lifestyle.

[Josh Clark]

Yes. But two things were different. One, the Migos made their money cooking crack in a crock pot, which is a proprietary eponym. And usually there's a Uzi in the same room too. And two, they were proud of being Bougie. And all the new money and tacky, like, ways that they threw it around, like, that was the thing. It wasn't. It wasn't a put down. They were like, yeah, I'm Bougie. You should have seen the money I had before. Now look what I got.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, yeah, totally.

[Josh Clark]

It's a great song.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah.

[Josh Clark]

Okay. So that's where we are today, Bougie. It's essentially a put down, depending on whether you've claimed it yourself. Most of the time, if you're calling someone Bougie in America, you're basically saying, like you said at the outset, they're basic. Their lifestyle and their life is just kind of boring and pedestrian in the middle of the road and what's the point kind of thing. Usually it's from somebody who. Well, they're just being mean, essentially. Right?

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah.

[Josh Clark]

But in France, that's not the case.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. In modern France, it does not mean pedestrian. It's a little more like well mannered, well educated. There's like three levels supposedly of a Parisian bourgeois, the nobility, or people that are kind of close to nobility. The rich or the creme de la creme. You have the bourgeois de province, doctors, attorneys, middle class types, and then the petite bourgeois who are shopkeepers, artists, kind of self starting, self employed people.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. And even though there seems to be a bit of a hierarchy to it, they all are. They're behaving the same way. I think it just depends on how much money you have. Is what is really kind of carved out between. But the bourgeois in France is exactly what Americans who don't know what bourgeois means think of. They're correct, but they're just thinking specifically of the French bourgeois.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah.

[Josh Clark]

And yeah, I guess that's about it for being bougie and bourgeois and bourgeoisie and Karl Marx and Joseph Engels and Migos and Gladys Knight and the whole lot of it. Chuck.

[Chuck Bryant]

Well, we'll follow up in 10 years and see if the definition's changed again.

[Josh Clark]

Great idea. In the meantime, Short Stuff is out.

[Chuck Bryant]

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