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17 Comments

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Fauxhemian Invasion

By Ron Nurwisah, Boy Reporter

2006_5_3bohemian.jpg
Frank over at OMG Blog passed along this ludicrous looking poster that he spotted along Queen West. It’s yet another condo development with yet another silly marketing slogan, this time the Bohemian Embassy. Frank goes on to critique the co-option of the word bohemian by various things including Broadway musicals, and now really really inept condo marketers.
David Brooks invented a word to describe the trend of the moneyed class aping poor, edgy, artist types. He called them bobos (bourgeois bohemian). We personally prefer the word fauxhemian coined by New York Times writer Rob Walker in 2000. Why this delicious, tongue in cheek little word never caught on is beyond us. We think it’s wittier and rolls off the tongue much easier than David Brooks’ bobo, which kinda just reminds us of stuffed animals and monkeys.
Boy Reporter will leave it to Torontoist contributor Jill Murray to summon her usual electrifying brand of outrage over this latest gentrifying incursion into her neighbourhood. Go forth Jill and comment.
Photo from OMG blog

Comments

  • http://www.jillmurray.com Jill

    Actually, Ron, I think you’re confusing my mild-mannered outrage with our commenters outrage at my outrage, which has a magnifying effect.
    In any case, *sigh* of relief. That poster is ugly, hilarious, and perhaps responsible for Westside dropping their lower end offering by $10k.
    I’m so glad someone posted it other than me. Can’t WAIT to find out what they’re selling. I DO hope it’s an 800 square foot 1 bedroom + dog den with bejeweled handles on the kitchen cabinets, miniture appliances, and absolutely no other finishings to speak of.
    Someday soon, even the bobos are going to start seeing through all of this.
    One note: that photo doesn’t really do justice to how big that poster is. There’s another one on the wall around the corner that’s at least two stories high and twice as wide. Magnificent!

  • http://www.jillmurray.com jill

    Ron! [pronounced with a whine.] It’s PRECISELY the monkeys that make “bobo” so appealing.
    Also, if you go to an overachieving high school in Quebec that has three streams of math and you flunk your way down to the lowest stream, you will often be seen rolling your eyes outside your locker and explaining to your friends that you’re in “bobo” math, not accelerated.
    But one need not choose between the two words. For instance:
    “The bobo lived a fauxhemian lifestyle.”
    would be a perfectly correct statement.

  • Nonny

    The theme in the ad might be the actual geographical region Bohemia, and not “bohemia” in the sense coopted by wannabe artsy types. That could explain the “embassy” theme, the weird crest, and the funny hat.

  • Ben

    zing!
    Still awfully silly.

  • http://www.newmindspace.com kevin bracken

    west side lofts is looking pretty attractive, actually; $990 a month for two people with a decent location and a great view is a dream come true. they should start building more rental condos; i would like to live in one. i am sick of near the ground living

  • http://www.jillmurray.com JIll

    There’s an “affordable” (low end of average, basically)rental housing tower planned as part of the Aristocrat development (not yet final). You might want to check that out. It looks like it could turn into something good.
    I don’t think that $990 gets you very much from west side. The model they’re showing is the biggest suite they’re selling, and it’s smaller than your average 2 bedroom rental. Also, they’re currently showing views which don’t take into account the other buildings they’re going to build. Kind of a gamble.

  • alien art corps

    Look closer, beyond the bobo marketing, I noticed a big green x and 4 white signs with the message.
    BY ORDER OF THE
    ALIEN ART CORPS
    REMOVE THIS BILLBOARD
    OR FACE
    ARTISTIC CONCEQUENCES
    Bobo ad does not have a permit, ahh there lies the grey area, you can make street art on it and there is not a thing the police, developer or city can do about it. Act soon though, a bribe will make sure that Bobo grows.

  • number 4

    Rob Walker, the writer who coined “fauxhemian,” has a wonderful, nonfiction book out: “Letters From New Orleans.”

  • http://www.bethmaher.com beth maher

    Seriously! Why has no-one defaced this sign yet? C’mon artsy types, this is your neighborhood, why are you not on this yet?
    Every time I pass by this, I wonder why no one has taken advantage of the possibilities yet.
    A giant mustache on the bobo girl maybe?

  • http://www.jillmurray.com Jill

    Don’t worry, it’s been tagged a few times over. I think that’s an older photo.

  • hey

    Lovely. You’re actively promoting crime against a specific victim? You do realise that in Canada, counselling itself is a crime, unlike in AmeriKKKa, and therefore the commenters beth and jill, and probably the website proprietors, are engaged in a criminal conspiracy.
    Time to talk to computer crime section at RCMP.

  • http://www.jillmurray.com Jill

    Does commenting that something has already been done constitute “counselling” to do it again?
    No, it doesn’t.
    Please at least have the eagele-eyedneess to read posts and comments through with some attention to detail before leaving armchair-lawer threats on this or any web site.

  • alien art corps

    Ummmh its very interesting that the conversation has turned lawyer and criminal acts. The Bobo sign does not have a permit, therefore that hugh advertisment is breaking the law. Now what we are advocating is not vandalism, but street art that covers up the mindless imagery.
    Ignore the corporations. Ignore the institutions.
    More art
    Less advertising.
    Xoro hanging out in Toronto, Ontario, U.S.A.

  • http://www.bethmaher.com beth maher

    Puh-lease.
    My comment was mostly lighthearted.
    Artsy types on Queen West have gotten to pretty much every other institution they feel is infringing on the area (see the Drake, Starbucks, bus stops, etc), I was simply wondering why they haven’t gotten to this one yet.
    But it seems they have now.
    Would I use my real name and domain if I was actually advocating vandalism?
    Geeze. Lighten up. It’s just the internet.

  • byebyemoncowboy

    I think the really baffling legal question here is why the lawyers for beloved French-Canadian chanteuse Mitsou have not rung up screaming copyright infringement. How DARE they use her 1990 “Czech Mate” tour poster to flog their tawdry, tacky development without consent? Heinous.

  • Jive Turkey

    It’s funny that some of you are advocating vandalism on a private billboard. Here’s an idea. If any of you are artists, please post where your art currently resides or any upcoming shows. Then I will encourage some people to go to your shows and vandalize your paintings, photographs, sculptures and other installations that you worked really hard on all year because they contradict with my beliefs in some way. How does that sound to you?

  • xoro

    Jive Turkey you really have summed up the whole arguement, Canadians respect advertising more then they respect Art:
    Hanging out in Toronto, Ontario, U.S.A