This past weekend, Bonita read to me an excerpt a recent from nymag article about "The Brooklyn Wars." From the little bit I heard, it sounds like nymag is highlighting the rift between the gentries (those who gentrify) and the Brooklyn locals.
One reader commented on how she was happy about the fact that her local corner store burned down to the ground because the locals would no longer hang out in front of the store and she'd feel safer as a result of their absence. Another reader responded by talking about the noisy obnoxious people who hang out in front of bars and how no one complains about them.
That got me thinking: is there a difference between the two groups?
The Bodega
I think we all know to whom the reader referred when she talked about the people who hang out in front of the corner store (aka the bodega, which is Spanish for "corner store.") Thanks to BET, MTV, Hollywood, and the news, the stereotypical bodega shopper, at least after 10 pm, is young, of "black" and/or "Latino" and dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. In fact, they usually fit the description of every perpetrator for every crime committed between 10pm and 3am. They may or may not be drinking. They may or may not be smoking. They are likely to be making noise. That's probably why the 1st nymag reader complained. She did not like the noise generated by the bodega shoppers.
The Bar
I think we all know about whom the 2nd reader referred when he or she talked about the people who hang out in front of the bar. Thanks to SATC, L&O, and every other show filmed in NYC not about black people, the stereotypical bar patron is a 20 or 30something with blond/brown/brunette hair and brown/blue/green eyes. They usually wear anything from sandals, shorts, and a wife-beater, to formal wear. As part of the bar/drinking culture, they stand outside the bar and smoke. They typically don't drink while hanging outside because (1) they're not really allowed to drink immediately outside the bar; and (2) they're already wasted. They make alot of noise, for no good reason. They're loud because they're drunk. That's probably why the 2nd nymag reader complained.
Is there a difference between these two groups?
On its face, no. Both groups stand on the side walk, and make noise at night after consuming alcohol. But there's more to it.
Bodega shoppers are typically viewed as doing something wrong while hanging out in front of the bodega. In other words, hanging out in front of the bodega is suspicious activity. Bar patrons are not viewed as suspicious when the hangout on the sidewalk, smoke, and yell. Why is that?
As I suggested earlier, the media sure wants us to believe that bodega shoppers are guilty of something simply because they're in front of a bodega. On the other hand, people come to NYC for the opportunity to go to bars and by extension hang out in front of them. And that is not viewed as wrong.
The differences are based on something that is not very relevant to the two scenarios. The differences are based on money, class, race, real estate, enfranchisement, (selective) law enforcement, etc. Essentially the two scenarios are very similar, but the circumstances force us to view them differently. I don't think any of us would think that bar patrons are up to no good. Similarly, I don't think we view bodega shoppers as people simply having a good time.
I guess if we saw a rash of white women arrested for buying crack cocaine on a corner in her neighborhood, then we'd think differently about bar patrons hanging out on the sidewalk. The thing is, the bar patrons and bodega shoppers are equally (not) guilty. Neither group is doing something that is necessarily wrong. But one group gets complaints while the other gets a second round.
One reader commented on how she was happy about the fact that her local corner store burned down to the ground because the locals would no longer hang out in front of the store and she'd feel safer as a result of their absence. Another reader responded by talking about the noisy obnoxious people who hang out in front of bars and how no one complains about them.
That got me thinking: is there a difference between the two groups?
The Bodega
I think we all know to whom the reader referred when she talked about the people who hang out in front of the corner store (aka the bodega, which is Spanish for "corner store.") Thanks to BET, MTV, Hollywood, and the news, the stereotypical bodega shopper, at least after 10 pm, is young, of "black" and/or "Latino" and dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. In fact, they usually fit the description of every perpetrator for every crime committed between 10pm and 3am. They may or may not be drinking. They may or may not be smoking. They are likely to be making noise. That's probably why the 1st nymag reader complained. She did not like the noise generated by the bodega shoppers.
The Bar
I think we all know about whom the 2nd reader referred when he or she talked about the people who hang out in front of the bar. Thanks to SATC, L&O, and every other show filmed in NYC not about black people, the stereotypical bar patron is a 20 or 30something with blond/brown/brunette hair and brown/blue/green eyes. They usually wear anything from sandals, shorts, and a wife-beater, to formal wear. As part of the bar/drinking culture, they stand outside the bar and smoke. They typically don't drink while hanging outside because (1) they're not really allowed to drink immediately outside the bar; and (2) they're already wasted. They make alot of noise, for no good reason. They're loud because they're drunk. That's probably why the 2nd nymag reader complained.
Is there a difference between these two groups?
On its face, no. Both groups stand on the side walk, and make noise at night after consuming alcohol. But there's more to it.
Bodega shoppers are typically viewed as doing something wrong while hanging out in front of the bodega. In other words, hanging out in front of the bodega is suspicious activity. Bar patrons are not viewed as suspicious when the hangout on the sidewalk, smoke, and yell. Why is that?
As I suggested earlier, the media sure wants us to believe that bodega shoppers are guilty of something simply because they're in front of a bodega. On the other hand, people come to NYC for the opportunity to go to bars and by extension hang out in front of them. And that is not viewed as wrong.
The differences are based on something that is not very relevant to the two scenarios. The differences are based on money, class, race, real estate, enfranchisement, (selective) law enforcement, etc. Essentially the two scenarios are very similar, but the circumstances force us to view them differently. I don't think any of us would think that bar patrons are up to no good. Similarly, I don't think we view bodega shoppers as people simply having a good time.
I guess if we saw a rash of white women arrested for buying crack cocaine on a corner in her neighborhood, then we'd think differently about bar patrons hanging out on the sidewalk. The thing is, the bar patrons and bodega shoppers are equally (not) guilty. Neither group is doing something that is necessarily wrong. But one group gets complaints while the other gets a second round.
At the end of the day, I don't think there's a difference because no one's doing anything wrong. in fact, they're probably hanging out on the sidewalk for the same reasons. And that's ok. But some see it as a problem.
Maybe one day the 1st reader will realize that she's part of the problem.
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