I Ain't Saying She a Gold Digger

Contrary to the title of this blog post, I am most definitely calling Daisy and Myrtle of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby gold diggers.  A wise man (Kanye West) once wrote, "She take my money, when I'm in need."  With that in mind, Kanye, Jay Gatsby, and Tom Buchanan have quite a bit in common.  Like Kanye, Gatsby and Tom participate in relationships where money plays a significant role in the sustaining of love with Daisy and Myrtle respectively.  Kanye's girl "digs on" him for his money.  Gatsby makes it rain high thread-count button-downs to prove his worth to his lover.  And Tom buys alternate residences downtown to house his mistress.  In all three cases wealth appears to attract the opposite sex the most.  Mr. West recounts his bloodsucker's past relationships that include Busta Rhymes and Usher, two other successful recording artists.  Daisy, too, has a history of equating love and money in her selection of males.  And Myrtle appears to select her men-on-the-side according to the quality of dress they can provide her.  This pattern of materialism has begun to aggravate me.  Love stems from feelings towards another person, not their cars, house, or wardrobe.  Do people not know the true meaning of love?  In my opinion, if items or money play any role in a relationship one can call that relationship dysfunctional.  Money does not last forever, shiny cars rust, and expensive clothes fade out of style, however, emotions never die.  Invest feelings into relationships, not thousands of dollars.  Simply, I think Gatsby and Tom took the wrong approach to chivalry.  I bet they did not even hold the doors of their expensive cars for the women they try to impress.  Therefore, Gatsby and Tom provide a precedent--of what not to do.  Blindness to material things while developing a relationship results in true love.  Personally, I will find a significant other that likes me for my love letters (yes, I caved after last week's blog show and vow to give them a try), not the "shoes and cars."  "When I'm in need" of some love like Kanye, I will remember The Beatles' take on the subject: "Can't buy me love."

For your entertainment/reference: