Bougies is simply a slang name for the bourgeoisie, the French word for middle class. However, the word has taken on a more different meaning, similar to that of yuppies and bobos (bohemian bourgeoisie) of previous decades. Bougies are not simply middle class, they are trendy, exclusive and some would say smug or pretentious in their habits.

There is no habit or trait that makes you a bougie, but it is not difficult to recognize one. Bougies tend to live in hip areas of cities, or in artsy or college towns. They like the finer things in life and are generally at the forefront of new trends in areas such as fashion, ethnic food, and musical styles. Well, it could be more accurate that they try to appear at the forefront of such movements, since in most cases they continue rather than create new trends. However, when there is something new and exotic on the cultural scene, you can be sure that bougies will be the first to buy, patronize, and flaunt it.

One could argue that bougies are simply yuppies that have aged a bit and settled into a more traditional and well-bourgeois life. While yuppies were known for their sheer materialism – think Michael Douglas’ unforgettable character Gordon Gecko – Spark plugs try to balance finances with other things, like family, the arts, and spirituality. You could say that bougies want it all, have their cake and eat it too.

Are spark plugs to be admired, despised, or just grudgingly accepted? It depends on your point of view. For some, the ideal of having a successful career, an idyllic family life, and a home with aromatherapy and correct feng shui in a somewhat suburban but not totally culture-free area is a lifestyle that is hard to beat. On the other hand, if you’re a die-hard anarchist, a bona fide urban rapper, or a staunch beatnik, hippie or punk (from one of those respective eras or not), you probably consider spark plugs to be pretentious, false-cultural parasites of the lowest order.

Candles are, like all social groups, ultimately a fiction. They are tagged and discussed by writers (like this one) and sociologists (although I don’t know if they have discovered spark plugs yet). It can be fun and even educational to see what it is that makes various types of people tick, but when it comes down to it, no label can really sum up anyone, at least hopefully not.

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