Dolly Alderton/Pandora Sykes

[gotatoes]

I've been following this thread for a while and have found it so insightful. I'm a foreigner who has lived in the UK for four years, and the peerage stuff still blows my mind! "If you are rich and important - and related to rich and important people - we put your name in a special book". I sought out this thread to see if anyone else noticed the eating sounds on the podcast? Makes me wonder if I have misophonia, I can't stand it! Just pause recording if you need a snack!

Otherwise, I like the podcast. Nice to hear different perspectives and all that (I rarely interact with people this posh in real life). I listen for the book and television recommendations, which I find pretty solid.

What I don't understand is why they try to be relatable? I see this across the board with celebrities, influencers and people in the media. Just own your wealth and privilege? Admit your biases and snobbery! Acknowledge that not having to worry about food and shelter has enabled you to flourish. If you're worried that your upbringing takes something away from your achievements, campaign for better living conditons for everyone! I feel like the best way to "relate" to people is to get over the idea that wealthy people are innately better than everyone else and admit that most people would thrive under the same conditions.

 

[Streakytanz]

I've been following this thread for a while and have found it so insightful. I'm a foreigner who has lived in the UK for four years, and the peerage stuff still blows my mind! "If you are rich and important - and related to rich and important people - we put your name in a special book". I sought out this thread to see if anyone else noticed the eating sounds on the podcast? Makes me wonder if I have misophonia, I can't stand it! Just pause recording if you need a snack!

Otherwise, I like the podcast. Nice to hear different perspectives and all that (I rarely interact with people this posh in real life). I listen for the book and television recommendations, which I find pretty solid.

What I don't understand is why they try to be relatable? I see this across the board with celebrities, influencers and people in the media. Just own your wealth and privilege? Admit your biases and snobbery! Acknowledge that not having to worry about food and shelter has enabled you to flourish. If you're worried that your upbringing takes something away from your achievements, campaign for better living conditons for everyone! I feel like the best way to "relate" to people is to get over the idea that wealthy people are innately better than everyone else and admit that most people would thrive under the same conditions.

Agreed, I used to listen to the podcast and enjoy their discussions and recommendations but I got pretty tired of both of them after a few months, particularly Pandora. Dolly has all the tropes of her privilege down to a tee but she’s also a nice person, who makes an attempt to relate and doesn’t tend to judge. Her eyes are open to the different layers of society and how it works. I enjoy her first book a lot but not too keen on reading ghosts .... although I’ll probably pick it up eventually.
Pandora I find completely unrelatable and is the reason why I was put off the podcast. She tries to be down with the kids .... but she’s doing it in a balmain coat and pucci heels from Chelsea’s finest eatery.

 

[Tuliptulip]

This thread has been so interesting to read. I’ve gone from being a huge fan of the High Low to feeling bored and irritated by it. I think it has stopped feeling like a conversation and instead is like pre-prepared opinions being read out. Sometimes one will do a monologue on something and the other will then just switch to a monologue on a different topic. It is disjointed. I’ve also realised that the big words they use hide the lack of critical analysis of things they are saying.

 

[Jaybtee]

This thread has been so interesting to read. I’ve gone from being a huge fan of the High Low to feeling bored and irritated by it. I think it has stopped feeling like a conversation and instead is like pre-prepared opinions being read out. Sometimes one will do a monologue on something and the other will then just switch to a monologue on a different topic. It is disjointed. I’ve also realised that the big words they use hide the lack of critical analysis of things they are saying.

Exactly how I feel about it. I wish they would just own their privilege too.

 

[Badabing101]

This thread has been so interesting to read. I’ve gone from being a huge fan of the High Low to feeling bored and irritated by it. I think it has stopped feeling like a conversation and instead is like pre-prepared opinions being read out. Sometimes one will do a monologue on something and the other will then just switch to a monologue on a different topic. It is disjointed. I’ve also realised that the big words they use hide the lack of critical analysis of things they are saying.

I agree with you on your point about critical analysis - I want to know what they really think... I sometimes get the impression that they are saying what they think people want to hear and not what they actually think (if this makes sense). I really enjoyed Otegha Uwagba this week as she really made me think and examine myself and those around me. I understand it can be a fine line especially when discussing something you are not or haven’t experienced but I would appreciate deeper thoughts and thinking on this sort of thing - not just race but politics, gender identity, sexuality , the ideas around what makes us human and so much more. This is why I loved the Nesrine Malik episode, some interesting ideas and would have liked to have heard them discuss the interview with Nesrine on a later episode.

 

[Truthslayer]

I agree with you on your point about critical analysis - I want to know what they really think... I sometimes get the impression that they are saying what they think people want to hear and not what they actually think (if this makes sense). I really enjoyed Otegha Uwagba this week as she really made me think and examine myself and those around me. I understand it can be a fine line especially when discussing something you are not or haven’t experienced but I would appreciate deeper thoughts and thinking on this sort of thing - not just race but politics, gender identity, sexuality , the ideas around what makes us human and so much more. This is why I loved the Nesrine Malik episode, some interesting ideas and would have liked to have heard them discuss the interview with Nesrine on a later episode.

The episode with Otegha Uwagba was certainly thought provoking but I find it difficult in some ways. From the High Low perspective, I can’t help but feel they’ve jumped on the bandwagon hence suddenly featuring more BAME women. Likewise saying they’ve signed the petition for free school meals. It’s all very reactionary.

In terms of the interview itself, as a mixed race woman I found some elements problematic. Uwagba is undoubtedly eloquent and intelligent.

I totally agree that the whole ‘post a black square’ thing was really hollow. However, I found it somewhat ironic that the author criticised a man she met who seemed to be tarring all black people with the same brush (insinuating black people are thieving or dishonest with money or thieves) but then she herself sought to tar all white people with the same brush - essentially saying all white people are racist.

She also then criticised people for buying lots of books about race in the wake of BLM, but then accepts the hypocrisy of writing a book and cashing in. I’m not quite sure what to make of it!

She then also speculated about the reasons why her Twitter following might have grown, suggesting that it was because people expected her to educate them on racial issues. I’ve followed her for ages, but that isn’t the reason why!

Would be interested to hear others’ thoughts.

 

[Cloak]

The episode with Otegha Uwagba was certainly thought provoking but I find it difficult in some ways. From the High Low perspective, I can’t help but feel they’ve jumped on the bandwagon hence suddenly featuring more BAME women. Likewise saying they’ve signed the petition for free school meals. It’s all very reactionary.

In terms of the interview itself, as a mixed race woman I found some elements problematic. Uwagba is undoubtedly eloquent and intelligent.

I totally agree that the whole ‘post a black square’ thing was really hollow. However, I found it somewhat ironic that the author criticised a man she met who seemed to be tarring all black people with the same brush (insinuating black people are thieving or dishonest with money or thieves) but then she herself sought to tar all white people with the same brush - essentially saying all white people are racist.

She also then criticised people for buying lots of books about race in the wake of BLM, but then accepts the hypocrisy of writing a book and cashing in. I’m not quite sure what to make of it!

She then also speculated about the reasons why her Twitter following might have grown, suggesting that it was because people expected her to educate them on racial issues. I’ve followed her for ages, but that isn’t the reason why!

Would be interested to hear others’ thoughts.

I felt the same, the author seemed to offer no solutions and instead just seemed irritated with whatever white people did to try and support the movement. It seemed a bit damned if you do, damned if you don’t. But I need to listen to it again as I wasn’t quite absorbing it all

 

[Truthslayer]

I felt the same, the author seemed to offer no solutions and instead just seemed irritated with whatever white people did to try and support the movement. It seemed a bit damned if you do, damned if you don’t. But I need to listen to it again as I wasn’t quite absorbing it all

I think you’re right. A second listen might be helpful actually.

 

[Cloak]

I think you’re right. A second listen might be helpful actually.

Right about me needing a second listen? If that’s what you mean then yes sorry if my comment was rushed, it’s a topic that requires a bit more thought and I had too much going on when listening to the podcast to take it in properly, that’s the impression I got on first listen.

 

[Truthslayer]

Right about me needing a second listen? If that’s what you mean then yes sorry if my comment was rushed, it’s a topic that requires a bit more thought and I had too much going on when listening to the podcast to take it in properly, that’s the impression I got on first listen.

No - sorry! I meant I would benefit from a second listen too as it’s not straightforward! Sorry, was a bit sleep deprived when I wrote that and appreciate my meaning didn’t come through!

 

[Cloak]

No - sorry! I meant I would benefit from a second listen too as it’s not straightforward! Sorry, was a bit sleep deprived when I wrote that and appreciate my meaning didn’t come through!

Ahh okay! Haha phew

 

[Author123]

I totally agree with both of you. I’ve definitely got it queued up for a second listen to try and properly absorb what was being said.

 

[stealthbtch]

Again, if anyone wants to see what privilege really looks like, Google Pandora's wedding (she put it On Blast in the fashion mags and now it's Forever) and then do a Google Map visit. I think it's important to know that the world's quiet wealth-holders live in households that do not even have street numbers. But thanks to satellite pix we can all see their tennis courts and swimming pools.

 

[Silentcritique]

I had come across Pandora's family home address and knew they had married there, but I didn't think to view it from satellite. You're right. Wow! A massive tennis court and what looks like a pool with a short slide.

 

[ceebs233]

I had come across Pandora's family home address and knew they had married there, but I didn't think to view it from satellite. You're right. Wow! A massive tennis court and what looks like a pool with a short slide.

I would love to see this but how are you finding the location?

 

[Silentcritique]

if you google pandora's name there is some background information about her family and the family 'seat' as it were due to her peerage... it's in the public domain!

 

[Mooordgirl]

I found the house - she is very loaded!

 

[Silentcritique]

The peerage websites are interesting, seems like you relinquish some privacy in having it since they sometimes list addresses. Odd. Also noticed you have to have two middle names if you are 'proper posh'. Explains PIN Sykes - Pandora India Nicola Sykes. And her daught Zadie has Grace Valentine as her middle names. And her husband Ollie is also on there, his dad was a Lieutenant-Colonel with an MBE. I wonder where Pandora and Ollie met and at what point they bonded over being meta posh.

Funny, reminds me of when Dolly said she went out with a real posho whose mum was shocked she didn't bring tennis whites on a weekend away (perhaps to his house?) And Pandora has a tennis court, maybe Dolly was dating a relative and that's how they met lol!

Update: https://groups.google.com/g/peerage-news/c/UyIBzVEOQyM?pli=1

Does this mean they are both descended from the founders of Barclay's? The Bank? This is mental.

 

[Mustard]

I used to got to school with two American social climbers who made it their mission to infiltrate the Henley Regatta crowd.

 

[slugella]

I can't even imagine having that sort of background and wealth. It's insane. Pretty easy to walk into journalism with that scale of help..

What's Dolly's story? What do her parents do?