Today, as I was brewing the green tea I generally drink at lunch, my thoughts wandered to Sir Thomas Lipton the tea magnate (although I was drinking a different brand). I remembered something that irritated me long, long ago, and I still remember it well enough to vent about it now.
In the early 20th Century, Thomas Lipton was among the most famous people in the world. He was one of the original “self-made men,” a Scotsman who spent time in America and learned American business ideas, which he put into practice in building a grocery empire in Great Britain. Then he shifted to the tea business, with even more success.
He was a prominent philanthropist and sportsman, and it was as a sportsman that he became a true celebrity. He loved yacht racing, and made repeated, expensive attempts to win the America’s Cup, failing each time. But his sunny good sportsmanship won him the affection of the American public, which did his tea sales no harm at all.
I wish I could remember the book or article about Lipton that got my dander up. I was pretty young at the time. I have the idea it was a biographical book I read a review of, but I can’t find the book listed anywhere. Maybe it was an article in Smithsonian or something.
Anyway, the author informed us that behind his façade of sportsmanship, Sir Thomas was in fact very bitter, and complained privately about the rules and the designers and the officials in the America’s Cup race. Although he never dropped the mask in public, Sir Thomas was not the good loser he pretended to be.
My response was, Stop the presses, Walter Winchell. You mean he was a human being? You mean he had personal feelings, and actually reacted emotionally to the wreck of his expensive dreams? Who could have guessed that?
This kind of non-news springs from the prejudices of the Baby Boomer generation. We made “authenticity” the most important virtue. Acting with politeness, caring about other people’s feelings, was seen as hypocrisy.
What it was, was an excuse to be rude to other people, while preening ourselves on our personal honesty. It was the easiest, least costly form of virtue. It was (and remains) selfish and immature.
Sir Thomas was a grownup. Maybe someday we’ll have some more.
Meanwhile, one lump or two?
Yeah, I like Lipton and prefer to drink other tea as well.
Funny…I was thinking about Lipton Tea just a day or two ago. For years I bought fancy, “designer” loose tea and paid more than I should have. Now…I’m getting lazy and picked up some plain ole Lipton’s in the bag, Decaf. Don’t want to be awake all night. I mix Green (not decaf) and 2 bags of the decaf. Not bad. Back to my roots. (:
So what a person feels is authentic and good, and what they decide is fake. Considering how easy it is to influence people’s emotions, did this meme come from Madison Ave.?
I would say the Mad Men had a lot to do with it, yes. It has some of its roots in the invention of the Teenager, which was essentially a brilliant marketing scheme.
Reminds me of a parishioner who was convinced that planning was human effort while spontaneity was being led by the Spirit. To follow his line of thinking, God is impotent to guide us until the heat of the moment and Satan was impotent to lead us astray with wacky ideas at the last minute. I came to see it much as you just portrayed modern authenticity, as selfish and immature. Spontaneity is great when you’re working solo but it makes working in harmony with other people much more challenging.
Getting back to tea, I’m drinking a store brand this morning. I’m not sure how Lipton would compare. I remember other products with the Lipton brand, powdered soup for one. I don’t think I’d eat it now, but growing up, I liked it well enough. It’s a bit like Ramen noodles, which I like without the spice packs.
Good show, old chap! Jolly good article.
I will admit to total ignorance of Lipton, the man. All I can say is that if he was British, he should be ashamed of the tea his company produces now…
You couldn’t pay me to drink standard Liptons on a regular basis…