As was recently announced last week, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham has now found employment. Yes, Brooklyn Beckham is now officially part of the working world. So what glamorous, high-end sector has the 15 year old now become enthralled in, you ask? Following his father onto the sporting scene? Emulating his mother by entering the world of pop-stardom and show business? Not quite. Instead, rather the very humble world of espresso coffee service and various other confectionery goods. The young man, who once gave his modelling services to Burberry, is now a coffee barista for Café Nero in West London.
So, should we be rushing to congratulate the actions and initiative of Victoria and David in thrusting their pride and joy to taste the fruits of everyday life and indeed learn what it really means to take home a working day’s wage? An article which recently ran in the Guardian scrutinised this development down to its finest details, the consensus emerging that here were the actions of the “super-rich” attempting to walk amongst the mere mortals, and subsequently failing miserably.
Criticism has been fired from various directions with many arriving at the conclusion that the Beckhams’ attempt to portray their son as the “every-day lad” is just simply not washing, particularly when clocking off time arrives and Brooklyn hangs up his coffee apron to return to “Beckingham Palace”. It is the common case of the king in the kitchen, a lord amongst his subjects, an over-privileged individual in an unattainable position taking a job which he neither needs nor wants – purely for its higher representational message. At least that is what many disgruntled media sources will lead you to believe.But should we really have an issue with the son of one of the wealthiest British couples in existence landing himself a humble and stereotypically student part-time job?
I doubt it would appease people if young Brooklyn Beckham had instead instantly joined the elitist world of which his parents are demigods. Indeed, this is the perception that many hold – the offspring of the rich transitioning from their mollycoddled childhood into an alternate reality of glitz, glamour and excess. It is for this reason Brooklyn’s employment at Café Nero stands as an unnecessary stepping-stone on his inevitable path to the big time.
The rich will always be rich and therefore let them wallow in their world of indulgence – no cross over to be seen here. Quite a statement, but one essentially portrayed by various elements of the media in attempt of exposing Brooklyn Beckham’s diminutive job employment as the PR or image stunt that they think it really is. Personally I couldn’t disagree more. Instead, the enriching qualities which arrive with part-time employment are being vastly overlooked, but then again, why would we consider the thoughts and experiences of the “super-rich”? It is absolutely undeniable that Brooklyn will enter a high prestige industry of some form later in life, the unwavering and gospel reputation that goes with the Beckham name will make sure of it.
Until then, however, the 15 year old has undertaken a role in society which may seem unnecessary to many. But, to a young man who has forever been followed by media attention for no other reason than who his dad is, an otherwise unachievable learning curve may just have been presented on a plate.
