In Boystown, Orne describes how recently many of the bars and gay spaces in the town are becoming increasingly less gay. There is a gentrification that is occurring with outsiders coming into the town and joining the Boystown culture often unwantedly. Orne describes the newcomers as on a “safari” coming to these gay spaces and watching rather than participating in the actions. In class we discussed whether or not “Disneyfication” and a “safari” were different or in the residents of Boystown were they the same. Orne uses the word safari to bring a level of danger to the actions of the newcomers. Those on a “safari” do not participate in the same way. They like to watch and observe the new and erotic actions happening in the back of these bars, some things they have never experienced before. “Disneyfication” is viewed as those viewing and participating in certain places like a theme park, unlike a “safari” these places do not seem dangerous.

Similar to the social preservationists and the creative class pushing out locals of new, hip neighborhoods, the original residents of Boystown are finding themselves wanting to relocate away from their new neighbors. More heterosexual couples and families are moving into neighborhoods like Boystown because of their safety and also their convenience to restaurants and local nightlife. Similar to how the food standard was rising in Portland with the Creative Classes’ desire for niche restaurants, these incoming families to Boystown are looking for a specific culture filled with activities, but also safe neighborhoods to raise their family. Like how members of the Creative Class are entering predominately black neighborhoods and gentrifying the space, these families are gentrifying Boystown in a second wave. As more of these families move into this neighborhood, I am interested to see what happens to the culture of Boystown. If more of its gay residents are moving out of the neighborhood will they be willing to go back and participate in the nightlife or will the seek out for a more exclusive place to express their culture.

Unfortunately for city officials, it is difficult to make rules to keep a certain culture alive. If the residents of Boystown want to keep the town and its nightlife culture the same it is up to institutions like bars and clubs to make the rules to maintain the culture. Like how Orne explains many of the backroom fees are no shirts, whether you’re male or female. This type of rule keeps those from solely watching and forces them to participate. Many gay residents of Boystown do not mind the heterosexual couples participating in the backroom actions, because they are participating rather than observing. Those who only observe, like bachelorette parties or even new gay people make the originals feel like an entertainment act. Bars have started to not allow groups like Bachelorette parties into their establishments. Keeping these groups away keeps the original and intended users of the establishments happy and helps them continue to feel comfortable in the environment they have decided to reside in.

In Ocejo’s work, he discusses the rise of the creative class and how their new objective in the workforce is to not find jobs that pay the highest salary with the most benefits, but rather jobs that give meaning to their work. Ocejo specifically looks at jobs like bartenders, butchers, and barbers and tries to understand why these professions were chosen by the creative class and what meaning they provide to their lives. A majority of these individuals who have chosen these service level jobs are well-educated and have degrees from many colleges and universities. Some had previously worked in the “desk job” life for big corporations and quit soon after starting.  These corporation jobs, although providing monetary comfort, did not fulfill meaning of work in the creative class individuals. As discussed in class, many believe that these workers are over qualified for these service level jobs, but also who is to say whether or not someone has the education to be overqualified for a job.

While Ocejo never explicitly says that the higher educated individuals are more likely to get the service level jobs, it is quite easy to assume that owners of these businesses are looking to cater to a very specific type of consumer: the wealthy. These upscale bars, and farm to table butchers are bringing niche businesses into these growing hipster neighbor hoods and their consumers all seem to fit the same mold. Business owners know what type of consumer their businesses are attracting and want to hire staff that will better represent the ideals of the business. For example, an upscale bar in New York will higher the bartender with higher social capital of ending an elite college because they bring a sense of class and sophistication with them. Ocejo mentions that “The people who fill backstage roles [in these bars] , who have limited if any interactions with customers and clients, are mainly ethnic and racial minorities without advanced degrees or outward interest in the cultural repertoires of the work” (155). These educated workers in these service level jobs have a degree of privilege that their coworkers in the back are not fortunate of. For many of these creative class workers, they left their corporate jobs and high pay to become service level workers, but with no responsibility or expenses following them. The privilege that these workers have to choose to leave a higher paying job to work in a job with more meaning is an opportunity taken for granted. Unlike these privilege creative class workers, many who are working in these same businesses, but in the back, do not have the same opportunity to be able to choose a career that offers them the most meaning in life. Many are trying to support themselves and their families and are happy finding work wherever that may be.

Being in the generation of the creative class it interests me why these individuals feel the need to work these service level jobs. It seems quite unnecessary for these individuals to pursue a four-year college education to work a job that needed no formal education at all, only time and practice in the craft. Perhaps many of these workers felt pressured by their parents or their high schools to pursue a higher education when all along they knew a formal workplace was not for them. I could also see it as a resistance identity of those leaving college and not wanting to follow the expected path from their alma maters. A school like Bowdoin College markets itself in having the best network of alumni to help with careers after graduation, but the focus of these careers is in the business/corporate sector. Would Bowdoin ever boast about their alumni working in these service level jobs like they do about those working in finance or pursuing medical schools. It is to my belief they would not because we still are living in a culture that prides itself on success of people by the amount of money they make and their monetary wealth, not necessarily their emotional wealth or happiness.