By Gamal Hennessy
There are three categories of people when it comes to drinking. There are those who drink, those who drink too much, and those who don’t drink at all. It has recently come to light that influential people in traditionally liquor soaked industries are avoiding liquor as part of a long term career strategy. But is any kind of extremist stance is a good idea?
There is no official definition of a wagonista, so I’m going to make one up. A wagonista is a person who frequents parties, clubs, concerts and other social events, but does not drink at those events. A wagonista chooses not to drink primarily because they want to avoid the negative social and professional effects of a hangover.
If you’ve ever worked in fashion, media, advertising or entertainment then you know that going out for drinks after work is part of the work. You may have also experienced a distinct lack of productivity in the hours and days following successful “meetings” over drinks. You might even be the person who has embarrassed themselves in front of clients, subordinates and superiors during a drunken binge. If you are one of these people, then it makes sense to go to the bar, but skip the Cuervo shots. Notable New York players including Anna Wintour, Diane von Furstenberg, Barry Diller and Donald Trump have all come to the conclusion that going to the party is fine, but drinking at the party is bad for business.
People choose to avoid liquor for a variety of reasons besides their careers. Health and cost are important factors too. Recent studies show that U.S. alcohol consumption is down, for reasons tied to physical and mental health. Our current economic woes are reigning in out of control bottle service, so not drinking can be cheaper when you go out, if you happen to be paying for your drinks at all. Liquor is poison and there are many reasons not to drink too much, but the key here is too much.
It’s probably a good idea not to drink yourself into a stupor every time you go networking, but is the opposite extreme any better? If you don’t drink, maybe you won’t get invited to the late night soiree where you can rub shoulders with the big dogs. If you don’t drink, people might mistrust you, freeze you out, or otherwise undercut your image.
The problem here isn’t drinking, its binge drinking. Wagonistas want to avoid being sloppy in front of colleagues and be productive at work the next day. But there is no rule that says you have to get drunk when you go out drinking. You don’t have to get a hangover after every night out. If you chose to drink heavily every night or you chose to reject social drinking entirely, you are taking an extreme position. New Yorkers by and large take a very dim view of extremists, religious or otherwise. Choosing responsible indulgence instead gives you the chance to socialize, sip the champagne and be good for work the next day. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can have both.
Have fun.
Gamal
Source: Annie Karni: New York Post
There are three categories of people when it comes to drinking. There are those who drink, those who drink too much, and those who don’t drink at all. It has recently come to light that influential people in traditionally liquor soaked industries are avoiding liquor as part of a long term career strategy. But is any kind of extremist stance is a good idea?
There is no official definition of a wagonista, so I’m going to make one up. A wagonista is a person who frequents parties, clubs, concerts and other social events, but does not drink at those events. A wagonista chooses not to drink primarily because they want to avoid the negative social and professional effects of a hangover.
If you’ve ever worked in fashion, media, advertising or entertainment then you know that going out for drinks after work is part of the work. You may have also experienced a distinct lack of productivity in the hours and days following successful “meetings” over drinks. You might even be the person who has embarrassed themselves in front of clients, subordinates and superiors during a drunken binge. If you are one of these people, then it makes sense to go to the bar, but skip the Cuervo shots. Notable New York players including Anna Wintour, Diane von Furstenberg, Barry Diller and Donald Trump have all come to the conclusion that going to the party is fine, but drinking at the party is bad for business.
People choose to avoid liquor for a variety of reasons besides their careers. Health and cost are important factors too. Recent studies show that U.S. alcohol consumption is down, for reasons tied to physical and mental health. Our current economic woes are reigning in out of control bottle service, so not drinking can be cheaper when you go out, if you happen to be paying for your drinks at all. Liquor is poison and there are many reasons not to drink too much, but the key here is too much.
It’s probably a good idea not to drink yourself into a stupor every time you go networking, but is the opposite extreme any better? If you don’t drink, maybe you won’t get invited to the late night soiree where you can rub shoulders with the big dogs. If you don’t drink, people might mistrust you, freeze you out, or otherwise undercut your image.
The problem here isn’t drinking, its binge drinking. Wagonistas want to avoid being sloppy in front of colleagues and be productive at work the next day. But there is no rule that says you have to get drunk when you go out drinking. You don’t have to get a hangover after every night out. If you chose to drink heavily every night or you chose to reject social drinking entirely, you are taking an extreme position. New Yorkers by and large take a very dim view of extremists, religious or otherwise. Choosing responsible indulgence instead gives you the chance to socialize, sip the champagne and be good for work the next day. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can have both.
Have fun.
Gamal
Source: Annie Karni: New York Post
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