– The Jet Set – David Susskind – September 5, 1963 –
A phrase synonymous with the early 1960s, coined by Society columnist Igor Cassini and introduced by Fellini in his film La Dolce Vita. The Jet Set epitomized the lifestyle of the idle rich, the newly-minted international super-wealthy whose primary mode of transportation coincided with the popularity of the Boeing 707 and a seemingly endless series of parties and social functions not available to Joe Average.
Although the aspect of exclusivity among the rich and famous was hardly a new concept, the Jet Set replaced The Cafe Society as the epitome of social status, and in many ways came to symbolize the 1960s as the symbol of excess and nothing but free time.
Of course, it became the life’s pursuit of many and after a while it looked like everybody was either playing at being in the Jet Set or had just arrived.
In addition to being a social phenomenon it was also a media magnet – gossip columns and TV talk shows (like this one) were filled with detailed episodes of adventures and exploits of this privileged batch of nouveau riche.
In this episode of the David Susskind series Open End, Susskind is joined by a group of folks who are either part of “the jet set” or report about the goings on of the Jet Set.
By the end of the 60s the Jet Set was just about over – the newly-minted wealthy had their own jets, their own endless parties and social functions and their own publicists.
But as the 60 unfolded and like everything else, it was all new and fascinating and another aspect of life during a decade where everything seemed to change all at once.
Here is that episode of Open End hosted by David Susskind from September 5, 1963.
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