What fun?
Parties are about a lot more than having a good time
THERE are two kinds of parties that matter—the ones people join and the ones people go to. The second sort change the world more than the first. They certainly excite the imagination of more people and give more delight, stirring the gene pool, filling newspapers, creating jobs and building contacts. Parties may seem the ultimate in evanescent pleasure, but they have always been a business with a serious side.
This article appeared in the New Articles section of the print edition under the headline “What fun?”
More from New Articles
Archive 1945
How The Economist reported on the final year of the second world war, week by week
How Ozempic could change beauty standards
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
Introducing Opinion, our latest newsletter
Get leaders, columns, guest essays and readers’ letters in one place
We’re hiring a senior producer
Join The Economist’s video department
Pint-sized news quiz
Have you been following the headlines?
Espresso, our daily news app, is now free for students
We are also using AI-powered translations to reach new audiences