Socialising II - Networking

The term 'networking' became trendy many years ago in the early nineties to describe the web of relationships between all the 'happening' people in media, arts, film, all the usual suspects. But like the people themselves, it was just a fad and the concept faded, only to be taken up by the world of business with some gusto, to the extent that it's used even now, and without a trace of irony.

In common with hairdresser chat, it's all about alignment: "What are we driving at the moment?"; "Family?"; "We're off to Mexico/India/the Far East later this year"; and so on. But then there are the shared rituals that cement the bonds tentatively (shyly, even?) forged through purely conversational gambits: tea/coffee and BISCUITS (oh, the importance of these nutritional paragons!); lunch - but no alcohol, this is a health-and-safety-conscious world now, don't you know; the exchange of business cards (I'm only just holding back here); and finally, if we're on a biggy, dinner in the evening - and here, we can let ourselves go just a tad and get a little tipsy (oooh!).

Yet none of this is new. It's always been like this: the '70s, lyrics from Pink Floyd's 'Dogs' - "Like the club tie, the firm handshake, a certain look in the eye and an easy smile"; and the '80s, the phrase 'It's not what you know, it's who you know'. So, just re-packaging the old ideas, a bit like marketing in general. No, too much, it'll have to come out: as the character Oliver in Julian Barnes' 'Talking it Over' so aptly opined, "Hie me to the vomitorium, pronto."