The Age Of Snobbery

"And so we enter the era of mass condescension. Thanks to the creativity of our cultural entrepreneurs, we enter a time when we can gather in large groups and look down at our mental, social and spiritual inferiors. "

 

Consider this: Is it not possible for this guy to be an elitist snob himself ... and STILL hit the nail on the head with what he's saying?

 

Somebody want to tell Brooks it's too late for this column? It's all pretty damn funny, though. Just more Rovian bullshit warmed over. Rove identified lower middle class, uneducated, rural evangelicals as the perfect coalition to help put the rich man's party over the top, and then he set about telling them how much the Democrats despise them. He used words like atheist and elitist to instill distrust. When Rove was done with these folks, he spit them out without advancing their agenda. But those days are history now. It's now OK to be an intellectual and even speak with nuance.

 

Actually that is what I was thinking.

My only point was to say that he seems intent on singling out certain groups instead of realizing that it isn't exclusive.

 

We're all snobs about something. You know you are. Shoes, food, politics, geography, music, sunglasses...something out there makes you sniff and think, 'mine is so much better.'

If you're confident about being a snob, you don't have to talk about it. You just think your admittedly rude thoughts, keep them to yourself, and make different vacation plans next year, now that there are so many of those people ruining the place. You buy whatever you want, because you can afford it and you like it. You don't talk about it or explain yourself, ever.

The snob you have to look out for is the insecure snob....the french poodle who needs for you to know he/she knows the difference between 'quality' and 'ordinary.' Can't/won't form an opinion until they hear it or read it first from a nationally recognized commentator. They'll buy an $800 handbag and explain repeatedly why it was worth the price. They casually mention obscure expensive wines, and worry that they're pronouncing the name properly and assuming you won't know better.

But the really nasty snob is the one who equates affluence with irresponsible shallow decadence...what kind of person could you be if you buy organic bananas, if your kids play lacrosse, if you need more than 40 words to order a cup of coffee.

The whole Starbucks/WholeFoods thing is so trite. Does anyone really go to Starbucks to feel superior to the rest of the culture? Starbucks IS the culture. People go there because there's a store every three feet, it's easier than cleaning a coffeepot, and I believe it's now federal law.

And goddammit, i had more but my computer froze and i can't remember the rest, so that's all I got.

 

Do you drive a Volvo?

 

Worse. Don't ask.

 

Perhaps Brooks' editors told him:

"Bring us a snobbery!"

 

Speaking of snobbery, the Other Side of the Aisle seems fed up with its base.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/11/post_122.html

Screw those shoeless bastards!

 

Part of the reason why the right was so successful in painting the latte-sipping atheist / God-fearing NASCAR fan dichotomy is that many liberals and/or Democrats have not insisted on making economic issues central. When all the hot issues are things like gay marriage, prayer before high school football games, evolution in the school curriculum, "under God" in the pledge, etc., it's no wonder working-class people forget that the Republicans are the rich man's party. In many parts of the country, we have a completely back-assward situation where the poorest of the poor vote for reforms that favor the ultra-rich...and the upper-middle class votes for the status quo, which of course also favors the ultra-rich, just not as radically.

It's past time for the Dems to quit letting the right set the terms of debate. It's time to make the economic issues that affect working people central. I know some do this, but more need to do so. Interestingly, it's the Christian liberals (Jim Wallis and the Sojourners crowd) that seems to be doing the best job of reminding Dems of their half-forgotten commitment to economic justice.

Off topic, I rarely find homophobic humor amusing, but the "stir it with a dick" joke was, in fact, funny.

 

Let me add that writing irish is spot on, and the stir it with a dick joke is quite funny.