Elitist Meme
Kuff reports that The Washington Post's Charles Murray has published a column on the Tea Party's rhetoric on elitism in America. This is nothing new, and merely the latest chapter in the long history of anti-intellectualism in America. The right has long implied that if you drink green tea or eat sushi and drive a Volvo that you aren't a "real American."
Murray's column has spawned the following quiz meme:
1. Can you talk about “Mad Men?” Oh yeah. But given how "Mad Men" has been cleaning up at award shows and with Jon Hamm hosting SNL this weekend, I don't think that this suggests that I am out of the mainstream.
2. Can you talk about the “The Sopranos?” Sort of. But, see above
3. Do you know who replaced Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right?” With Kuff's prompting I did remember that it was Drew Carey.
4. Have you watched an Oprah show from beginning to end? Yes, but it has been awhile
5. Can you hold forth animatedly about yoga? Not animatedly. It's been ages since I've been to a class.
5. How about pilates? Nope.
6. How about skiing? Probably, but it's been ages since I've been on a slope.
6. Mountain biking? Yes. But I'll assert that this is more of a Gen X - Boomer distinction than a signifier of Elitism.
7. Do you know who Jimmie Johnson is? Like Kuff, I thought that this was referring to the former NFL coach and Port Arthur native.
8. Does the acronym MMA mean nothing to you? Of course not.
9. Can you talk about books endlessly? Definitely.
10. Have you ever read a “Left Behind” novel? No
11. How about a Harlequin romance? No
12. Do you take interesting vacations? Yes
13. Do you know a great backpacking spot in the Sierra Nevada? No, unless Yosemite counts.
14. What about an exquisite B&B overlooking Boothbay Harbor? Is this in Maine?
15. Would you be caught dead in an RV? Sure, there are times when I'd be glad to drive one, such as to the Kerrville Folk Festival.
16. Would you be caught dead on a cruise ship? Yep, but I'd get on one of those floating malls only under limited conditions.
17. Have you ever heard of of Branson, Mo? Definitely. I hear that there's some good camping around there.
18. Have you ever attended a meeting of a Kiwanis Club? Are they still around?
19. How about the Rotary Club? Yes
20. Have you lived for at least a year in a small town? Yes
21. Have you lived for a year in an urban neighborhood in which most of your neighbors did not have college degrees? No unless it counts that many of my neighbors and I were college students at the time.
22. Have you spent at least a year with a family income less than twice the poverty line? No
23. Do you have a close friend who is an evangelical Christian? Yes
24. Have you ever visited a factory floor? Yes
25. Have you worked on one? No, but I have worked on a farm.
Here are some questions of my own:
26. Did you attend an Ivy League School or Stanford? No
27. Do you hold a graduate degree from a top ten university (public or private)? No
28. Do you have a hunting or fishing license? Fishing.
Murray's column has spawned the following quiz meme:
1. Can you talk about “Mad Men?” Oh yeah. But given how "Mad Men" has been cleaning up at award shows and with Jon Hamm hosting SNL this weekend, I don't think that this suggests that I am out of the mainstream.
2. Can you talk about the “The Sopranos?” Sort of. But, see above
3. Do you know who replaced Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right?” With Kuff's prompting I did remember that it was Drew Carey.
4. Have you watched an Oprah show from beginning to end? Yes, but it has been awhile
5. Can you hold forth animatedly about yoga? Not animatedly. It's been ages since I've been to a class.
5. How about pilates? Nope.
6. How about skiing? Probably, but it's been ages since I've been on a slope.
6. Mountain biking? Yes. But I'll assert that this is more of a Gen X - Boomer distinction than a signifier of Elitism.
7. Do you know who Jimmie Johnson is? Like Kuff, I thought that this was referring to the former NFL coach and Port Arthur native.
8. Does the acronym MMA mean nothing to you? Of course not.
9. Can you talk about books endlessly? Definitely.
10. Have you ever read a “Left Behind” novel? No
11. How about a Harlequin romance? No
12. Do you take interesting vacations? Yes
13. Do you know a great backpacking spot in the Sierra Nevada? No, unless Yosemite counts.
14. What about an exquisite B&B overlooking Boothbay Harbor? Is this in Maine?
15. Would you be caught dead in an RV? Sure, there are times when I'd be glad to drive one, such as to the Kerrville Folk Festival.
16. Would you be caught dead on a cruise ship? Yep, but I'd get on one of those floating malls only under limited conditions.
17. Have you ever heard of of Branson, Mo? Definitely. I hear that there's some good camping around there.
18. Have you ever attended a meeting of a Kiwanis Club? Are they still around?
19. How about the Rotary Club? Yes
20. Have you lived for at least a year in a small town? Yes
21. Have you lived for a year in an urban neighborhood in which most of your neighbors did not have college degrees? No unless it counts that many of my neighbors and I were college students at the time.
22. Have you spent at least a year with a family income less than twice the poverty line? No
23. Do you have a close friend who is an evangelical Christian? Yes
24. Have you ever visited a factory floor? Yes
25. Have you worked on one? No, but I have worked on a farm.
Here are some questions of my own:
26. Did you attend an Ivy League School or Stanford? No
27. Do you hold a graduate degree from a top ten university (public or private)? No
28. Do you have a hunting or fishing license? Fishing.