# Claire Beauchamp, the culturally literate snob **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905 "2009-07-31T19:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/61 "2009-07-31T21:16:08Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Depends on whether you define “culture,” in the sense of “cultural literacy,” to include sports (and I think a case could be made either way). If it does, then yes, that would make someone culturally illiterate. If no, then they’d be some other kind of illiterate. > > And by these standards, if you want to call me “illiterate” (or ignorant), I’ll cheerfully accept the label. It’s not an ignorance that particularly bothers me, but neither am I proud of it; and for the most part I’ll humbly keep my mouth shut in discussions of football or basketball. I just wouldn’t go spouting my mouth off in sports threads, is all. Which I notably don’t. I also don’t correct other people about words I don’t know, either, like two posters in this thread did, either. I’m classy like that. 🙂 Wouldn’t you think it was dumb as shit if, say, somebody thought all you needed to know about golf was Tiger Woods, and people like Harry Varden, Bobby Jones, or even Jack Nicklaus aren’t worth your time? ETA - sorry, that was supposed to be a reply to **Contrapuntal** , obviously. ETAA - **Algorithm** , that’s a fine point - I was more responding to the rest of the OP than the problem in that linked thread, which is that, yeah, plenty of people who have seen plenty of good movies remember Guinness fondly as Obi-Wan Kenobi. It doesn’t make them culturally illiterate - if you were to ask me who he was, I’d tell you “That guy from _Bridge Over the River Kwai_, and he was Obi-Wan Kenobi.” ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/62 "2009-07-31T21:17:43Z")
Will the OP be back to say mea culpa? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/63 "2009-07-31T21:21:02Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Then pick another question. How about “What college coach was instrumental in the introduction of the shot clock?” My main point is that sports is as much a part of popular culture as movies are, and that many folks who could quote chapter and verse WRT Alec Guinness movies know piss-all about sports. “US college basketball” is a much more specialized topic than “film”. One is a niche sport confined to one country. The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/64 "2009-07-31T21:22:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > “US college basketball” is a much more specialized topic than “film”. > > One is a niche sport confined to one country. The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society. Are you counting out music, or is it literature? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/65 "2009-07-31T21:22:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The other is one of the two most important expressions of culture in society. At the risk of a serious hijack, I’ll bite. What’s the other one? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/66 "2009-07-31T21:24:29Z")
What does ‘eunni’ mean? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/67 "2009-07-31T21:25:33Z")
If I say music, the literati jump on me, and if I say literature, I get strangled to death with an amplifier cable. Make that “…one of the three…” ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/68 "2009-07-31T21:28:31Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > What does ‘eunni’ mean? I’d tell you, but I’m too weary right now. It’s all too, too dreary and tiresome. ETA - unless I just got a spelling whoosh. In that case, I’m bright eyed, bushy-tailed, and red in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/69 "2009-07-31T21:31:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > If I say music, the literati jump on me, and if I say literature, I get strangled to death with an amplifier cable. > > Make that “…one of the three…” Our chief cultural expression is film…film and music…music and film… Our two cultural expressions are music and film…and literature… Our _three_ cultural expressions are music, film, and literature…and an almost fanatical devotion to TV… Our _four_…no… _Amongst_ our cultural… Amongst our cultural expressions…are such elements as music, film… I’ll come in again. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/70 "2009-07-31T21:31:37Z")
I suppose if one wanted to be a punk-ass bitch about it, they could report the rule violation in Claire’s post #24 in the linked thread and get her ass all warned and shit. Not me, though. I was 8 or so when I first saw _Star Wars_ and had probably never heard of Alec Guinness before. I’ve since seen numerous films like _Bridge on the River Kwai_ (which I didn’t really like) and _Kind Hearts and Coronets_ and _The Ladykillers_ (both of which I liked quite a bit), for what that’s worth. I wonder if Christopher Lee is going to be remembered as Count Dooku more than anything else he’s done. Prolly not. And as yet another minor side note, I remember when Laurence Olivier and Mel Blanc died the same week and the greater attention paid to the former. My father pointed out that probably far more people had been entertained by the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/71 "2009-07-31T21:32:46Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Our chief cultural expression is film…film and music…music and film… Our two cultural expressions are music and film…and literature… Our _three_ cultural expressions are music, film, and literature…and an almost fanatical devotion to TV… Our _four_…no… _Amongst_ our cultural… Amongst our cultural expressions…are such elements as music, film… I’ll come in again. Aw, shit, and I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/72 "2009-07-31T21:32:51Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > What does ‘eunni’ mean? I think that’s the guy who performed at the Pyramids and the Acropolis. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/73 "2009-07-31T21:32:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And as yet another minor side note, I remember when Laurence Olivier and Mel Blanc died the same week and the greater attention paid to the former. My father pointed out that probably far more people had been entertained by the latter. I’d bet you good money that it’s Mel Blanc’s work that will stand the test of time. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/74 "2009-07-31T21:44:50Z")
::comes into thread to defend Jamie’s _sassenach_ lass from allegations of English snobbery:: ::reads a bit:: Never mind! ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/75 "2009-07-31T22:10:03Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Here’s a thought experiment for the stuck-up elitists here abouts. Can anyone deny that sports is huge part of our culture? I mean tremendously, staggeringly, blindingly huge? > > Does not knowing who won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship last year, or the names of the last three Super Bowl MVPS, make someone culturally illiterate? Here’s a clue. There is more to culture than movies. Much much more. I don’t know. If someone mentioned Bart Starr or Babe Ruth, and I responded with “Who the hell are they and what have they done lately?”, I’d pretty much expect to get my ass handed to me. I mean, sure, not everyone knows who they are, but I wouldn’t brag about it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/76 "2009-07-31T22:21:46Z")
_quickly googles Bart Starr_ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/77 "2009-07-31T22:24:55Z")
He’s Brenda’s dad, right? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/78 "2009-07-31T22:26:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I wonder if Christopher Lee is going to be remembered as Count Dooku more than anything else he’s done. Prolly not. Pfft. That’s just ridiculous. He’ll be remembered as _Saruman_ ;). As an aside my own favorite Christoper Lee role is still **Lord Summerisle**. And I own _Bridge on the River Kwai_, _Lawrence of Arabia_ and the original _The Ladykillers_ on DVD, so I expect a partial pass on accusations of cultural illiteracy at least through this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/79 "2009-07-31T22:28:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Pfft. That’s just ridiculous. > > He’ll be remembered as _Saruman_ ;). Sadly when I first think of Lee’s roles , the first role I think of him _not_ being Saruman in ROTK. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905/80 "2009-07-31T22:34:23Z")
_Kind Hearts and Coronets_ is obscure? Fie on all of you! It’s my favorite Alec Guiness movie of all time. I don’t see what basketball has to do with culture. That’s sports and while it has its own culture (and one should know at least something about it or keep one’s mouth firmly shut), I don’t class it with the arts: film, literature, music and the visual arts etc. YMMV. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claire-beauchamp-the-culturally-literate-snob/504905.md?page=5)