I pit elitism

The BBQ Pit
1

Actually, I pit accusations of elitism, in whatever form they may take. I honestly think that the word doesn’t even carry any meaning at all anymore, having become nothing more than a code-word for “We don’t like you.” Don’t like Democrats? Left-wing elitists! Don’t like Republicans? Right-wing elitists! Frankly, I’m sick of the word, and when I’m God-Emperor of the known universe, I will ban its use, upon punishment of having the offender’s forehead tattooed with “You think your better than me?” (Note the grammatical error – we wouldn’t want to offenders to be branded as elitists, now, would we?)

But there is another use of the term, or just describing the attitude without using that word, that bugs the shit out of me. It’s the general attitude that no one, at any time, ever does anything simply because they enjoy it. Nope, they’re being elitists. They do it to show off, or to exclude the unwashed masses. They want to prove that they’re better than you.

Now, I have no doubt that some people do this. And they are sad, sad people who deserve our pit- er, scorn. But every bit as sad are people that suspect that everyone else’s motivations are rooted in elitism. What a sad frame to be working from.

I find it out IRL, but it seems especially concentrated on this board. I won’t provide links, because searching for them is too hard and I’m a lazy SOB (also, because I’m better than you). But a few examples:

*I recently mentioned that I took my vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. When asked what the attraction was to going there, someone piped up with (paraphrased) “The only reason people go there is because it’s popular, and everyone wants to go to places that rich people make popular.” This IRL example was said by a Doper, whose identity I won’t reveal here, but who I normally like and respect very much. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was being told, to my face, that I don’t really think for myself, I just want to hang out with the cool kids. In other words, elitism. Gee, it couldn’t be because I’m 87.2% happier there than anywhere else on Earth.

*I don’t think I can find the thread, but a while back there was a discussion about lobster. Someone mentioned that the only reason people eat it is because they want to be seen eating something expensive. Bullshit. It couldn’t possibly be that it tastes amazing, now, could it? Because lobster-eaters are, by their very nature, elitists.

*Years ago there was a thread about dining at very expensive restaurants. The question was asked why anyone would spend those sorts of prices for food that doesn’t taste any better than at lower priced restaurants. The first reason given? “They just want to be seen by other society elitists.” Give me a fucking break.

*This one is my favorite. Someone mentioned that the only reason people play DnD is to – get this – look cool. There aren’t enough rolleyes.

Get off your fucking low horses, people. Not everyone is out to prove they’re better than you. Some people actually have lives.

And yes, I’m better than you. Glad we could clear that up.

2

Well done rant, I can’t agree more on the D&D roll eyes. That is some funny stuff and a really weird thing to think.

When I first joined the board, I remember having to defend myself in detail as a Yankee fan that I did not jump on the bandwagon and that I was a third generation fan that remembers and went to games the Yanks played at Shea.

Now I haven’t had this problem in a long time, but it was a very silly attitude for someone to cop. If you don’t like a movie (oh lets say Dark Knight) you are being elitist, even though you might like even sillier movies like the last Mummy movie.

Of course, I am sure I have express similar stupidity over the years a few times. Probably about luxury SUVs. (Of course on those I am correct) :smiley:

Jim

3

Hell, even those of us who may not have lives, don’t give a fig for what you other people are doing. I do things either because I feel I must, for a variety of reasons, or because I enjoy them.

Being told I’m only a fan of anime because it’s cool is another huge laugh. Right up there with the DnD one from the OP.

4

Fucking elitist.

5

It’s a generalization that hurts as much as any other generalization does. I can see both sides. I’ve been accused of being an elitist, but really was just a guy who enjoyed what he was doing at the time. At one time, I ran a private discussion list for people in my business who had been at it a long time. You wouldn’t believe the accusations of elitism that came my way. You’d think I was in charge of the velvet rope at the hottest dance club in New York. Really, all I was trying to do is keep the discussion valuable and high-level so that members of the list would derive tremendous value from it. I wasn’t trying to create an old boys’ network.

On the other hand, I know plenty of people in my personal and professional lives who do things solely to appear as if they place great value on wealth and status. It’s annoying as fuck.

6

What’s chapping my hide lately is that apparently everybody in this country has lost sight of the fact that “elitist” and “elite” are two separate words. In the case of our presidential candidates, one of them is often labeled as an “elitist,” but what he actually IS is “elite.” These are not interchangeable words, you know.

7

I may have been present at that conversation, but I don’t remember anyone expressing quite that point. I hope it wasn’t me.

Besides which, isn’t “everyone wants to…” pretty much the opposite of elitism?

8

I make no apology for elitism, because true elitism is a form of meritocracy, not snobbery which is often misused as a term for elitism.

The flip side of elitism is mediocrity, its the type of obsessive celebrity culture that glorifies mediocre individuals merely because they are well know for being… well known.

Fuck me, I wish we could have a bit more elitism in music, because there is just so much mediocirty about these days - whatever happend to excellence in popular music.

I don’t want to have celebrities to look up at who are no more talented than myself (and often less so) I want to celebrate talent, excellence, ability and genius and if that is elitist, then get up off your mediocre fucking arses and get the fuck out of here you tedious wankers.

9

Obama is an elitist! :slight_smile:

10

For the life of me I don’t get the whole “If you wouldn’t want to have him on your speed dial or have him over for poker and movies on Friday night, then why would you vote for him?” nonsense. I will probably never meet my elected officials unless it’s for a handshake in a sea of thousands, I’m interested in who will do the job. And that really does go either way: I couldn’t care less than McCain’s a multimillionaire who owns many houses (some of our best and some of our worst presidents have been multimillionaires) or that Obama doesn’t like country fried steak and gravy and beer (provided he doesn’t), it’s just a total non-issue.

The great thing about the word elitist is that it’s so elastic. One of my crowning achievements was once accused of being a “classist elitist” and of being a “low browed pleb” once on the same blog for the same post on the same day.

ETA: Montgomery AL had for almost 50 years a restaurant and nightclub downtown named The Elite but pronounced, by everybody, the “EE-light”. Drove some out-of-towners crazy and made them sneer when they heard it as they didn’t realize “yeah, we know how elite is pronounced, but it’s been called that since it opened and if you ask 10 different old timers you’ll get 12 different reasons for it” (some said it was because that was how black people pronounced it, others that it was because that was how redneck farmers pronounced it, others that it was how undereducated legislators who came there while at the capitol pronounced it, anybody’s guess ultimately.
Anyway, when I hear “elitism” I always think of “EE-light”.

11

You were, I do, and it wasn’t. :wink:

Yes, but we’re talking about MV here. There is a huge misconception that people that go there all dress like Thurston Howell III and sip martinis at “the club” while talking about how much money they made in the stock market. I’ve heard (from many people) that the only reason to go there is to rub elbows with the very rich. In my dozen times of going there, I have yet to meet anyone who even remotely fits that description. (I was, however, accosted by a yacht owner who was drunk off his ass and was somewhere between “I love you man!” and “You think you’re better than me?”)

12

I have only one thing to add: if there’s one word that could not possibly describe a fighter pilot, it is “elitist.”

Oh, wait…

13

A while back my younger brother had one of his bipolar episodes, and during a 45-minute screaming diatribe that culminated in threats of bodily harm and having a drink thrown in my face (so much for trying to engage him calmly, without raising my voice or returning the verbal abuse he was dishing out) he repeatedly accused me of thinking I was better than him. I honestly don’t know what that means. I supposedly waste my time thinking to myself: “I’m superior to you”? Sorry, not interested. I’ll admit I much prefer avoiding the chaos that seems to surround his life, but there are plenty of things he does better than I, or is more knowledgable about. If pressed, I’d have to say that I’m pretty sure I can control my temper a lot better than he can, but that’s about it.

Maybe what he meant was, why don’t I recognize that I’m inferior to him? I don’t know.

Sorry, I’ll stop rambling now.

14

What I found funny about the whole elitism thing (as the Republicans used it, anyway, throughout this campaign - and let’s not be dishonest, the term was used pretty much exclusively by Republicans, most often leveled as an accusation) was that the most glaring example I saw in practice was at the Republican convention, with the sneering laughter at “community organizers”.

15

Counterpoint: the Red Lobster chain of restaurants.

16

I’ve been accused of being an elitist for bringing PBR to a party.

The drunk idiot in question was drinking Heineken.

17

God-Emperor smacks of elitism, just sayin’.
It may amuse you to know that the Victorians considered lobsters vulgar and common, not elitist at all. How times change.

I’ve been on MV to ride the bike trail (my family owns a house in Falmouth–oops!), and I must say the types I see there are the antithesis of elitist. Some of them just look homeless, but that might be a cultivated beach comber look. The truly elite are on the Elizabeth Islands, darling.

I actually will consider being called elitist a compliment–if I’m ever called it, that is.

18

They get good seats for the goat races? :smiley:

(Yeah, I know you mean MA, but that’s what that name makes me think of.)

19

I’m sure you’re familiar with the historical account of some New England prison in the early 19th century. The prisoners were fed lobster every day, until they rioted, or nearly did so, in protest. The menu was changed.

Oysters were also a common foodstuff, and as cheap as bread. Bars used to give away all the oysters customers wanted, as long as they kept ordering drinks.

In general I agree with the OP. The current mood of anti-elitism is one that is harmful to our political process. No, I don’t want a “regular Joe” sitting in the Oval Office and being allowed anywhere near The Button. I would rather have a Joe or Jane who is far above average. You know, like someone who’s been the editor of an elite university’s law review. Stuff like that. :smiley:

20

It was also mentioned specifically in the contracts of some indentured servants that they would not be given lobster to eat any more than their masters’ family ate it. It was basically considered a bug (which, of course, it essentially is), plus they probably hadn’t latched onto hot butter and stuffing yet.