Ah yes, the charge of "bad taste"...one of the last bastions of we snobs, isn't it? I'm only partially joking, of course. "Good taste" is such a deeply contextual factor (who has good taste about porn, for example?) that it becomes really interesting to examine closely. That's why I asked, "what kind..." rather than, "are you..."? Thanks for the comment.
Yes, it seems to be much easier being male on planet Earth. Men are stong so they fight instead of using their intellect and have huge egos like President Bush.
Not all men are brawling neanderthals, and there are times when intellect says that the best current option is a fight (see: American Revolution). President Bush doesn't have an ego. He's a son trying to please his father. If he had it his way, he'd still be getting high at school. On a side note, I do know that I am a 'think before you act/speak' snob 'feminism/political correctness has gone too far' snob and a 'people need to lie to themselves less' snob.
I hope there are enough women out there who desire those positions. More women in power could have a uniquely stabilizing effect. As long as they are there for the right reasons. We need to be rid of the people in positions of power (many are men) who get off on using their powers. As long as the people entering those positions intend to be true public servants I would not care to know their gender, race or religion.
I have come to believe the whole reason we become on planet Earth is to be "thrown into a wringer." Are we going to become egomaniacs and live serving our egos? It is so rewarded here. If you care for others before yourself then you are somewhat an anomoly.
I love Wal-mart because I'm a broke college student, but I feel awkward when I'm there. I really do hate American Idol. I feel as if it brought my I.Q down several points. And NASCAR, I have three words: zoom...zoom..."yagoddmansonofabitch"
I believe we are allowed to snob things such as not choosing to converse in gossip, as well as choosing to not do things we feel aren't good for us. But I do not condone those that snob out of ignorance, like the snob that come from racism.
Great vid Tom. It's another interesting discussion. What kind of snob am I? Well, I don't get a lot of Nascar or Walmart over here, but I always say how much I detest reality television, be it American Idol or whatever and still find it oddly compelling viewing. We are all guilty of indulging in this kind of stuff and never admiting it! ;-)
Women can use both sides of their brains at the same time because they have all those connections men don't have. Our brains are reasoning differently from men when this happens. Why we see alternatives men may not.
Tom, I am an vision snob. Not in the sense of "what is your eyesight numbers", but in the sense of "can't you see what the hell is going on". All the things you mentioned are diversions to the real problems that we (as a civilization) are killing our planet and our creativity through the worship of mediocrity. Later, G
Milk... I can't tolerate low fat milk, it has to be whole milk or i take a hissy fit, cross my arms, and stomp my feet... and demand the head of the kitchen staff
That was what I thought, too. But think about driving 185 mph a foot behind one car and in front of another one, three, four wide on a track...keeping the car off the wall...I mean, think about it!
When I read your thoughts I'm reminded of a story about an old Zen master who purportedly said, "if something is boring for ten minutes, do it for twenty." Finding the (fill in the blank: chi, soul, value, meaning) in activities that others appreciate which I don't is a continual challenge for me. Snobbish reactions emerge when I fail.
OMG I just hate the lowlifes in their jacked up, lowered, freakily painted cars with spinners who boom their horrid music so loud that I can make out the lyrics over my Barry Manilow!
Sprawlmart came into Canada and still attempt to impose its policies onto this country. They've been charged in Quebec for labor violations and called in bomb threats to their own stores to stop unionization in Gatineau. Their low prices are an illusion, only the most popular items being priced lower than the competition.
Walmart would be a fine place it it wasn't overfilled with people who leave their cars blocking the aisle, people with too many screaming children, people who don't look where they're going. Makes me want to put up the cattle guard and just plow straight thru.
American Idol promotes mediocrity and superficiality. The people who try for this show aren't artists but people who want to be stars and they're willing to sound like the thousands of other generic whiners to do it. Originality is frowned upon by the judges, who favor marketability within an existing trend.
Well I guess I am guilty of snobbery, yes. My inner nose wanders upwards when I know someone who reads novels with Fabio on the cover, or drinks white zinfandel, collects Thomas Kinkaid "art" or pronounces BRUSCHETTA ...brooSHetta.
I am very guilty of grammar and spelling snobbery.
Note to self: and what makes YOU so great? sheesh
very nice video! (although I hate myself now)- leS
Sorry to hear you share with me (and obviously many others from the comments here) the snob gene. Like I said in the vid: we all do it, it's just a matter of being honest about it.
Thanks for the compliment...sorry about the self-loathing part!
ok...i am a snob about the dumbest things...i do not trust eating dairy products...i won't eat dairy(especially milk) if it's even two days before the expiration date...stupid, iknow o.O
They were there since 1963 and they're the town's major employer. Hershey currently has two other plants in Canada - One in Niagara Falls and another in Mississauga.
4) But if one opposes them because one believes they endanger the ability of people to have decent lives (Wal-Mart), or because they promote consuming gas guzzling cars that endanger our environment, and our geopolitical world (NASCAR), or because one believes that they are involved in a culture of distraction which serves corporate power, and weakens democratic politics (NASCAR and American Idol), that is political opposition.
3) So if one opposes Wal-Mart, NASCAR or American Idol because they are too rural, too Southern, or anything else which can ultimately be reduced to too lower class, that is snobbery.
2) It is about things such as whether one is free to have a reasonable degree of control of one's own life. To my mind that is quite different from, and quite a bit more serious than, the issues raised by snobbery. Having said that, I think that one could be negative about Wal-Mart, NASCAR, and American Idol for reasons of either snobbery or of political opposition, but that it is important to distinguish between the two sorts of reason, and not reduce political opposition to snobbery.
1) Tom, I think there is a possible confusion here between snobbery and political opposition. As you rightly point out, snobbery is about affirming inequality. However, democratic (small d) politics is about identifying unequal relationships of power, and challenging them. Political opposition is ultimately about things such as whether people, or other creatures, can live at all, or if they can live, how well they can live.
Things not worth wasting time on: NASCAR, American Idol, WWF, Dr. Phil, Oprah, Jerry Springer, Geraldo, The Superbowl, baseball, golf, ice skating, etc. Wal-Mart is kind of hard to avoid, unless you're rich. So, I guess Wal-Mart is a necessary evil. Snobbery... that's not really the issue actually. It's more a matter of priorities and values and realizing that some things are just a waste of time.
Japanese cars yes, American cars not so much. Apple computer yes, the other ones not bad just not quite an apple. Greys Anatomy and Desperate housewives god no, Battle star gallatica, and The Wire yes of course. Shak absolutely, Kobe well I guess yes but sometimes no, Golden delicious apples from the farmer's market yes, same apple from Vons nooo. Jeez Tom you got week?
Well, yes, Wal-Mart's labor practices get publicized by the media but that doesn't mean that there aren't people upset about their labor practices, right? As for AI, I KNOW people who squirm when they talk about watching it because they consider it declasse and try to couch their viewership in fancy terms. But, yes, in fact the media does know all! 8^)
BTW, many of us resist the idea that we buy with our hearts not heads vehemently...so vehemently, in fact, that it practically proves the point in itself. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," some English guy once wrote!
Excellent point. I'm uploading a video on that subject as we "speak." Oh yes, the ironic consumption of "guilty pleasures" is one of my favorite "tricks" as well! 8^]
It's a fascinating issue, for me at least. Every object has a "back story" today (even cell phone ring tones, as DrLemur points out) and any story has the potential to evoke emotions. The kicker is that we MAKE UP SO MUCH OF THAT BACK STORY yet believe it to be absolutely gospel. Fill in the blanks: "people who drive a SUV are__"; "people who drive a Prius are__." You may not have those kinds of reactions but apparently many of us do. Thanks, and thanks for all your thoughtful comments.
I don't think it's even always a conscious snobbery. I guess to a point it's about personal taste. I relate to a person less if I consider them to have bad taste, especially in an area of interest of mine. (btw I may just be one of the only people left in the world who still use the ordinary ring on their cellphone :)
I am a computer technology snob, because I run Linux and Slackware in particular, rather than use inferior Microsoft products. Vista is a resource hog that uses your paid for computing cycles to run DRM for the RIAA.
Never could get into nascar. I tend to be a film and tv snob and a cell phone ringtone snob. You can tell a lot about a person by their ring tone I always thought :)
Off the top of my head, a few things I'm snobbish about: bad grammar, soap operas, bottled water (tap for me, please), McDonald's, SUVs, popular fiction, megachurches, cigarettes, and American Eagle.
I'm snobby about things I consider "too high-class" and "too low-class," I think. I prefer to stay near the middle.
Not a fan of Nascar, no interest the same with any sport. An excuse to get drunk. Walmart and their mass production with loads of people crammed into a warehouse style, children screaming, mess. American Idol, although I have watched it; I wouldn't admit that to everybody...my biggest snobbery is water. I refuse to drink anything other than bottled spring water. Just because everyone else does it, does not make it necessary for you to enjoy as all.
Wow...isn't it amazing how strong our feelings can be about things that others have absolutely no idea about? Water made me laugh out loud! I have friends who'd rather drink urine than tap water!!
I don't follow NASCAR, but I like the Matchbox or Hot Wheels replicas.
I don't know much about Walmart's legal woes, but I do like their lower prices.
I didn't miss one episode of American Idol last season and have started watching Season 6. I was thrilled to see Clay Aiken during his Jukebox Tour in August 2005 while I was in Boston for a week.
FEB.23 '07 At first I didn't think I was a snob, but I thought about it and came up with the following: A date my Comments snob. A handwriting snob. An instruction reading snob. A clean hand snob. A correct spelling snob. A carefree hair snob--no hairspray, mousse, gels, or other hair additives for me snob. The laundry has to be washed, folded, and hung MY WAY snob. There are many more... WAIT!!! I sound obsessive/compulsive =)
I am a middle snob. I love the extremes..WalMart to Chanel. Nascar to Millionaires Row at the Derby. American Idol to backstage VIP passes at the concert du jour. They are all AMAZING. It's the middle that sucks. The low end can be as chic as the high end. Again it's that mid point that makes me uncomfortable.
Key word: "chic." That's one of the ways we know what we value highly, the things we assess as chic. For me the distinctive aspect of "snobbery" is the evaluations we make of those who don't embrace our standards. "Middle brow" is one of those stingers!
I am a snob about Walmart, Dark chocolate, Old Navy, Computers, and PS2 :D even if those count. I like walmart because it sometimes I can get really good deals, I only get my Dark chocolate at Govdia, and I only get my colths at Old navy, and I have too have all the update computer stuff out there. I also am totally about PS2 I love it... and wont trade it for anything else... :D
Hey darlin, I've been reading the comments and I'm wondering if ppl undersatnd the true meaning of snob. Being a snob means that you have a preference and if someone else doesn't fit into your preference you feel superior. There's absolutley nothing wrong with individual taste as long as you don't think another is lesser if they don't think as you do. Make any sense?? Peace
Yes, I think we take the edge off the superiority part of "snobbery" by talking about "strong preferences." It's the way we think of/treat people who have different preferences that makes it snobbery, right?
Nascar - don't get the excitement but props to those that are passionate about it.
Walmart - wifey enjoys our visits to the Looney-Burg so she can get cheap goods and pay the cashier that sports a thicker goatess then I could ever dream of.
American Idol - guilty pleasure for sure, although I am not blown away by any of the contestants this year.
Actually, I think several of the girls could be stars, but most of the guys are not ready for prime time. Those Looney-Burg folks are relatively mutant, or, relatives of mutants, or something like that!
Okay...this is me, my wife/your daughter, yeah fruit cake! Anyway, she has made me into a chocolat snob but not completely, I still enjoy a nice piece of Hershey's milk chocolate! I am definitely a gadget snob, I always love the latest and greatest stuff. And camera snob too, I mean how can anyone wield ANYTHING LESS than a Nikon D70? I mean, seriously!
See, I knew she'd get you with that chocolate stuff, but good to see you still drink that Dunkin' DD coffee...gotta have standards, even if they're low! D70? C'mon...the 200 rules!!!
As you know i am a trainer (sneaker) snob, i am also a vinyl snob. I can't stand DJs who "cheat" using mp3 or CDs... it's gotta be vinyl!
The only thread i can detect between my two snobberies is heritage. I love the older and more classic sneaker styles, and vinyl is also a retro thing.
"Heritage" snobs seems like a deep, old category. It's amazing to see the "same mindset" that would look down on others for, say, not wearing whites at Wimbledon, lead one to think less of mp3-playin', New Balance wearin' DJs!!
This is Kristin: Pizza, I don't like Greek pizza or frozen pizzas. Beer, please don't make me drink Scud. Chocolate - only dark, good stuff - no cheap Palmer's Easter stuff or Whitman or Russell Stover PLEASE! High fructose corn syrup - ban it. BTW - tell ma the wine glasses were found and unpacked.
Hi honey! Ooo, that's right, you hate Greek pizza! Scud...no frackin' way! Dark choc rules. (Um, I think I'm Ok with that high fructose stuff, actually.)
First and foremost, I am a NY snob. Either love it or leave it.
Secondly, I am a food snob. I know how to cook so I can appreciate the effort that goes into a good meal. That's not to say that I don't eat a big Mac on occasion. But show me something like Velveeta and I probably will have a reaction similar to an epileptic fit.
OK, PB. I'll also plead guilty to NYC snobbiness. C'mon, whaddya kiddin' me?
Velveeta...OK...this is gonna be traumatic, but, my ex-wife was a Velveetist...shoulda known something was amiss... So, I guess I need to also cop to first degree foodieism as well.
I think people are snobbish about being part of the mainstream, but i say sod it, if enough people abstain from the mainstream and shy away then we'll be the cooler minority...hang in their guys, i can see American Idol going cult pretty soon!
I'm pretty much a snob about people who have dial up internet! get broadband you total losers! keep up the good work Tom! Stay cool , from Chris Neadham +)
Most everything I consider a "hobby" I'm a snob about. Bike parts, I'm snobish. Computer parts and software: snob. Music...I snubbed rap my whole life untill a couple months ago. Now I can't believe how much I was missing.
It's hard to "recover" from being a snob because we've, a lot of times, invested huge chunks of our life belittling something. To go back and say, "Well, my past self was wrong for all that time.", that a big ego hit.
BTW - I see the comment system here is as bad as ever! - that also makes me a video site snob - LV is far better! - ha! ha! :-) Just kidding people...calm down
I think a lot of the snobbery is based on popularity. The more popular the brand, the less 'cool' it becomes. We all like to think we are better and more original than other people. But we all have those 'guilty pleasures'. Good video as always Tom.
Absolutely, Andy. Snobbery is directly proportional to popularity. You should hear New Yorkers talk about restaurants! It's actually become the stuff of a "Yogi Berra" story. Yogi (the personification of the naif) is reported to have said: "nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded"!
I am a coffee snob. I won't drink coffee that's been sitting in the pot for more than a hour. I won't use powdered creamer. Also, has to be fresh beans. Not from a can. = P
I like quality clothing. Walmart is okay for lots of things but I don't like their clothes or shoes. I've even gone into PayLess Shoes and still, the quality and fit are not the same as a good pair of shoes. I'll spend more and it will last longer and feel better when I'm wearing it. That's probably what I'm a snob about. I don't mind buying flip flops or cheap sandals from them though. American Idol, I love!!!!
I gotta say, I really enjoy AI too. I'm a huge newspaper snob. It's the New York Times, or nothing. I smirk when I read other papers...how bad is that?
Yes, I'm a *total* snob. I don't have a t.v., but even if I did, I wouldn't be caught dead watching either Nascar or American Idol. My parents watch Nascar and it irritates me to death when I visit. I'm a foodie snob to some extent, particularly my coffee, beer and chocolate. Life is short, eat the good stuff. While I shop at Walmart, I don't buy myself clothes there. :-)
hmmm, I'm gonna have to think about this one. I grew up in the rural South and we didn't have much room to be a snob about anthing. I'm gonna have to get back to ya on this one. <thinkin> :)
Maybe Im missing something about Nascar....bunch of cars, go around a circle a bunch of times, again and again and again...seems incredibly boring to me.
hmmm, have you ever been standed close to a Nextel Cup car when those RPM's are turning and smell the gasoline the oil and the tires? Maybe it's a chic thing but I love to hear, "Gentlemen, start your engines." :)))
My husband always tells me that if I were at the track and smelled the sweetness of the fumes and the sound, I'd be hooked. LOL!!! I just don't get into Nascar. All I see are cars going around and around and it is boring to me. My husband loves it though.
Well I always say, try it once. Go to the track and then if you decide after allowing all your senses to absorb all that is to be absorbed that you don't like it, I can accept that. :))) Peace
This is one of the great snobbery moves: simplificato ad absurdem. Take the thing and strip it of anything unique. It's like what we say about music we don't like: "all sounds the same to me." Thanks...looks like you had fun at The Gathering.
hmmmm..this is a tough one. I think I can somethings be snotty when it comes to electronics. I like all the "new" stuff. Im not all all like that when it comes to clothes...food...stuff like that though. great questions
This is an interesting one. Five years ago saying one shopped at Target would have brought much snobbery derision down on one's head. Today: it shows I dig design! I loooovvve marketing!
NASCAR - cool as hell, go into your grocery store and pay close attention, you will see NASCAR ads and driver faces all over the place.
Walmart - Love it, shop there all the time, also came to mind, crowded, cheap clothes (I don't buy clothes there for myself) and minorities cause there is a stereotype that minorities flood to walmarts.
American Idol- Crap TV for mindless Americans but I wish I had thought of it.
Thanks, Festerius. I love the names we make up for ourselves to disguise our snobbery: "gourmet" is one of my favs (and also one of my prime snobifications!), as are "connoisseur," and "afficionado." You get bonus points for admitting you watch Idol!
oh, I had to think about that one. Then I got the topic wrestling. Isn´t that acceptable?
But after reading one of your replies I wondered if I am subconscious a snob about newspapers, movies and books!
Like Dr. Lemur I wonder, where is the line between good taste and snob? Isn´t it desireable to detect bad taste?
ogier1 4 years ago
Ah yes, the charge of "bad taste"...one of the last bastions of we snobs, isn't it? I'm only partially joking, of course. "Good taste" is such a deeply contextual factor (who has good taste about porn, for example?) that it becomes really interesting to examine closely. That's why I asked, "what kind..." rather than, "are you..."? Thanks for the comment.
tlg847 4 years ago
Yes, it seems to be much easier being male on planet Earth. Men are stong so they fight instead of using their intellect and have huge egos like President Bush.
greatbroad 4 years ago
Not all men are brawling neanderthals, and there are times when intellect says that the best current option is a fight (see: American Revolution). President Bush doesn't have an ego. He's a son trying to please his father. If he had it his way, he'd still be getting high at school. On a side note, I do know that I am a 'think before you act/speak' snob 'feminism/political correctness has gone too far' snob and a 'people need to lie to themselves less' snob.
katanaking007 4 years ago
I'll lay down after women are in positions of power in proportion to their population.
greatbroad 4 years ago
I hope there are enough women out there who desire those positions. More women in power could have a uniquely stabilizing effect. As long as they are there for the right reasons. We need to be rid of the people in positions of power (many are men) who get off on using their powers. As long as the people entering those positions intend to be true public servants I would not care to know their gender, race or religion.
katanaking007 4 years ago
I have come to believe the whole reason we become on planet Earth is to be "thrown into a wringer." Are we going to become egomaniacs and live serving our egos? It is so rewarded here. If you care for others before yourself then you are somewhat an anomoly.
greatbroad 4 years ago
So you are a snob about being male I take it. Maybe like the Jewish prayer, you thank God you are not a woman.
greatbroad 4 years ago
I love Wal-mart because I'm a broke college student, but I feel awkward when I'm there. I really do hate American Idol. I feel as if it brought my I.Q down several points. And NASCAR, I have three words: zoom...zoom..."yagoddmansonofabitch"
I believe we are allowed to snob things such as not choosing to converse in gossip, as well as choosing to not do things we feel aren't good for us. But I do not condone those that snob out of ignorance, like the snob that come from racism.
ALeafstedt 4 years ago
Great vid Tom. It's another interesting discussion. What kind of snob am I? Well, I don't get a lot of Nascar or Walmart over here, but I always say how much I detest reality television, be it American Idol or whatever and still find it oddly compelling viewing. We are all guilty of indulging in this kind of stuff and never admiting it! ;-)
LACK78 5 years ago
ur a fag
p4psm3re 5 years ago
Women can use both sides of their brains at the same time because they have all those connections men don't have. Our brains are reasoning differently from men when this happens. Why we see alternatives men may not.
greatbroad 5 years ago
Alcohol and food snob.
FlowingGeisha 5 years ago
I'm a chocolate, coffee, doughnuts, brownies, and film snob. Walmart
FlowingGeisha 5 years ago
Tom, I am an vision snob. Not in the sense of "what is your eyesight numbers", but in the sense of "can't you see what the hell is going on". All the things you mentioned are diversions to the real problems that we (as a civilization) are killing our planet and our creativity through the worship of mediocrity. Later, G
gpert 5 years ago
im a film snob, i hate watching bad holywood movies, the more arthouse and foreign it is the better as far as im concerned.
kereru 5 years ago
Milk... I can't tolerate low fat milk, it has to be whole milk or i take a hissy fit, cross my arms, and stomp my feet... and demand the head of the kitchen staff
gratex 5 years ago
Balance is a great thing, isn't is?
tlg847 5 years ago
That was what I thought, too. But think about driving 185 mph a foot behind one car and in front of another one, three, four wide on a track...keeping the car off the wall...I mean, think about it!
tlg847 5 years ago
When I read your thoughts I'm reminded of a story about an old Zen master who purportedly said, "if something is boring for ten minutes, do it for twenty." Finding the (fill in the blank: chi, soul, value, meaning) in activities that others appreciate which I don't is a continual challenge for me. Snobbish reactions emerge when I fail.
Thanks.
tlg847 5 years ago
OMG I just hate the lowlifes in their jacked up, lowered, freakily painted cars with spinners who boom their horrid music so loud that I can make out the lyrics over my Barry Manilow!
479Lucy 5 years ago
Now, that's a funny comment right there! Thanks.
tlg847 5 years ago
Sprawlmart came into Canada and still attempt to impose its policies onto this country. They've been charged in Quebec for labor violations and called in bomb threats to their own stores to stop unionization in Gatineau. Their low prices are an illusion, only the most popular items being priced lower than the competition.
canucktunes 5 years ago
Walmart would be a fine place it it wasn't overfilled with people who leave their cars blocking the aisle, people with too many screaming children, people who don't look where they're going. Makes me want to put up the cattle guard and just plow straight thru.
dinkyface 5 years ago
American Idol promotes mediocrity and superficiality. The people who try for this show aren't artists but people who want to be stars and they're willing to sound like the thousands of other generic whiners to do it. Originality is frowned upon by the judges, who favor marketability within an existing trend.
canucktunes 5 years ago
Well I guess I am guilty of snobbery, yes. My inner nose wanders upwards when I know someone who reads novels with Fabio on the cover, or drinks white zinfandel, collects Thomas Kinkaid "art" or pronounces BRUSCHETTA ...brooSHetta.
I am very guilty of grammar and spelling snobbery.
Note to self: and what makes YOU so great? sheesh
very nice video! (although I hate myself now)- leS
LeSaMilano 5 years ago
Sorry to hear you share with me (and obviously many others from the comments here) the snob gene. Like I said in the vid: we all do it, it's just a matter of being honest about it.
Thanks for the compliment...sorry about the self-loathing part!
8^)
tlg847 5 years ago
ok...i am a snob about the dumbest things...i do not trust eating dairy products...i won't eat dairy(especially milk) if it's even two days before the expiration date...stupid, iknow o.O
chicelias 5 years ago
eat, drink whatever
chicelias 5 years ago
Chocolate: must be dark, must be Lindt or Godiva. Hersheys? Ugh
Clothes: Nice pants, dress shirt, running shoes? Ugh.
Or white socks? Ugh.
djupiter 5 years ago
ditto about hersheys...not smooth enough
chicelias 5 years ago
I will be boycotting Hershey soon - They're closing their plant in Smiths Falls, Canada.
canucktunes 5 years ago
I didn't know there was a plant there, but I think the only time I was in, or passed by, Smiths Falls, was 15 years ago, so I hardly remember.
In any case, just another huge company. I hope the town can recover.
djupiter 5 years ago
They were there since 1963 and they're the town's major employer. Hershey currently has two other plants in Canada - One in Niagara Falls and another in Mississauga.
canucktunes 5 years ago
5) I hope those distinctions make clear why I think one should not reduce political opposition to snobbery.
bugfood 5 years ago
4) But if one opposes them because one believes they endanger the ability of people to have decent lives (Wal-Mart), or because they promote consuming gas guzzling cars that endanger our environment, and our geopolitical world (NASCAR), or because one believes that they are involved in a culture of distraction which serves corporate power, and weakens democratic politics (NASCAR and American Idol), that is political opposition.
bugfood 5 years ago
3) So if one opposes Wal-Mart, NASCAR or American Idol because they are too rural, too Southern, or anything else which can ultimately be reduced to too lower class, that is snobbery.
bugfood 5 years ago
2) It is about things such as whether one is free to have a reasonable degree of control of one's own life. To my mind that is quite different from, and quite a bit more serious than, the issues raised by snobbery. Having said that, I think that one could be negative about Wal-Mart, NASCAR, and American Idol for reasons of either snobbery or of political opposition, but that it is important to distinguish between the two sorts of reason, and not reduce political opposition to snobbery.
bugfood 5 years ago
1) Tom, I think there is a possible confusion here between snobbery and political opposition. As you rightly point out, snobbery is about affirming inequality. However, democratic (small d) politics is about identifying unequal relationships of power, and challenging them. Political opposition is ultimately about things such as whether people, or other creatures, can live at all, or if they can live, how well they can live.
bugfood 5 years ago
Things not worth wasting time on: NASCAR, American Idol, WWF, Dr. Phil, Oprah, Jerry Springer, Geraldo, The Superbowl, baseball, golf, ice skating, etc. Wal-Mart is kind of hard to avoid, unless you're rich. So, I guess Wal-Mart is a necessary evil. Snobbery... that's not really the issue actually. It's more a matter of priorities and values and realizing that some things are just a waste of time.
blackturtleus 5 years ago
Wal-Mart is easy to avoid...at my poorest, I still went to Target over Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, IMHO, is the definition of low class.
thadrd 5 years ago
Nearest Wally World: 25 miles. Nearest Target: over 90. Not so easy to avoid Wal-Mart for me.
blackturtleus 5 years ago
Japanese cars yes, American cars not so much. Apple computer yes, the other ones not bad just not quite an apple. Greys Anatomy and Desperate housewives god no, Battle star gallatica, and The Wire yes of course. Shak absolutely, Kobe well I guess yes but sometimes no, Golden delicious apples from the farmer's market yes, same apple from Vons nooo. Jeez Tom you got week?
2of6Solutions 5 years ago
Well, yes, Wal-Mart's labor practices get publicized by the media but that doesn't mean that there aren't people upset about their labor practices, right? As for AI, I KNOW people who squirm when they talk about watching it because they consider it declasse and try to couch their viewership in fancy terms. But, yes, in fact the media does know all! 8^)
Thanks for the comment.
tlg847 5 years ago
BTW, many of us resist the idea that we buy with our hearts not heads vehemently...so vehemently, in fact, that it practically proves the point in itself. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," some English guy once wrote!
tlg847 5 years ago
"Appalled"...of course!! Don't you just love the way our minds work?
tlg847 5 years ago
Excellent point. I'm uploading a video on that subject as we "speak." Oh yes, the ironic consumption of "guilty pleasures" is one of my favorite "tricks" as well! 8^]
Thanks.
tlg847 5 years ago
It's a fascinating issue, for me at least. Every object has a "back story" today (even cell phone ring tones, as DrLemur points out) and any story has the potential to evoke emotions. The kicker is that we MAKE UP SO MUCH OF THAT BACK STORY yet believe it to be absolutely gospel. Fill in the blanks: "people who drive a SUV are__"; "people who drive a Prius are__." You may not have those kinds of reactions but apparently many of us do. Thanks, and thanks for all your thoughtful comments.
tlg847 5 years ago
I don't think it's even always a conscious snobbery. I guess to a point it's about personal taste. I relate to a person less if I consider them to have bad taste, especially in an area of interest of mine. (btw I may just be one of the only people left in the world who still use the ordinary ring on their cellphone :)
DrLemur 5 years ago
I'm a snob about pedophilia. I know, I'm so silly!
HisRoyalDudeliness 5 years ago
Dude...
tlg847 5 years ago
It's a joke.
HisRoyalDudeliness 5 years ago
I knew it was, hence the response!
tlg847 5 years ago
I am a computer technology snob, because I run Linux and Slackware in particular, rather than use inferior Microsoft products. Vista is a resource hog that uses your paid for computing cycles to run DRM for the RIAA.
Dave
leutzdave 5 years ago
This has been a good topic. I'm enjoying reading all the responses.
WrenFreya 5 years ago
I'm a snob about films, TV shows, and music. I also don't watch nascar, go to Wal-Mart, or watch American Idol. Great vid Tom.
K80Blog 5 years ago
Thanks, K80.
tlg847 5 years ago
Never could get into nascar. I tend to be a film and tv snob and a cell phone ringtone snob. You can tell a lot about a person by their ring tone I always thought :)
DrLemur 5 years ago
DL, leave it to you to come with a unique one...ringtones!
tlg847 5 years ago
Off the top of my head, a few things I'm snobbish about: bad grammar, soap operas, bottled water (tap for me, please), McDonald's, SUVs, popular fiction, megachurches, cigarettes, and American Eagle.
I'm snobby about things I consider "too high-class" and "too low-class," I think. I prefer to stay near the middle.
Prepoceros 5 years ago
Sooo interesting. See the lmirchin and valerlea616 comments above for mirror images of your preferences.
tlg847 5 years ago
I know! I couldn't decide which to respond to.
Prepoceros 5 years ago
I do not watch nascar. I just started shopping at wal-mart after a five year "boycott" and I work during American Idol or I would watch it.
carouselqueenmi 5 years ago
Not a fan of Nascar, no interest the same with any sport. An excuse to get drunk. Walmart and their mass production with loads of people crammed into a warehouse style, children screaming, mess. American Idol, although I have watched it; I wouldn't admit that to everybody...my biggest snobbery is water. I refuse to drink anything other than bottled spring water. Just because everyone else does it, does not make it necessary for you to enjoy as all.
valeriea616 5 years ago
Wow...isn't it amazing how strong our feelings can be about things that others have absolutely no idea about? Water made me laugh out loud! I have friends who'd rather drink urine than tap water!!
tlg847 5 years ago
haha...I think I'd rather go thirsty than drink urine-or tap water for that matter!
valeriea616 5 years ago
FEB.23 '07--Part 2
I don't follow NASCAR, but I like the Matchbox or Hot Wheels replicas.
I don't know much about Walmart's legal woes, but I do like their lower prices.
I didn't miss one episode of American Idol last season and have started watching Season 6. I was thrilled to see Clay Aiken during his Jukebox Tour in August 2005 while I was in Boston for a week.
DebUSA 5 years ago
All I can say is: we're very complicated creatures, aren't we? Thanks for your comments.
tlg847 5 years ago
DebUSA 5 years ago
I am a middle snob. I love the extremes..WalMart to Chanel. Nascar to Millionaires Row at the Derby. American Idol to backstage VIP passes at the concert du jour. They are all AMAZING. It's the middle that sucks. The low end can be as chic as the high end. Again it's that mid point that makes me uncomfortable.
That's what kind of snob I am.
lmirchin 5 years ago
Key word: "chic." That's one of the ways we know what we value highly, the things we assess as chic. For me the distinctive aspect of "snobbery" is the evaluations we make of those who don't embrace our standards. "Middle brow" is one of those stingers!
Thanks, Li.
tlg847 5 years ago
I am a snob about Walmart, Dark chocolate, Old Navy, Computers, and PS2 :D even if those count. I like walmart because it sometimes I can get really good deals, I only get my Dark chocolate at Govdia, and I only get my colths at Old navy, and I have too have all the update computer stuff out there. I also am totally about PS2 I love it... and wont trade it for anything else... :D
materialrainbow 5 years ago
Hey darlin, I've been reading the comments and I'm wondering if ppl undersatnd the true meaning of snob. Being a snob means that you have a preference and if someone else doesn't fit into your preference you feel superior. There's absolutley nothing wrong with individual taste as long as you don't think another is lesser if they don't think as you do. Make any sense?? Peace
hmarty 5 years ago
Yes, I think we take the edge off the superiority part of "snobbery" by talking about "strong preferences." It's the way we think of/treat people who have different preferences that makes it snobbery, right?
tlg847 5 years ago
As for your 3 examples:
Nascar - don't get the excitement but props to those that are passionate about it.
Walmart - wifey enjoys our visits to the Looney-Burg so she can get cheap goods and pay the cashier that sports a thicker goatess then I could ever dream of.
American Idol - guilty pleasure for sure, although I am not blown away by any of the contestants this year.
JAKULL22 5 years ago
Actually, I think several of the girls could be stars, but most of the guys are not ready for prime time. Those Looney-Burg folks are relatively mutant, or, relatives of mutants, or something like that!
tlg847 5 years ago
Okay...this is me, my wife/your daughter, yeah fruit cake! Anyway, she has made me into a chocolat snob but not completely, I still enjoy a nice piece of Hershey's milk chocolate! I am definitely a gadget snob, I always love the latest and greatest stuff. And camera snob too, I mean how can anyone wield ANYTHING LESS than a Nikon D70? I mean, seriously!
JAKULL22 5 years ago
See, I knew she'd get you with that chocolate stuff, but good to see you still drink that Dunkin' DD coffee...gotta have standards, even if they're low! D70? C'mon...the 200 rules!!!
tlg847 5 years ago
As you know i am a trainer (sneaker) snob, i am also a vinyl snob. I can't stand DJs who "cheat" using mp3 or CDs... it's gotta be vinyl!
The only thread i can detect between my two snobberies is heritage. I love the older and more classic sneaker styles, and vinyl is also a retro thing.
I guess that makes me a heritage snob
hellyersonline 5 years ago
"Heritage" snobs seems like a deep, old category. It's amazing to see the "same mindset" that would look down on others for, say, not wearing whites at Wimbledon, lead one to think less of mp3-playin', New Balance wearin' DJs!!
Thanks, Dave.
tlg847 5 years ago
LOL - just read this... great response!
talk about hitting the nail on the head!
hellyersonline 5 years ago
This is Kristin: Pizza, I don't like Greek pizza or frozen pizzas. Beer, please don't make me drink Scud. Chocolate - only dark, good stuff - no cheap Palmer's Easter stuff or Whitman or Russell Stover PLEASE! High fructose corn syrup - ban it. BTW - tell ma the wine glasses were found and unpacked.
JAKULL22 5 years ago
Hi honey! Ooo, that's right, you hate Greek pizza! Scud...no frackin' way! Dark choc rules. (Um, I think I'm Ok with that high fructose stuff, actually.)
Wine glasses: still MIA, Mom says.
tlg847 5 years ago
american idol = tragic accident waiting to happen. not a matter of if... but when. :P possible video response pending... :)
chadhorn 5 years ago
First and foremost, I am a NY snob. Either love it or leave it.
Secondly, I am a food snob. I know how to cook so I can appreciate the effort that goes into a good meal. That's not to say that I don't eat a big Mac on occasion. But show me something like Velveeta and I probably will have a reaction similar to an epileptic fit.
PastaBaby 5 years ago
OK, PB. I'll also plead guilty to NYC snobbiness. C'mon, whaddya kiddin' me?
Velveeta...OK...this is gonna be traumatic, but, my ex-wife was a Velveetist...shoulda known something was amiss... So, I guess I need to also cop to first degree foodieism as well.
tlg847 5 years ago
Yea but when you are better then everyone else does that still make you a snob? <g>
oneiblind30 5 years ago
Now that was a funny observation! :)
hmarty 5 years ago
I think people are snobbish about being part of the mainstream, but i say sod it, if enough people abstain from the mainstream and shy away then we'll be the cooler minority...hang in their guys, i can see American Idol going cult pretty soon!
ChrisNeadham 5 years ago
Oh WOW - Tom - I made a HUGE reposnse to this and it looks like the system just lost it. That's very frustrating
morfeene2 5 years ago
YT tries to mimic reality as much as possible, morf. None of this, "say whatever you want" stuff...here, we suffer.
Good to hear from you.
t
tlg847 5 years ago
I'm pretty much a snob about people who have dial up internet! get broadband you total losers! keep up the good work Tom! Stay cool , from Chris Neadham +)
ChrisNeadham 5 years ago
Most everything I consider a "hobby" I'm a snob about. Bike parts, I'm snobish. Computer parts and software: snob. Music...I snubbed rap my whole life untill a couple months ago. Now I can't believe how much I was missing.
It's hard to "recover" from being a snob because we've, a lot of times, invested huge chunks of our life belittling something. To go back and say, "Well, my past self was wrong for all that time.", that a big ego hit.
deathforce 5 years ago
BTW - I see the comment system here is as bad as ever! - that also makes me a video site snob - LV is far better! - ha! ha! :-) Just kidding people...calm down
morfeene2 5 years ago
I think a lot of the snobbery is based on popularity. The more popular the brand, the less 'cool' it becomes. We all like to think we are better and more original than other people. But we all have those 'guilty pleasures'. Good video as always Tom.
andymooseman 5 years ago
Absolutely, Andy. Snobbery is directly proportional to popularity. You should hear New Yorkers talk about restaurants! It's actually become the stuff of a "Yogi Berra" story. Yogi (the personification of the naif) is reported to have said: "nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded"!
tlg847 5 years ago
I am a coffee snob. I won't drink coffee that's been sitting in the pot for more than a hour. I won't use powdered creamer. Also, has to be fresh beans. Not from a can. = P
WrenFreya 5 years ago
I like quality clothing. Walmart is okay for lots of things but I don't like their clothes or shoes. I've even gone into PayLess Shoes and still, the quality and fit are not the same as a good pair of shoes. I'll spend more and it will last longer and feel better when I'm wearing it. That's probably what I'm a snob about. I don't mind buying flip flops or cheap sandals from them though. American Idol, I love!!!!
WrenFreya 5 years ago
I gotta say, I really enjoy AI too. I'm a huge newspaper snob. It's the New York Times, or nothing. I smirk when I read other papers...how bad is that?
tlg847 5 years ago
Online Games. I'm a snob towars the noobs. :\
HyperNathan 5 years ago
Yes, I'm a *total* snob. I don't have a t.v., but even if I did, I wouldn't be caught dead watching either Nascar or American Idol. My parents watch Nascar and it irritates me to death when I visit. I'm a foodie snob to some extent, particularly my coffee, beer and chocolate. Life is short, eat the good stuff. While I shop at Walmart, I don't buy myself clothes there. :-)
dollhoard66 5 years ago
Good to meet an honest woman! But...um...how can I put this delicately...how can you be a snob and drink wine out of a coffee cup? A mug, no less?
8^)
(No Texas accent detectable, btw.)
tlg847 5 years ago
Ouch -- touche! :-D
And thanks for the feedback.
dollhoard66 5 years ago
hmmm, I'm gonna have to think about this one. I grew up in the rural South and we didn't have much room to be a snob about anthing. I'm gonna have to get back to ya on this one. <thinkin> :)
hmarty 5 years ago
Maybe Im missing something about Nascar....bunch of cars, go around a circle a bunch of times, again and again and again...seems incredibly boring to me.
groovytimes 5 years ago
hmmm, have you ever been standed close to a Nextel Cup car when those RPM's are turning and smell the gasoline the oil and the tires? Maybe it's a chic thing but I love to hear, "Gentlemen, start your engines." :)))
hmarty 5 years ago
My husband always tells me that if I were at the track and smelled the sweetness of the fumes and the sound, I'd be hooked. LOL!!! I just don't get into Nascar. All I see are cars going around and around and it is boring to me. My husband loves it though.
WrenFreya 5 years ago
Well I always say, try it once. Go to the track and then if you decide after allowing all your senses to absorb all that is to be absorbed that you don't like it, I can accept that. :))) Peace
hmarty 5 years ago
This is one of the great snobbery moves: simplificato ad absurdem. Take the thing and strip it of anything unique. It's like what we say about music we don't like: "all sounds the same to me." Thanks...looks like you had fun at The Gathering.
tlg847 5 years ago
Oh yeah you should have been there.
groovytimes 5 years ago
(I would reply but I want to make a video response)
response pending...
groovytimes 5 years ago
hmmmm..this is a tough one. I think I can somethings be snotty when it comes to electronics. I like all the "new" stuff. Im not all all like that when it comes to clothes...food...stuff like that though. great questions
ItalianStallionette 5 years ago
Target > Walmart
gothictier 5 years ago
This is an interesting one. Five years ago saying one shopped at Target would have brought much snobbery derision down on one's head. Today: it shows I dig design! I loooovvve marketing!
tlg847 5 years ago
Pausing after you said the words and answering
NASCAR - cool as hell, go into your grocery store and pay close attention, you will see NASCAR ads and driver faces all over the place.
Walmart - Love it, shop there all the time, also came to mind, crowded, cheap clothes (I don't buy clothes there for myself) and minorities cause there is a stereotype that minorities flood to walmarts.
American Idol- Crap TV for mindless Americans but I wish I had thought of it.
Now back to your show...
GeorgeLikesTacos 5 years ago
Thanks, Festerius. I love the names we make up for ourselves to disguise our snobbery: "gourmet" is one of my favs (and also one of my prime snobifications!), as are "connoisseur," and "afficionado." You get bonus points for admitting you watch Idol!
tlg847 5 years ago